This is a wonderful variation from hanging Tangled lanterns! This Tangled lantern table lamp is reinforced with a stronger plastic interior which ensures the shape remains strong for this design as well as a Tangled lamp which will be featured in a later post.
You’ll begin your lantern with the same designed featured in other posts, Personally, I think that the purple round looks the best but you’re welcome to work with any of the patterns. I will warn you now that the square table lamps looks nice but they are significantly more difficult to shape. For this reason alone, I’ll only feature the round design in this post–though you could easily adapt to a square lantern by using the appropriate pattern and creasing the edges.
Choose your design
Lantern patterns for your DIY project (non-commercial use only, please):
- Purple round and purple square
- Pink round and pink square
- Gold round and gold square
- Turquoise round and turquoise square
Start with two sheets of your preferred lantern pattern
Cut the notches out of the pattern
Glue two sheets together as shown here
Form the basic lantern for your Tangled table lamp
After you glue two sheets of paper together on one side, you’ll complete the shape by gluing the other side into the round shape of the lantern. There is no need for the Con-Tact paper liner in the Tangled table lamp design. You’ll see why soon!
I use a frosted white shelf liner for increased rigidity in this design. Rubbermaid made an affordable shelf liner but it looks like it is no longer available at Lowe’s. If you choose a different shelf liner, ensure that there is no visible pattern in it because that will shine through the lantern. (Trust me, I learned the hard way!) This Amazon product appears to be a suitable replacement but I have not tested it yet.
Cut the frosted lining
The shelf liner is more difficult to work with than Con-Tact paper but the results are worth it. First, you’ll want to measure 16-7/8″ of liner and cut a straight line. While I use a couple of framing squares to cut straight lines, you can get similar results cutting carefully with scissors. I also use blue tape to keep the liner from “jumping” or sliding on the cutting mat.
Form the lining
Once you cut the shelf liner, complete the circle and tape the edges together. Since I recommend trimming either side of the lantern after the liner is shaped, you’ll want to leave an inch or two untaped at either end as shown below
Next, stand the liner up with the seam facing you. Press in on either side using your thumbs to make a heart shape that should next well within your finished paper lantern formed earlier.
Trim the lining in your Tangled table lamp
Once you confirm that the liner fits snug without putting undue stress on the paper lantern, you can trim it. First, place the lantern on its side and center the lantern on the liner so the tabs stick out of each side. Begin by trimming one side 2mm from the edge of the paper. (This is so you don’t cut the paper but will trim the lining with a relatively straight cut.)
from the paper lantern edge
Then, offset the interior lining by 2mm on the inside in preparation to trim the other side.
2mm away from the paper lantern
Remove the internal liner, and use a glue stick along all edges of the paper lantern as well as both the outside edges and body of the shelf liner cylinder. Once adequately sticky, re-insert into the lantern, placing the seam of the shelf liner over one of the areas of overlap (2 sheets of linen paper) on the lantern.
Add wire to maintain the shape
You’ll notice that the shelf liner seam does not sit flush against the paper lantern so the wire rings help keep the shape of the finished product.
Since the shelf liner is thicker than contact paper, you’ll want to cut the top and bottom wire ring to 16-3/4″ (1/8″ shorter than the hanging lantern wires).
I use the 2.0 mm wire for the top of the lantern. and 1.5mm for the bottom.
To complete the wire shape, I found it easiest to first tape the wire together, then following up with another piece of tape on top of the seam for extra strength.
bottom wire (right)
Optimum placement of the wire is equidistant from the Tangled boat border and the edge of the lantern. This provides a nice visual cue when looking at the finished product.
I placed four pieces of tape on both the top and bottom wires to secure them inside the lantern.
Add an LED candle for subtle lighting in this Tangled table lamp
Next, you’ll want to find a nice LED pillar candle to place inside your shelf lantern. Sizes and colors vary the final appearance and I have bought pillar candles from Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Bed Bath and Beyond–all of which look great. If I remember correctly, the LED pillar candle in the photo below was on clearance at Bed Bath and Beyond.
the finished lantern table lamp
backlit by a Philips Hue LightStrip
Don’t have time to Do It Yourself? That’s okay because you can buy this Tangled table lamp on Etsy!
Caution: Since this has a linen paper exterior, it is designed for indoor use only with LED candles. Do not with a real candle or with an incandescent light bulb because it increases the risk of it catching on fire.
Disclaimer: The Walt Disney Company maintains the copyright for Tangled, Disney’s Rapunzel, the Tangled golden sun, Walt Disney World, and the Magic Kingdom. I do not own nor claim any copyrights to these items. Rather, this project is inspired by the creativity and innovation of the Walt Disney Company through their depictions in the movie and at the Magic Kingdom. Thank you, Disney, for bringing magic into all of our lives.