30.9.14

Paper Lantern / Gazebo Tutorial


Paper Gazebo
              Dear friends I have been fascinated by Gazebos for a long time and wanted to make a 3 D Paper Gazebo .The Paper Gazebos I saw online were all made using SVG files and since I dont have an electronic cutting machine ,improvised and made one using die cuts and paper rolls.
Paper Gazebo
My 3 D Gazebo is big enough to house a little doll.It can also be called a Bird house or  Lantern as it houses a battery operated tea light.
How to make a 3 D Paper Lantern/Gazebo
Making any 3 D structure in paper looks deadly complicated but its completely do-able if you break it down into parts!
And though I used die cuts to make the roof of my 3 D Gazebo, you can make one without using any fancy equipment!
To make it easier, I will break down the Paper Gazebo tutorial into 3 parts
  • How to make the Dome of the Gazebo
  • How to make the Supporting walls/Pillars
  • How to make the base of the Gazebo
How to make the Dome of the Gazebo
Paper Lantern tutorial 
You can make the roof of your Gazebo anyway you fancy! Here are some options:-

  • Conical  Dome:The easiest way to make the dome of the Gazebo would be to cut a thick card into a circle and glue it in a dome shape- you could decorate the rim of the cone with lace and pearls and it would look spectacular!
  • Pyramid Shape: If you like Pyramid shape [ I do!!] you can follow these tutorials  to make a pyramid and use it as your Gazebo roof: Pyramid Decoration tutorial , Pyramid tutorial 
  • Hemispherical Dome: If you want a simple style Gazebo just use 2 circles and make a dome  like I did to make a 3 D pram shaped box using this Pram Box tutorial 
  • Slanting Roof: You can adapt the roof I made for this Wishing Well to make a Gazebo roof too!
  • Fancy Domed Roof: If you really wanted a challenge ,you could make a real fancy 3 D domed roof using a printable like I did in the Taj Mahal Model
  • Using Die Cuts /Hand cut shapes
I used the same Marianne Petra Corner die set I used to make the 3 D Chariot.
Paper Lantern tutorial 
You don't really have to use the same dies I used-- just try playing with whatever die cut shape you have on hand or hand cut a shape you fancy.
3 D Gazebo tutorial 
The picture above shows how the die cut looked before I inked it and heat embossed it with WOW clear sparkle embossing powder as described in the 3 D Chariot making post.
Gazebo tutorial 
I cut and heat embossed 6 of the above die cuts.Scored and folded them in half as shown below. As I said don't despair if you don't have the exact die I have shown-- you can make a gazebo dome using a humble circle shape too and use it as a base to make the rest of your Gazebo! [See tutorial to make a 3 D structure using Circles : Easy Paper decoration tutorial ]
Gazebo tutorial 
Apply glue to half of one folded die cut shape and stick to half of another one as shown below
Gazebo tutorial 
Stick  all 6 pieces and your dome is nearly done.You get a fairly lovely shape even if you use only 5 die cuts but I found working with 6  made the rest of the 3 D construction easier [ like placing the pillars] !
Gazebo tutorial 
Before you stick the last 2 pieces, add a hook if you plan to hang your lantern. I used a long jewelry finding and threaded a large bead on one end and made a hook on the other end.Later on I added a dangling heart to the hook on the inside and a pearl- ruby to the hook on the top.
Gazebo tutorial 
To complete the Gazebo roof, I used the Marianne die cut shown below which was again a bit plain on simply die cutting it but on embossing with Spellbinders embossing pads revealed beautiful embossed designs!It looks rather plain doesn't it..well instead of inking and embossing , I took a shortcut!
Gazebo tutorial  10
Marianne Petra Corner
I know many of you will be already knowing how to emboss your die cuts with the Bigshot/Cuttlebug...well this was the first time I did it ! So but sharing the embossing steps in case you didnt and remember its yet another way to explore the maximum potential of your dies!
Gazebo tutorial  11
Die cut embossing
After you have cut the die. keep the dic cut paper within the die itself [on your acrylic cutting plate]and place a Spellbinders Embossing pad  atop it and then your other cutting plate.
Gazebo tutorial  12
Die cut embossing
Just one run through your big shot and you will get beautiful embossed impressions on your die cut as shown below.
Gazebo tutorial  13
Die cut embossing
Before I got the embossing pad, I tried  to emboss die cuts with thick felt and even foam-- I did manage to get some amount of embossing but my foam/ felt spoilt and disintegrated real fast and on comparison the embossing was not as deep and beautiful as what I got using the proper Spellbinders Embossing pad. There are many embossing pads out there but I hear the Spellbinders  one is the best!
Gazebo tutorial  14
Embossed Die cut

Attached 6 of the above die-cuts between the arms of the basic frame made earlier to make it more sturdy.Here is the aerial view of the Gazebo roof showing the pretty dies and bows.
Paper Gazebo tutorial 

Here you can see the dangling heart and pearly beaded sprays [See Easy Beaded Spray tutorial ] hanging from the center of the Gazebo roof.
Paper Lantern tutorial 

