Add a touch of color to your parties, or enliven a dark corner in your home or garden with a myriad range of lanterns while adding an Oriental touch to the decor. Watch your party and your home come to life with these elegant and stylish Chinese lanterns.
Chinese lanterns are a rave these days especially with event managers who prefer using these simple yet stylish lanterns to decorate their events.
A quick and easy guide to decorate your house and your special occasions, this article aims to highlight the different types of Chinese lanterns and their relative significance. It will also aid you in implementing an Oriental theme for decorating your home and social gatherings.
How to Decorate with Chinese Lanterns
Your Exterior Decor…
When you decide to throw an outdoor party, make optimum use of the available space by creatively placing the lanterns all over the place.
Decorating the Outdoors with Chinese Lanterns
When organizing a reception party for your guests, you can either hang the lanterns on a string, which will span the entire lawn area or opt for individual table lanterns that can be illuminated either with candles or LED lights. Try out various combinations of putting up these lanterns to give it that special touch. When choosing your lanterns for wedding receptions, stick to the theme as far as possible to avoid a mismatch. For your poolside party, place poles all around the pool and hang a few geisha printed lanterns and enjoy your guests “ooh”ing and praising the decor. You can even place a few candle lanterns by the recliners, and make a cozy getaway for newly married couples. Use colorful lanterns for your outdoor kiddies party and enjoy a happy evening together. Vertical lanterns work well outdoors, as they can be used to illumine an entire building or a tree. One of the ways to highlight your well-maintained garden is to suspend a few lanterns from the boughs of trees or even place a few lanterns on hedges to add to the beauty of your garden. A word of caution though, if you are placing lanterns over hedges, keep an eye over young children who might accidentally tug at these lanterns, thus harming themselves.
Your Interior Decor…
Eleanor Roosevelt says, “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.” Going by these lines, it is necessary to change the look of your interiors by adding a few lanterns in dimly lit areas.
Decorating Interiors with Chinese Lanterns
Use lampposts or simply suspend a few lanterns from the ceiling. You can even create your own romantic getaway by placing a table with candle lit lanterns in an otherwise unused corner. Place unique lanterns in the shape of clay pots in the corner, if you wish to give it an elegant touch. Be free to experiment with different shades, shapes and sizes. Doing up your girl’s room with cute pink or lavender lanterns will add to the beauty of the room. You can even place lanterns over frames to highlight your special memories. Those having a huge bathroom can place a few green lanterns over the tub area and reap the benefits of rejuvenation, in the cozy comfort of your home. Hang a couple of white lanterns in the study, it will help you concentrate and increase your thinking capability, as white is symbolic of meditation. Vertical loops of lanterns are an artistic beauty and work well to cover up places you don’t wish to show off to outsiders. Besides, if you intend to surprise your loved one with personally crafted lanterns, you can unleash your creative side by creating your own paper lanterns.
Choosing the Right Colors
Colors reflect the mood of a gathering and even personal mood at large. They are also reflections of personal taste and preference. The right color combination can set the mood of the party as classy, sophisticated, or elegant. While planning a Chinese theme for decoration, it is essential you go through the color chart and note the significance of each color in order to get the decor right.
