โ๏ธ Template
Make a Wesak lantern (printable guide)
โ๏ธ Printable templates ยท BBC Bitesize
A one-page BBC guide to folding, snipping and decorating a bright paper Wesak lantern from coloured card.
Open on BBC Bitesize โBuddhists celebrate the Buddha's birthday with lanterns, flowers and being kind to all living things.
Children can make a paper lotus lantern lit with a battery tea light, fold a simple Wesak lantern from coloured card, try an origami lotus flower or colour in pictures of the Bodhi tree. Lanterns and lotus flowers are favourite decorations at Vesak celebrations, from Sri Lanka to South Korea.
When is Vesak in the UK 2027? Thursday 20 May 2027. (approximate: the date can vary with the moon or by community)
Vesak, also called Wesak or Buddha Day, is the most important festival of the year for many Buddhists. It celebrates the birth of the Buddha and, for many Buddhists, his enlightenment and his passing away too. It is held at the full moon in May, but because calendars and traditions differ, the date changes from country to country. In the UK, Buddhist communities often celebrate on the nearest weekend. Vesak is a colourful, happy occasion. Homes may be cleaned and decorated, and families visit their temple to bring offerings of food, candles and flowers, chant, meditate and listen to teachings. Many temples hold a Bathing the Buddha ceremony, when water is poured over the shoulders of a Buddha statue as a reminder to keep a pure mind. Giving is a big part of the day, and many Buddhists make a special effort to help people in need. Lanterns are a famous sight: in Sri Lanka, streets and homes are hung with colourful Vesak lanterns, and in South Korea the Lotus Lantern Festival fills temples with glowing lotus lanterns.
Vesak dates vary by country and Buddhist tradition; in 2027 it falls on Thursday 20 May in Singapore, so check with your local temple for UK celebrations.
Date checked against mom.gov.sg.
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โ๏ธ Printable templates ยท BBC Bitesize
A one-page BBC guide to folding, snipping and decorating a bright paper Wesak lantern from coloured card.
Open on BBC Bitesize โโ๏ธ Printable templates ยท DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Colour or black-and-white lantern templates to print, snip, glue into a tube and string together.
Open on DLTK's Crafts for Kids โ๐๏ธ Colouring pages ยท Coloring.ws (DLTK)
Printable pictures of the Buddha, the Bodhi tree and leaf, stupas and monks, with links to lotus pages.
Open on Coloring.ws (DLTK) โ๐จ Crafts to make ยท First Palette
Fold, snip and decorate a sheet of paper, then roll it into a classic hanging lantern with a handle.
Open on First Palette โ๐จ Crafts to make ยท DLTK's Crafts for Kids
DLTK's Vesak page with a lotus clay bowl, tissue paper flower, paper lantern and colouring page links.
Open on DLTK's Crafts for Kids โ๐จ Crafts to make ยท Red Ted Art
Layer curled crepe paper petals on a card base around an LED tea light. Made for Diwali, lovely for Vesak.
Open on Red Ted Art โ๐ Decorations ยท Red Ted Art
Cover a plastic tub in tissue paper and pressed flowers, then light it with fairy lights or a battery tea light.
Open on Red Ted Art โ๐ How-to & videos ยท Origami-Fun
Nine-step origami lotus with printable PDF instructions. Soft, flexible paper works best.
Open on Origami-Fun โ๐ The story ยท CBeebies
Shelin makes a Wesak card and lantern, visits her temple and hears the story of the elephant and the dog.
Open on CBeebies โ๐ The story ยท United Nations
Background on Vesak, which marks the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and passing, recognised by the UN in 1999.
Open on United Nations โ๐ The story ยท The Buddhist Society
The UK Buddhist Society's guide to festivals in different traditions and why Vesak dates differ.
Open on The Buddhist Society โ๐ซ EYFS, KS1 & KS2 ยท BBC Bitesize
KS2 RE guide to Wesak: the Buddha's birthday, offerings, Bathing the Buddha, lanterns and a quiz.
Open on BBC Bitesize โ๐ก๏ธ Grown-up rules ยท RoSPA
Flameless candles may hold button batteries: RoSPA explains the risks and what to do if one is swallowed.
Open on RoSPA โ๐ก๏ธ Grown-up rules ยท London Fire Brigade
Why flameless LED candles are a much safer choice than real candles or tea lights for children's lanterns.
Open on London Fire Brigade โTap the โ on any template to save it here. Your plan stays on this device.
A simple make to start with. Grown-ups handle anything sharp or hot.
Based on redtedart.com.
Simple ways to keep Vesak crafts safe and fun.
Use flameless LED candles in lanterns, as they are a much safer alternative to real candles or tea lights.London Fire Brigade
Keep candles, incense and all naked flames, including matches and lighters, out of reach of children.London Fire Brigade
Flameless candles can contain button batteries, so check the battery compartment is secure and keep spare batteries locked away.RoSPA
If you think a child has swallowed a button battery, get medical help immediately.RoSPA
Keep scissors out of young children's reach and let a grown-up do any tricky cutting.NHS
One short email before Vesak with the best free templates and ideas. For grown-ups, no spam, unsubscribe any time.
The bits you need for these crafts, on Amazon UK. See the full Vesak shop โ
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Toddlers and pre-schoolers can colour in a printable paper lantern template, stick tissue paper petals onto a paper plate to make a lotus flower, or decorate a 'Happy Vesak' card for someone they love. A grown-up can do the snipping and gluing on simple folded lanterns. Talking about kindness and giving while you make things is a gentle way to share what Vesak is about.
Most Vesak crafts need coloured card or paper, crepe or tissue paper in pinks and greens, a glue stick, child-safe scissors and felt tips. A stapler or sticky tape helps hold lanterns together, and a printer is handy for templates and colouring pages. For anything that glows, use a battery-powered LED tea light or fairy lights, never a real candle.
Yes. Making lanterns and lotus flowers builds fine motor skills, and talking about how Buddhists give to others at Vesak links to personal, social and emotional development and RE. CBeebies has a short film following a girl preparing for Wesak, and BBC Bitesize explains the festival for older pupils. Present Buddhist beliefs respectfully and invite Buddhist families to share their own traditions if they would like to.
Yes. The lantern templates, guides and colouring pages we link to print well on standard A4 paper. A few come from American sites designed for US Letter paper, so choose 'fit to page' or 'scale to fit' in your printer settings so nothing is cut off. DLTK suggests setting your printer margins to minimum if a template doesn't quite fit on the page.
Never put a real candle or tea light inside a paper lantern. London Fire Brigade describes flameless LED candles as a much safer alternative, but RoSPA warns that some contain button batteries, so check the battery compartment is secure and keep spares locked away. Keep incense and naked flames away from children, and keep scissors and small craft pieces out of reach of toddlers.