How to make the Base of the Gazebo/Lantern
Make the base of your Lantern / Gazebo to match the shape of your roof. The easiest shapes are simple squares and circles.
I  cut a circle from ivory card to form the base of my Paper Lantern and placed a battery operated tea-light on it and surrounded it with embossed die- cuts made by folding the 3rd design of die cuts from the same Marianne Petra Corner die set
Paper Lantern tutorial 
Here is how the tea- light looks when it is lighted up.
Paper Lantern tutorial 
You can stick the circle of card on a thick cardboard or even a CD.To make the base even sturdier, after adding the pillars ,wrap a  piece of corrugated paper around the pillars along the circumference of your circular base. 
Paper Lantern Base
How to make the Supports/Pillars of the Paper Lantern/Gazebo
You could use strips of card folded at right angles to make the supports but I found it easiest to use rolls of corrugated paper as pillars.
Paper Lantern tutorial 
Corrugated paper is super easy to fashion into rolls. I used 1 inch width corrugated card , cut 6 pieces into lengths I wanted and rolled them up tight to form pillars.Stick the pillars on the circular base and on to the roof of  the Gazebo.
Paper Lantern tutorial 

Tip to make 3 D Paper-crafts : Obsessing a bit about symmetry, gluing and re-gluing is the key to building a good looking and sturdy Paper Lantern/Gazebo! Working with 6 eg :6 spokes on the roof, 6 pillars, 6 sides  etc makes it easier to build a symmetrical 3 D structure than working with 5 !

Paper Gazebo
The delicate lacey bows I used on my Gazebo are Sue Wilson dies from Crafters Corner.
Paper Gazebo
I do hope you enjoyed my first DIY Lantern ,and hoping some of the principles shared will come in useful to help you make your own Diwali /Christmas Lantern for the upcoming festive season.
Here is another adaptation of this 3 D lantern : Festive Lantern
Paper Lantern

Supplies:Embossing: WOW Embossing Powder Clear Sparkle, Versamark Watermark Stamp pad, Ranger Heat gun;Dies :From Crafters Corner: Marianne creatable Petra Corners ,Tattered Lace Lacy RoseSue Wilson Filigree BowLifestyle crafts Circle DieSpellbinders Lace hearts;Embellishments: Crystal Beaded pollen from Crafters Corner;Lace : Commercial street Bangalore
Edited : this 3 D lantern came top 5 in Marianne designs Kreadivas Challenge

63 comments:

  1. Another stunning project Sonia and thank you for always sharing the process. This will look wonderful on Christmas table.
    Hugs
    Desíre
    {Doing Life – my personal blog}

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  2. Absolutely amazing project Dr. Sonia SV!! This is elegant enough for a fancy wedding center piece with the tea light candle!! Such a gorgeous design!!! Well done my friend!! :) Thanks for playing along with us at Tuesday Throwdown, it was an honor having you!! Hugs & Smiles - *Vicki*
    My Blog: Stamp Smiles

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  3. wow such a lovely winterland lantern Sonia..perfect for a fairy land..thanks for the step by step tute..

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  4. Ohh this is one stunning project Dr sonia ..Definitely one of your finest work ..And the fact that you also have shared a tutorial for it is just icing on the cake :)

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  5. I say where there is a will, there is a way. No electronic cutting machine....you sure didn't need one. This is a gorgeous gazebo, Dr. Sonia, and could have many uses. You're so very talented and creative.

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  6. this is beautiful wow. hugs

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  7. Wonderful and amazing latern.

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  8. Sonia, its looks out of this world - makes me want to get married in it (lol)

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  9. Bee-utiful gazebo. I like gazebos. I asked my hubby to have one built or have him build a gazebo in our backyard. I just may get one when we redo the spa area of our pool. The spa area has a leak & we did not use the spa part much so we thought we would have it filled in and put a gazebo in its place. Waiting till non-swimming time since we will have to lower the pool water for the dirt fill in & construction.
    Melissa
    "Sunshine HoneyBee"

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  10. this is very beautiful... love this..
    -Berina
    Moxie Craftie

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  11. Such a beautiful creation! Absolutely appealing to the eye...:)) fab !!

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  12. Absolutely stunning, Sonia! Thanks for the wonderful tutorial. It's been so wonderful having you with us as a Guest Designer this month. Hope you'll stop by now and then and play along in the challenge. :-D NanaConnie

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    1. Thank you so much Nana Connie..I enjoyed my Guest DT stint among such talented ladies!

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  13. Unbelievable- this is just FABULOUS!!! You have eyes for 3-d and ...NO cutting machine either! I always love the step-by-step photos you add showing your design process- this is amazing!!! Beautifully done!

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    1. Ha Ha I am tempted to get a Silhouette but resisting!!

