A lantern for the dark days: free printable paper lantern craft

On Wednesday 11 November, children in the Netherlands and Germany walk through the dark streets with their lanterns for St. Martin's Day. A lantern you made yourself is the loveliest of all. Hylkia drew one with four oval windows and the Hartendief animals. A drawing by day, and a little story when the light comes on. Just like our lamps.

Behind each window goes an animal for you to colour in: Fox with his flute, Bear with his lantern, Fawn under the moon, and Bear with Little Bear and Robin. Around the windows, little stars and corners light up in the colour you choose.

Download the template for free. Enter your email address, confirm your sign-up and the kit lands in your inbox. Choose your language: English, German or Dutch.

What's inside

• Sheets A and B: the four lantern panels
• Sheet C: the base and step-by-step instructions
• Two colouring sheets with four animal drawings

One 6-page PDF, A4 landscape. The first page is a cover, you print the other five. Print at 100% or "actual size" so the measurements are right. The finished lantern is about 12.4 × 12.4 cm and 17.8 cm tall.

Choose your own way

• Tissue paper with cut-out figures: colour in the animals, cut them out and stick them onto a sheet of tissue paper. With the light on, the animals become silhouettes in a glow of colour. This gives the loveliest effect.
• Colour in the whole sheet: colour in the entire colouring sheet, background too, and stick it behind the window.

The colouring sheet is shaped like a panel, so you can stick a whole sheet to the inside and the light spreads evenly.

What you need

• Thick paper or thin card for sheets A, B and C, if your printer can handle it
• Ordinary printer paper for the colouring sheets
• Coloured pencils or felt-tip pens
• Translucent tissue paper, and coloured tissue paper for the stars and corners
• Scissors, a craft knife and a cutting mat
• A glue stick or paper glue
• A battery or USB LED light and a lantern stick

Making it with your toddler

Colouring in is your child's job. You do the cutting with the craft knife. Let your child choose the tissue paper colours and help with the gluing. Save the best moment for last: switch off the big light, put the light in the lantern and watch the animals start to glow together. Take it for a little walk around the dark room first, so your child knows what's coming.

After lantern night

Put the lantern in the nursery afterwards. With the light on it's a little night light, and a memory of an exciting evening. To keep the glow going, the Glow in the Dark Starry Sky stickers light up when the lamp goes off.

Read a story with it

The picture book Bear wants to kiss the Moon goes with the Moonkiss wall lamp: switch on the light and Bear and his friends climb up to the moon. Is your child afraid of the dark? Read Afraid of the dark? How to help your child.

Want to make another lantern? Try the Halloween lantern with the little mice.

Frequently asked questions

Is the template really free?

Yes. Enter your email address on the download page and confirm your sign-up.
We'll then email you the kit.

Can I use a real candle?

Use an LED light. It's safe in a paper lantern, and your child can carry it themselves.
We advise against a candle: fire and paper don't mix.

How big is the lantern?

About 12.4 × 12.4 cm and 17.8 cm tall, if you print at 100%.

When is St. Martin's Day?

Every year on 11 November. In 2026 it falls on a Wednesday.

Which song do you sing?

Every town and village has its own songs. Ask at the nursery or school which ones they practise.

© Original Hartendief designs, for personal use only.