Arabian-style Lantern

'Arabian-style Lantern' by Neil Burley

It's 'Anything Goes' month here on the WOW! Embossing Powders blog, and I've decided to go with a paper craft lantern of my own design, featuring lots of lovely WOW! Metallic Brass with a hint of WOW! Verdigris, along with WOW! Primary colours for the stained glass. There's a free template available so that you can cut your own, and it's perfect for a battery powered tealight. The combination of brass and verdigris really gives an authentic aged feel to projects.


Here's how to make your own Arabian-style Lantern:

You will need:
- WOW! Metallic Brass
- WOW! Verdigris
- WOW! Primary Apple Red
- WOW! Primary Sherbert
- WOW! Primary Lemon
- WOW! Primary Evergreen
- WOW! Primary Lagoon
- WOW! Primary Indigo
- Tarnished Brass Distress Stain or similar colour acrylic paint
- Clear embossing ink pad
- Heat proof/laser photocopy acetate sheet
- Heat tool
- Thin card
- Strong glue and high tack double-sided tape
- Spray adhesive

1. Download and print the template onto thin card (e.g. 160gsm), or thicker if your printer will take it. Cut out all the shapes using a sharp craft knife - it is worth the time! Score the fold lines.
2. Construct the dome by folding back the tabs on the curved sections slightly, and then gluing to the next segment using a strong glue, holding each piece until set (I used UHU). After the first couple of sections, you will find it easier as the dome starts to take on its 3D form. I found it best to leave the last join until the others had fully dry as this has the most strain on it. Set aside to dry.
3. Using the embossing ink pad direct to the shapes, cover one side of all the flat components and then sprinkle areas with WOW! Verdigris. Tap off the excess and return it to the jar - do not heat set yet. Cover the whole sheet with a layer of WOW! Metallic Brass and tap off the excess. Heat set and allow to cool. Cover the other side of the shapes with Tarnished Brass Distress Stain and allow to dry - this is the interior surface.
4. Squeeze out some Tarnished Brass Distress Stain onto a craft sheet and paint it onto the interior of the dome. Allow to dry.
5. Fold the tabs at the bottom of the dome under, and then stick down round the section with the hole in the centre. Allow to dry.
6. Cover the assembled dome with spray adhesive, making sure all the nooks and crannies catch some of the glue. Leave to dry until tacky and then sprinkle over WOW! Verdigris and cover with WOW! Metallic Brass as before. Heat set and set aside to cool.

7. Next cut your acetate to get three 8x6cm rectangles. Cover each with a layer of clear embossing ink, and then add a section of each of the WOW! Primary colours in turn, tapping off the excess between each colour. You don't need to heat set between colours, do it all in one go when the whole sheet is covered with powder. As you heat, you'll see the colours come alive. Handle the powdered sheets by the short edges as there is a 1cm overhang top and bottom in case of fingerprints!

 

8. Using high tack double sided tape top and bottom of the window apertures, stick down the coloured acetate sheets to the inside (distress stain covered) of the lantern.
9. Using the same tape, add some down the tab (short tapered side) on the embossed surface of the tab. Fold at the score lines and stick down to the inside edge of the other side of the lantern to create the main shape.
10. Using the same tape, add to the tabs on all four distress stain/interior sides of both the top (dome) and bottom (solid) sections. Fold those tabs so the embossed sides are touching before inserting into the main lantern section, embossed side out, and fixing down. The top edge of the tabs aligns with the edge of the lantern.
11. Add a battery powered tea light through the door at the back, and you're done :)