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  14. WOW! This is stunning!!! Thanks for sharing another great tutorial :)

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    1. Thank you so much Zubeida..It was a huge project so am thrilled you like it

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  15. Oh wow, this is jaw-droppingly gorgeous!! How do you come up with such amazing designs??!! I just can't say enough about how beautiful this is!! Simply stunning!! And your tutorial is fabulous!! Love, love, love this!! Have a great day :)

    Lisa
    A Mermaid's Crafts

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    1. Ha Ha your comments always make me smile Lisa

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  16. So STUNNING Sonia..what a gorgeous lantern and fantastic tutorial...just beautiful.

    luv CHRISSYxx

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    1. Thank you so much Chrissy...Glad you liked my Lantern tutorial

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  17. Wow Sonia, totally awesome, amazing attention to detail and I adore your roof. Brilliant work. I just don't know where you find the time, but so glad you do. Another winner for sure.
    Julie x

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    1. Thank you so much Julie...Ha Ha yes Julie-- this one did take up a lot of time as I had to first make a rough prototype to test the architectural key points of the Gazebo!

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  18. Beautiful lantern Dr Sonia..Thanks for the sweet step by step tutorial.. :) i love your die cuts collection and projects made with them..

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    1. Thank you so much Radhika...Ha Ha yes I am obsessed with dies!

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  19. Replies
    1. Thank you so much Lisa-- coming from you the queen of 3 D projects..I am thrilled

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  20. Words truly fail me. This is fantastic. Hugs Mrs A.

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  21. Such an elegant work. Those red color looks very nice on white base. Wonderful use of dies once again.

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    1. Thank you so much ...yes I love red on white!!

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  22. I've always loved gazebos and your paper version is stunning

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    1. Thank you so much Ann...glad you liked my Paper Gazebo

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  23. Your gazebo is gorgeous! Thanks for sharing it with us at Decorate To Celebrate! DTM, Sarah

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  24. Replies
    1. Thank you so much Nana...glad you liked my 3 D Lantern

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  25. What a stunning project. You are so clever. I especially like the bows and the pretty candle holder could easily stand on its own; it is so lovely.
    Hugs,
    Teresa

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    1. Thank you so much Teresa...yes I agree...the die cuts around the tea light looks good as it is!

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  26. You are unbelievable clever and creative! This is absolutely gorgeous! :^)
    Hugs, Penny

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    1. So sweet of you Penny-- Am thrilled to read your comment!!

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  27. Stunning creation!!!! Awesome!
    Lynn

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    1. Thank you so much Lynn...glad you liked my Paper Lantern

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  28. What a lovely gazebo lantern! I love your detailed tutorials!
    Pam
    scrap-n-sewgranny.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you so much PaM...Ha Ha yes I do tend to write elaborate tutorials sometimes and am glad you didnt get bored!

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  29. This is beautiful. Love all the doilies. Excellent instructions. So happy to have you joining us at Tuesday Throwdown with this wonderful CD project.
    TFS DebiB TT DT

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    1. Glad you liked my 3 D gazebo Debi

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  30. WOW!!! Stunning Gazebo Sonia. Thanks for the tutorial..Loz

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    1. Glad you liked my Gazebo tutorial Loz

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  31. Your project is amazing! Gorgeous design. It was wonderful to have you playing along with us for September and sharing your talent with us.

    Kim - TTDT

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    1. Thank you so much Kim..I had a lot of fun being the Guest DT at TT !

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  32. Super pretty creation! you did great job :)

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  33. Hallo Sonia,
    Dank je wel voor je reactie op mijn blog! En wat een mooie creaties zie ik hier bij jou! De lantaarn is zo prachtig en dat gemaakt van zoveel mooie mallen....beautifull!! ik ben meteen volgster geworden!
    Groetjes van Gerie

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  34. Oh Wow that is just absolutely Gorgeous, love the vines and the flowers!!

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  35. Beautiful!!! Thanks so much for participating in our DECORATE TO CELEBRATE challenge!! Hope to see you again for our next challenge!!
    ~DEANNE~
    A Little Bit O' Paper

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  36. Wow, another amazing creation with your Marianne Design dies. Glad you are joining Marianne Design Kreadivas...good luck and please join soon again ( perhaps with your new MD goodies? ),
    Hugs Blankina

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  37. Wooooooooooooow ,that is amazing,your gazebo is a stunning object like your carriage ,absolutly fabulous! I am enchanted , i build a gazebo with MD some month ago with the die birds trellis .Love gazebo´s too.
    Thank you so much for join us at Marianne Design Kreadiva´s challenge this month and please return soon ,your are amazing ,i have a look at your beautiful blog!
    Greets Gudrun

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  38. OMG I used a cutting machine for mine and that was hard, to make one yourself without how incredible you are amazing and love your step by step fabulous
    hugs Kate xx

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  39. Wow - an engineering feat for sure! I love this! So many great details and lovely work. Thanks for all you wonderful details and hints - I learned a lot reading this post. Thanks for visiting my blog - I am so glad I came over to visit yours. You are very talented.

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  40. Simply stunning Sonia! You don't have to buy expensive home decors! :)

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  41. Wow, so many work you had! I love your gazebo, it`s a piece of art :)

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  42. Absolut gorgeous work here, so beautiful and elegant in every little detail. Thanks sooo much for sharing the tutorial withj the rest of us, who hasn´t the brain to think these things out LOL. It´s really apreciated, I can asure. Sooo sooo beautiful.

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  43. Beautiful, love it.
    Grietje

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