Gluten-Free Paper Mâché Lantern (Inspired by Miss Maple’s Seeds)

Inspired by the dreamy lanterns in Miss Maple’s Seeds, my girls and I set out to create our own glowing version. A simple paper mâché balloon lantern with pressed flowers and a soft tea light flicker. These don’t look exactly like the ones in the book, of course, but they have the same cozy glow.

Before I dive into the how-to, I want to say this up front: this is not a must-do craft. If it brings you joy, lovely! If not, let it go. I never want these ideas to feel like pressure. Just inspiration for those who love to get their hands sticky and create something with their kids.

We’re a crafting, mess-making household, so this was right up our alley.

What We Used (Gluten-Free Friendly)

Because we have celiac, we made a glue mix that skips flour and uses simple, safe ingredients:

• 1 bottle of Elmer’s glue

• 1 Elmer’s glue bottle full of water

• Balloon

• Printer paper (torn into strips or pieces)

• Mod Podge (for the tissue paper layer)

• Tissue paper (light colors work best!)

• Pressed flowers or petals

• Scissors

• Battery-powered tea light

I wish I had taken photos of each step, but the truth is, my girls and I were completely in the moment. Sticky fingers, tissue paper everywhere, chatting about flowers and light. It wasn’t a staged or perfectly documented project; it was just us, crafting together. And that’s kind of the point. This isn’t a Pinterest-perfect tutorial. It’s an invitation to slow down, make a mess, and enjoy the process.

Step-by-Step: How We Made Our Lantern

1. Blow Up the Balloon
   We used a regular sized balloon and blew them up to different sizes. 

2. Make the Glue Mix
   Empty a bottle of Elmer’s glue into a bowl, then refill the bottle with water and pour that in too. Stir well.

3. Tear and Dunk
   Tear printer paper into strips and fully dunk each piece into the glue solution. Apply the paper to the balloon, smoothing it out as you go. We added some layers in some spots, but kept it to 1-2 layers for faster drying. You could totally add more if that’s what you’re into!

4. Let It Dry
   Set the balloon on a cup or bowl to dry. This takes time, ours needed overnight.

5. Add Tissue Paper + Pressed Flowers
   Once the paper mâché is dry, brush on a thin layer of Mod Podge. Add pieces of tissue paper and gently press flowers or petals into place. Add another thin layer of Mod Podge over the top to seal.

6. Final Dry Time
   Let it dry fully again.

7. Pop the Balloon
   Make a small cut in the balloon and slowly let the air out. Carefully remove the balloon from inside.

8. Trim and Tidy
   Use scissors to trim the top edge so it's clean and even. This makes a nice opening for your light.

9. Add a Tea Light
   Pop a little battery tea light inside and admire your glowing petal lantern!

A Few Notes:

• It’s messy. Like... really messy. Embrace it. Or cover your table. Or do it outside.

• Drying time can vary. We let ours dry overnight between each major step.

Want to Try It?

If you do make one, I’d love to see it. Tag me or share your own twist on this idea. The joy is in the making, not the matching!