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Moon Festival decorations don’t need to be over the top, but the one thing you can’t do without are lanterns. Moon Festival lanterns are bright, festive, and often shaped like animals or interesting geometric designs, but you can make your own simple rectangular lanterns. Creating lanterns as a family in the days beforehand is a great way to foster the spirit of togetherness that this holiday is all about.  Making lanterns is an especially great activity for kids, who can design their own and carry it around on the night of the celebration! Start with 3 square balsa wood dowels that are 36 by 1⁄8 by 1⁄8 inches (91.44 × 0.32 × 0.32 cm). Use scissors to cut them into smaller pieces as follows:  4 lengths of 10 in (25 cm) 8 lengths of 5 in (13 cm) 2 lengths of 7 in (18 cm). Use electrical tape to attach the 5 in (13 cm) pieces together, creating 2 squares. These will be the top and bottom of the lantern. To make the base more stable, tape your two 7 in (18 cm) strips of wood in a cross in one of the squares. Use double-sided tape to attach a tealight (either a candle or electric) at the intersection of the cross. Tape the 10 in (25 cm) pieces vertically from each corner of the base to create the outer shell of the lantern. Then, tape on the top square. Spread out a 20 in × 20 in (51 cm × 51 cm) sheet of tissue paper and use a brush to coat it in a thin layer of glue. Wrap it around the lantern frame, then create a wire handle so you can carry it or hang it around your house. If you want to decorate your lantern with Chinese characters or drawings, do so before you paint the glue on the tissue paper. Repeat this process to make at least 5-6 lanterns. Place them around your house and outside to light up the night with a soft glow. You can also let kids carry them around, but be careful if you used candles. You may want to use electric tealights to make a few kid-friendly lanterns, and use candles in the ones that you plan to hang up out of their reach.
Make lanterns to decorate and light up your home. Cut balsa wood towels into smaller lengths. Tape the pieces into squares to form the base and top. Attach the long wood pieces to make the sides. Decorate the outside with tissue paper. Hang your lanterns around your house for a festive, traditional look.