From Frame to Finish: A Custom Lantern Workshop Preview
In June 2025, our workshop was finishing a collection of illuminated characters and seasonal scenes. Snowmen, horses, a fox, a parrot and Halloween figures were taking shape alongside a mushroom-house setting. This update shows what the team was making and how the final surface checks changed the finished work.
Metal frames, fabric and colour came together
The project began with drawings for several very different characters. The workshop team translated their outlines into shaped metal frames, then covered the forms with fabric before adding colour and lighting. A horse needs a clear body line; a snowman relies on its hat, scarf and friendly face; the mushroom-house scene needed its separate characters to read as one setting.
After nearly fifteen days of workshop work, the June update showed the collection moving through its final colour and detail stages. Many of the figures had already been painted, while the remaining work focused on checking surfaces, expression and how the forms looked under light.
Speed alone was not the point. Familiar fabrication methods helped the team move from drawing to full-size form, but every curve still needed to hold its intended shape. The frame carried the proportions; the fabric and painted finish made each character recognisable.
The collection also included a talking-tree concept and two seasonal directions for the mushroom-house scene. The changing themes were planned around the characters, rather than treating every figure as a standalone ornament.
What was taking shape in the workshop
These images show how different shapes and expressions were handled within the same production run.
Snowman lantern
A red hat, colourful scarf and rounded body give the snowman a clear winter character. Its painted face keeps the figure approachable at close range, while the lighting makes it visible within the wider holiday scene.
The workshop update placed the snowman within a mushroom-house grouping and showed how Christmas and Halloween characters could give the setting different seasonal moods.
White horse lanterns
The two white horses use defined body shapes and brown saddles to suggest movement even while standing still. Their framework supports the visible form, while the illuminated surfaces and saddle details make them useful as a pair within a larger scene.
Fox lantern
Seated on a tree stump, the fox brings a quieter animal character to the collection. The face, fur colouring and surrounding plants give it enough detail for visitors to notice from nearby without losing its outline from a distance.
Halloween character
The white ghost character has a gentle expression against a blue woodland backdrop. Its cool colours give the scene a different mood from the winter figures without making it frightening.
Parrot lantern
Bright blue wings and multicoloured feathers make the parrot easy to spot among the greenery. Its curved beak and perched posture give it a distinct silhouette alongside the other animal characters.
One character needed another pass
Colouring was not the end of the build. The team reviewed the finished surfaces against the design, looking at expression, edges and how the light passed through the visible areas. That inspection led to a rework on the face of a geometric skull character.
The comparison image shows why a small correction can matter: changing the face changes the character visitors see first. The work was revised in the workshop before the collection was presented as finished.
Watch the lanterns in progress
The original June 2025 film brings the snowman, animals and seasonal scenes together with views of the workshop build. Open it when you are ready to watch; the video does not play automatically.
Watch the original project film
Planning a group of custom lanterns?
A collection like this works best when the characters, surrounding scenery and visitor route are planned together. Share what you want people to see first, how close they can get and whether the scene needs to change between seasons.
- Theme and site: send reference artwork, venue photographs, available dimensions and the main viewing direction.
- Display use: describe the characters, seasonal changeovers and any requested interactive features.
- Delivery: include quantities, opening date, destination, power access and installation conditions.
See how a drawing can become a full-scale character or themed scene.
Review the process from design development to factory fabrication.
Explore winter characters and coordinated seasonal settings.
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