How to make a St Martin's lantern with kids (cheese box, LED light)

On St Martin's Day, 11 November, children in Germany and the Netherlands walk through the streets at dusk with lanterns they have made themselves. This guide makes the classic round lantern from a cheese box, with a tissue-paper picture your child creates, in two short sessions. The adult jobs are marked, and the light is always a battery lantern stick.

Get the box ready

1. Adult job.

   Push the flat centre out of the lid so only the rim is left.

   

   Press the flat disc of the lid carefully out from the inside so only the round rim is left (Sternsinger). The rim becomes the top of the lantern and holds the handle. Keep the base whole: it is the floor of the lantern.

   You should see: a whole box base and a separate round rim.

2. Measure the tracing paper round the base and cut it to size.

   

   Wrap the sheet loosely round the outside of the base and pinch where the ends meet, or measure round the base with a tape measure (a 12 cm box measures about 37 to 38 cm round). Add about 2 cm of overlap for gluing, mark it in pencil, and cut off the rest: for a 12 cm box the sheet ends up about 40 cm long. The height of the sheet is the height of your lantern: about 21 cm high suits small hands. This is our general advice.

3. Let your child paint the base and the rim, then leave them to dry.

   

   Finger paint or acrylic paint both work on the cardboard (Sternsinger). Paint only the outside, so the glue will hold on the inside of the rim later. Leave both pieces to dry fully before you glue anything to them.

Make the glowing sides

1. Tear tissue paper into small pieces.

   

   Tearing is easier and safer for young children than cutting, and torn edges blend nicely when the light shines through. Keep a few bigger yellow pieces aside for a moon or stars if your child wants a picture.

2. Glue the pieces onto the tracing paper, overlapping them.

   

   Brush a thin layer of glue on the tracing paper, lay the tissue on it, and brush a little more glue on top to flatten it. Where pieces overlap, the colour gets deeper. Leave the 2 cm overlap strip at one end bare, so it glues cleanly later.

3. Hold it up to the window, then let it dry flat.

   

   Holding it to the light shows your child what the lantern will look like at night and where gaps could be filled. Then leave it flat until it is completely dry, about an hour for a thin layer of glue. A wet sheet tears when you bend it round the box.

Put it together

1. Adult job.

   Glue the bottom of the rolled sheet inside the base.

   

   Brush a band of glue round the inside wall of the box base. Roll the dry sheet into a tube, stand it inside the base, and let it open out against the wall, then press the paper onto the glue all the way round. Work all the way round so there are no gaps where the base could drop out. The Sternsinger sheet glues the paper round the outside of the base instead; both work, and inside keeps the painted base on show.

   You should see: the sheet standing up as a tube in the base.

2. Glue the overlap where the two ends meet.

   

   Put glue on the bare strip you left and press the other end over it. Hold it for a moment until it grips. This seam keeps the lantern round when it hangs.

3. Glue the lid rim over the top edge.

   

   Brush glue on the inside of the rim and slide it over the top edge of the sheet, then press it on (Sternsinger). A strip of sticky tape inside adds strength if it feels loose (Sternsinger). If you like, wrap a strip of card round the bottom too: it hides the join and makes the base stronger (Sternsinger).

   You should see: a base at the bottom, a rim at the top and the picture in between.

4. Adult job.

   Punch two opposite holes in the rim and twist in a wire handle.

   

   Punch one hole, then one exactly opposite, so the lantern hangs straight (Sternsinger). Push one piece of wire through each hole from the outside and twist its end back on itself so it can't pull out. Then bring the two pieces up over the middle and twist them tightly together, making an arch about a hand high. The twist in the middle is where the lantern stick hooks on. Bend the cut ends inward so they don't scratch little hands.

Light it and walk

1. Hook the lantern stick onto the middle of the handle.

   

   The small bulb on the stick hangs down into the lantern. Centre it so it doesn't touch the paper and the light spreads evenly. Your child holds the stick, never the lantern itself.

2. Switch it on the day before and pack spare batteries.

   

   The weak points of lantern sticks are the hook joint and the switch, so switch it on the day before and check it is bright (kita.de). Spare batteries in your pocket save the evening if it fades halfway.

3. Dress your child warmly, with something reflective.

   

   Lantern walks are in the dark and in November weather. Reflective clothing, a safety vest or bright colours help drivers see children (ARAG). Warm, weatherproof clothes keep a small child happy to the end (familienportal.nrw).

4. Walk in a small group and hold the stick, not the lantern.

   

   Keep groups small and manageable with young children (familienportal.nrw). If the walk crosses roads, go over the route with your child beforehand and remind them how to cross safely (ARAG). Walk next to them, so the lantern doesn't swing into other children.

How St Martin is celebrated

If it doesn't work