Hanging Paper Lanterns For Diwali Coloring Page

Three round lanterns hang from a single line that sags gently across the top of the page. They do not hang level. The middle one drops lowest and is drawn largest, and the two either side sit higher and slightly smaller, which stops the row looking like a diagram and gives the sheet a bit of movement. Each lantern is built the same way: a ball of four or five long curved panels, a flat collar at the top and bottom, and a short fringe of straight strands dangling underneath. The panels matter here. They divide each lantern into separate strips, so this is a natural page for stripes, and children who have already met a beach ball or a hot air balloon usually work that out on their own without being told. Nothing is shaded and there is no background behind the line, so the lanterns sit on open paper. Real Diwali lanterns are strung across streets and courtyards in exactly this way, dozens at a time. Three is enough to get the idea across without crowding the sheet.