Ever since I was a kid, I have loved paper lantern lamps. I grew up in a heavily Chinese neighborhood, so as you can expect, I saw a lot of paper lanterns growing up. There was a certain festival – I can not remember what it was called anymore – but it was one of the most beautiful things that I ever saw. People would go down to the river in a big crowd at dusk and make little boats with paper lights in them. They would put hundreds, maybe even thousands of them on the water at the same time. All of the lights would float gently down the river as the sky grew dark. It was absolutely gorgeous, and I have never seen anything like it since then.
As you can imagine, there are quite a few paper lantern lamps in my house. A few years ago, it was hard to find paper lamps, but nowadays it is much easier than it used to be. Stores like Pier One have paper lanterns, as do craft stores, Art fair booths, and a variety of different online sources. Of course, it is even possible to make your own Chinese lantern. It takes a little bit of skill at folding, but a lot of them are made out of surprisingly simple shapes. If you are willing to persist in it, you'll figure it out soon enough.
The simplest paper lantern you can make is nothing more than a paper bag. I first saw these on Halloween, and I was particularly intrigued by them. Basically, you take a brown paper bag, put a small candle at the bottom of it, and set it up on your lawn. It works perfectly well as a paper light. The only problem is that it is liable to spill and catch on fire. You should make sure that there is no dry brush or leaves nearby. Even then, it is too big of a risk for many people to feel comfortable doing it.
Of course, some people think that silk lanterns are even prettier than paper ones. The Korean silk lantern is becoming very popular around my neighborhood. The shapes are finer and more precise, and they are supposed to be more durable. Nevertheless, give me a paper lantern every time! They are what I grew up with, and they have an immense sentimental value to me. Some things just can't be improved upon in my opinion.
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