Paper Gondola Lanterns: The Low-Mess Craft That Filled a Whole Ski Afternoon
We made these on a ski trip, in a hotel room, on purpose.
The assignment was specific: a low-mess project we could do in the hotel that was still interesting, and easy enough to keep everyone engaged for a whole afternoon. No paint, no glue puddles, nothing the housekeeping staff would find in the carpet for weeks. This paper gondola project was it. You cut the pieces at home before the trip (it's a Cricut cut file, so the machine does the fiddly part), pack them flat, and the folding and assembling is the hotel activity.
This is one of my favorite folding activities I have ever done, because the result is so cute. A little cream-and-red cable car with snow on the roof and a rope to hang it by, and it looks like it floated straight off the mountain outside the window. Fair warning: I did need to help my young kid with this one. The folds want a grown-up's patience in a few spots, which, honestly, is part of what stretches it across an afternoon.
The candle trick
Here is the upgrade that turns a paper craft into a lantern: we bought some of those flameless candles and put one inside each gondola. Leave one side untaped so you can reach in to get the lights out and turn them off and on. That's the entire modification, and it's the difference between a cute paper box and the thing everyone crowds around when the sun goes down.
Where these could go next
I can see getting really creative with patterns and colors here. A whole garland of these for a Christmas tree. Strung across the entrance of a ski condo. A ski-themed wedding or baby shower. Or just a fun ornament for the tree, one new gondola per trip.
If you're planning the trip this would travel well on, my family ski trip packing list covers everything else that goes in the bag, and there are more low-mess ideas in 15 creative activities to do while traveling.
What's your go-to hotel room craft? Tell me in the comments, the flatter it packs the better.
If this gave you an idea worth trying, there's more where it came from. Follow along on Pinterest (@CraftandBondCo) and Instagram (@craftandbondco) for new projects, recipes, and the occasional honest mess, and save this post so you can find your way back to it.