Light & Bamboo: A Winter Lantern Workshop

Make something beautiful. Explore a natural material. Welcome the winter light. Spend a creative afternoon making your own glowing bamboo and paper lantern in the welcoming surroundings of my Beaverton art studio. Filled with my handmade bamboo artwork, the studio is a place to slow down, explore materials, experiment with pattern, and enjoy the pleasure of making something with your hands. In this three-hour workshop, you'll create a cylindrical lantern using prepared bamboo strips and paper, transforming simple natural materials into a unique piece of functional art. You'll learn how to heat-bend bamboo, construct a cylindrical shade, and arrange an assortment of handmade bamboo cutouts to create your own patterns, textures, and play of light. No two lanterns need to be alike. You can make yours bold and graphic, delicate and intricate, or somewhere in between. I'll guide you through the process and share the techniques you need, so you can enjoy experimenting and developing a design that feels like your own. We'll begin with a little introduction to bamboo as a remarkable plant and a look at how the bamboo strips you'll be using are prepared. Then it's time to settle into making. Chat with fellow creatives as you work, exchange ideas, or slip into that wonderfully focused state where the rest of the world fades away for a while. There's room for both conversation and quiet concentration. We'll finish with tea and a little moment of magic: as the afternoon light fades, we'll illuminate our finished lanterns and enjoy seeing how each person's choices of pattern, texture, and construction create a different glow. Your finished lantern can be used with a wireless light or an appropriately enclosed candle setup, following suitable fire-safety precautions. Whether you're an experienced maker or simply someone who loves beautiful objects, natural materials, and trying something new, this workshop offers a chance to learn, create, and enjoy a cozy afternoon in an artist's studio. Come make something that brings a little handmade light into the winter season!