Making a Sky Lantern

For Dummies (like me) Draft copy.

In this page, I will show you how to build a Fanus / Fanush (Sky lantern / Hot air balloon). Hope you will enjoy.
Please make a note that making a Fanush is a laborious job. It takes time, patience & little bit of money.
From start to end, we can divide the process into four parts.
A. Making a template, by which we can cut the Fanush papers into proper size.
B. Selecting a paper for Fanush & cut according to the profile.
C. Technique of applying the adhesive (Glue) to the Fanush papers.
D. Bottom structure, rag ball & assembly.
A. Making a template::
Material / Tools required: Paper, adhesive / Cello tape, 1Ft/300mm scale, pencil & scissor
In this step, you have to add multiple papers (I have used standard ART paper, quantity 3 nos), preferably thick
papers with glue or with adhesive tape like cello tape & cut it according to the dimension & fold it. Please refer
the below drawing, Step-1.

In the next step, you need to draw some lines with a scale & a
pencil.
In the step three, you need to mark with dots on the line, which
you have drawn just now. Again you need to follow the
drawing for dimensions. Then you join all the marks with
straight line, using the scale. Cut the paper according to the
drawing. If you found any sharp corner on the curve, that can
be rounded off & you finished the template. It should not take
more than 45 minutes. To make it durable, you can wrap all the
template with cello tape or you can cut a thick board using your
new template.
Cost: 3 Art paper at Rs.18/-, 2 small rolls of cello tape at Rs.20, Scale Pencil Scissor was in my home. I also
purchased a brown tape to wrap the whole template to make it durable at Rs.40/B. Selecting a paper for Fanush & cut according to the profile::
Material / Tools required: Pencil, Cloth clips & Scissor.
Now you need to choose papers for your Fanush. It has to be light weight. Normally thin tissue papers are
chosen for making Fnush. I have chosen kite (Fighter kite) paper, a typical type of tissue paper, which is also

used for wall posters. These sheets are not found as per required length. So, you need to add multiple sheets to
make one segment. In our case, we need 3 kite paper to make one segment & 10 such segments are required to
make a complete Fanush.

Make the Fanush paper as per the dimension & fold it. This I
call 1 segment. Prepare 10 such segments. All of them should
be folded. Put all the segments one after another & arrange
properly. On the top of it, place the template. You can use a
couple of cloth clips to hold the papers properly. Mark the kite
paper along the template curve using a pencil, then remove the
template. Cut the kite paper along the marked line & you are
done. Please refer the attached drawing.
Cost: 30 kite papers at Rs.60 in local stores.
C. Technique of applying the adhesive (Glue) to the Fanush papers::
Material / Tools required: Adhesive
The trickiest part is applying the glue. It will be easier to understand if we use two different colored segments.
Lets say, we are using blue color & green colored segments. Take one blue colored segment & one green
colored segment. Unfold it & place it on a table or on a floor. Green colored segment is on the top. Match all the
edges of both segments. Now slide green colored paper 10 to 15 mm, so that blue colored curved edge can be
seen. Apply glue on the blue curved edge. Fold this blue colored curved edge on the top of the green colored
curved edge. Now two segments are added. If you are using liquid adhesive, let it dry.
Now fold the green paper on the glued side (Where two segments are added). put a blue segment on the top of
the green colored paper. Match the newly added blue sheets curve edge with the green papers curved edge.
Now slide the blue paper 10 to 15 mm. This time green curved edge can be seen. Apply the adhesive on the
green paper & fold it on the top of the blue sheet.
By doing this, total three sheets are added. You need to repeat these steps until all the segments are added. Now
first & last edges are also to be glued in the same fashion to make it closed. It is not that tough, as I described.
Refer the drawing, for better understanding.

You will notice that there is a small hole in the top. Cut a paper
in a circular shape & block the hole with adhesive.
Cost: 3 small liquid glue sticks at Rs.15
D. Bottom structure, rag ball & assembly::
Material / Tools required: Bamboo slice / Broom stick (),
Metal wire, cotton thread (), Plier, Cloths made of cotton &
Cotton wool (Optional).
Generally, bottom structure is made with bamboo slice & metal
wire. You need to make a bamboo slice with 4mm to 5mm diameter & 1700mm length (I do not know from
where you will get it). I made the bottom structure with an alternate material, which is commonly available in
all over India, that is Broomstick, made of coconut leaf. But these individual sticks are too flexible & short in
lenght. Not suitable for this application. So, I took a couple of them & tied with a cotton thread. I made several
bunch & added serially to make it as per required length. Then I bend it to make a circle. This circle should be
less than the bottom of Fanush. Make several knots along the circular broomstick. Now take the metal wire &
wrap around the broomstick to make a symbol like Red Cross. Make it tight using a plier.
You need to make a rag ball using some cotton cloths or cotton wool wrapped with cotton cloth. The diameter
should be around 60mm to 80mm. Wrap the ball with the metal wire. There should have one free hand at
the bottom of the ball & three free hands on the top of the ball, made by metal wire. Please refer the drawing.
This rag ball should be soaked with spirit (Preferably methylated spirit) for around 24 hours before launching.

Just before launching the Fanush, place the rag ball on the
crossing of the bottom structure such a way that single metal
hand should be at the bottom side. wrap this hand on the one
arm of the metal cross. Keep the ball vertical. Then the other
three hands should be tied to the other three sides of the cross.
This way, the ball will be always on the top of the metal cross.
About Safety::
Very thin & light paper is used in Fanush, which can get fire
any moment. It actually happened with me. A Fanush I
launched, got ignited in the middle of the air at a height about 30 feet from the ground & smashed on the
neighbours roof. I searched on the net to make paper fire retardant. I found two method which is described
below, though I have not tried yet.
Process-1:: Take Alum () powder & water in 50:50 ratio & stir till it completely dissolved. Dip the papers
in alum water. Remove the paper from the mixture & let it dry. Do the same thing 3 to 4 times. Then test it with
fire. You can repeat this process if you do not get expected result.

Process-2:: Take 100 grams of Borax () powder & mix with two cups of water. stir till it is dissolved.
Then spray the mixture on the paper. When it is dried, test it before putting it to the actual use. Please repeat this
process if you do not get the expected result.
Please keep in mind that both Alum & Borax are chemicals. So, it is advised to take optimum precaution. Wear
safety glass & gloves. Reach out of children.