| Color | Symbolism | Significance | Utility |
| Red | Lucky and Auspicious for Chinese; Fire color | Passion, Love, Romance, Fortune Celebratory | Weddings, Anniversary celebrations, Valentines day, Dining room |
| Lavender | Uniqueness, Specialness, Healing and Spirituality | Soothing, Relaxing, Softness and Lightness | Children and Girls’ bedroom; Naming Ceremonies |
| Pink | Bright pink: Youthfulness, Fun, Excitement; Pastel pink: Romance, Blush | Sensual calm, Sophistication when combined with Black | Girls’ room, Birthday party, Romantic date |
| Blue | Refreshing and Calming hues | Healing, Relaxation, Trust, Peace | Religious gatherings, Room of sick members |
| Brown | Earthy richness, Genuineness | Sophistication | To be used moderately, preferably with lighter shades |
| Orange | Spiritual uplifting hue | Socializing, Life, Vibrancy | Social gatherings, perfect for winter and autumn gatherings; Avoid during summers |
| Gold | Prestige, Accolades, Glamor | Brilliance, Gaiety, Energy | Weddings, Any special occasion |
| Green | Renewal, Rebirth, Health and Prosperity | Freshness, Stress buster, Wisdom and Maturity | Garden and Patios, Outdoor parties |
| Beige | Combined with Gold/Purple: Conservative; Combined with Orange/Brown: Earthy | Elegance; Feminine vibe | Team with other colors to add to the taste |
| White | Spiritual, Death, Purity | Wisdom, Crisp feeling, Ultimate wisdom, Innocence | Teamed with other colors: Christenings, Weddings; Plain white: Funerals, Memorials |
| Yellow | Spiritual, Buddhism Enlightened State, Sun | Radiance, Energy, Cheer, Illumination | Ideal for Festive Parties |
| Black | Elegance, Sophistication | Mystery, Contrast | Halloween, Use with gold or red to add sophistication |
Printed Chinese Lantern Varieties
Besides these colored lanterns, you will also find motif lanterns in different hues and prints.
1.Cherry Blossoms Motif: Cherry blossom which, if hung in the balcony or patio and garden, will add color and even set the mood right. It is great to use them both indoors and outdoors, especially during winter parties, to lend your party the warmth of summer. Besides, cherry blossom motif lanterns can be used to decorate a woman’s room or a young girl’s room as it lends a feminine vibe.
2.Butterfly Motif Lanterns: Butterfly motif lanterns give a very festive look to your party or home and impart a vibrant and cheery mood. These lanterns are best suited to hang in patios and balconies or even windows to give the room a feeling of spring.
3.Geisha Printed Lanterns: Geisha printed lanterns are an ideal home accessory. Keep a couple of these handy to spice up your poolside party, or the more humble Sunday brunch. Besides, a few geisha printed lanterns will spice up your bedroom atmosphere.
4.Traditional Chinese Lanterns: Traditional lanterns are essentially red lanterns with gold Chinese characters and are a must-have in every Chinese home. These lanterns lend a traditional feel to the place they are hung in. You can enhance the look of your workplace or home, with a couple of these lanterns.
5.Chinese Party Lanterns: Chinese party lanterns come in vibrant crimson adorned with gold tassels. They are symbolic of joyfulness, rejuvenation and celebration in Chinese culture and are ideal for any get-together, or simply to light up your interiors.
Choosing the Right Shape and Size
Prep up your esthetic sense and mesmerize your guests with multiple lanterns varying in their shapes and sizes. Lanterns come in a variety of shapes and designs. You can choose from simple ovals to intricate beehives; and if you want to try something different, you can go in for Pagoda style lanterns. You can also choose to get custom-made lanterns to suit your theme. For example, if you are celebrating your little girl’s fifth birthday, and you have decided on a fairy theme, you can ask for lanterns in the shape of mushrooms, or even fairies. Besides, you can also select varying sizes of lanterns and evenly hang them out in your lawn, or even your room. Clustering lanterns together, either on a single lamppost or pole is the best way to highlight the sizes and shapes of the lanterns. For a wedding reception or party, you can alternately hang big and small lanterns on transparent nylon strings or you can add to the visual treat by adding a few lampposts around the venue. Ensure that you do not place two of the same shapes or color next to each other, and keep with the flow of the decoration.
Creating the Right Ambiance with Hanging Lanterns
Be sure of the very basics when hanging lanterns; failure to do so could result in a haphazard hanging of lanterns, which will spoil the entire show of the decoration. One of the basic rules to be followed while hanging lanterns, is to maintain equal distance between each of the lanterns. Ensure that the lanterns are placed away from ceiling fans to avoid the lamps from constant swaying, hence not serving the purpose of lighting up the room. You can even string multiple lights with tiny paper lanterns on a cord and use it to decorate your patio or windowsills.
Doing up your interiors and organizing a party may seem a mighty task but with these tips, your home and party can become the talk of the neighborhood. Think out of the box, be creative, and add to the aesthetic appeal of your home and party.
