How To: Make Mud Cloth Paper Lanterns

DIY Mud Cloth Paper Lanterns — Photo: Marlene Sauer

There may still be snow on the ground in some places (I’m looking at you, Boston), but spring will be here before you know it. And that means — patio season!

New England winters have trained me to take advantage of every available moment of spring and summer weather, so I am always looking for easy ways to make my tiny driveway patio cuter. That’s where these DIY Mud Cloth Paper Lanterns come in. They’re on-trend, inexpensive, and wicked easy. Keep reading to see how to make them for yourself!

If you live under a rock and haven’t encountered mud cloth before, it’s a gorgeous historical method of fabric dyeing from Mali that’s been all the rage on Pinterest for a few years. Not only are mud cloth designs beautiful in their graphic minimalism, their basic shapes and repeat patterns are a cinch to replicate (even if you are one of those people like me who insists they can’t draw!).

So, browse a couple of reference images for inspiration, grab a paint pen and a set of paper lantern string lights, and get crafting!

Materials

Photo: Marlene Sauer

Paper lantern string lights (make sure the globes are really made of paper, not fabric)
Black paint pen
A sheet of cardboard or cardstock, for practice and blotting

Step

Practice drawing some simple patterns on your scrap of cardboard. You can use your inspiration images as a guide, or copy the shapes I’ve drawn here.

When you feel ready to draw on the lantern, blot the paint pen on the cardboard to make sure the flow isn’t too heavy, then begin transferring your patterns to the lantern.