You can buy a colorful tablecloth with matching paper plates, bake a cake and decorate it with icing flowers, stock up on party hats and noisemakers, and still not capture the excitement you want for your party. You need paper lanterns! When it comes to party supplies, paper lanterns are the key to instantly creating a party atmosphere. Professional party planners learned this a long time ago.

If you are planning a children’s party, paper lanterns couldn’t be simpler to set up. Most children’s parties take place in the afternoon, so your paper lanterns don’t even need lights! Simply choose your lanterns and thread a string through the loops at the top of the lantern. Tack the string to the ceiling. The bigger the paper lanterns, the more tacks you will need in order to support the weight of them. This is not to say that they are very heavy, just that larger lanterns pull down a bit more than smaller ones. Note: Fishing line can be used instead of string for suspending the lanterns.

One pressing question you may have while looking for party supplies and specifically paper lanterns is “How many?”

Don’t worry, you won’t have to buy THIS many!
Photo: The Star Newspaper, Malaysia

It helps to know the dimensions of the room that will be used for the party. If you can draw the room to scale on a piece of graph paper, you can figure out the number of lanterns you need. See these instructions in the FAQ section of our website:

How can I figure out the number of paper lanterns needed for a large tent or room?

As an alternative to party lanterns, try festive paper garlands. They are even easier to set up than paper lanterns!

Strands of Paper Garlands are an inexpensive but effective solution to
decorating a room for a birthday party.
Photo: Luna Bazaar

Paper Garlands are the classic decoration for a child’s birthday party. A mix of bright colors is favored, as in the paper garland photo above. Whether you choose paper lanterns or paper garlands, either way you are set to throw a fun party!