DIY Paper Lanterns for Halloween Decorations
Haunted Halloween Decorations to Make at Home
What fun it is to discover what you can make with the Cricut Maker—and especially when it comes to Halloween decorations! Our mini paper lanterns for Halloween are cut from one sheet of 8.5x11 black metallic paper. And we used a half sheet of white vellum to make the frosted windows. You can find both of these papers from PaperPapers.com. Members can download the SVG cut file or printable template and have these beauties cut and assembled in an afternoon!
Goodies You Can't Google
You've found a premium project. But for less than the price of a fancy coffee... You'll get instant access to this and over 2,000 other premium projects inside the Lia Griffith membership!
Become a Member

With the Cricut Maker score tool creasing the corners, it is easy to assemble our paper lanterns for Halloween in just a few minutes. Once made, you have spooky but oh, so pretty decorations that are perfect for your mantel, your dinner table, or your bookshelf. Just scroll down to download your SVG cut file. Or, you can download our printable template and cut these lanterns by hand.
Safety First!
Remember, that you will want to use battery tea lights for these lanterns, which you can find at your craft store or most drugstores this time of year. My battery candles actually flicker, so they look very real behind the frosty windows of these lanterns. If you plan on making these paper lanterns for Halloween, you'll probably like our papercut village!
Join Our Members
Membership to LiaGriffith.com is a great value when it comes to decorating your home for the holidays. With SVG cut files and PDF templates for holiday decorations, DIY wreaths, printable gift wrap, homemade gifts, and more, we make your creative life easier! Head this way for membership options.
You can also follow our social pages for daily inspiration and ideas. We're on YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. ~ Lia and team



All the Goodies You Can't Google 🎁
Tired of scrolling endlessly for the perfect project? Save time, money, and Google-induced headaches with us! Our membership makes it easy to create beautifully finished crafts without needing to look all over the internet for ideas and materials or spend lots of money on individual videos and templates.
Become a Member
Discussion
Ask Lia or the community!
58 Comments
-
Deborah
November 21, 2025 at 7:32am
-
Lia
November 21, 2025 at 9:40am
@Deborah
-
Deborah
November 22, 2025 at 9:10am
@Lia
-
Lia
November 22, 2025 at 1:35pm
@Deborah
-
Deborah
November 22, 2025 at 7:29pm
@Lia
-
Lia
November 25, 2025 at 10:21am
@Deborah
-
Philippa
October 12, 2022 at 10:12am
-
Lia
October 12, 2022 at 11:35am
@Philippa
-
Crystal
September 26, 2020 at 4:50pm
-
Lia
September 28, 2020 at 8:10am
@Crystal
-
Michelle
October 21, 2017 at 1:19pm
-
Lia
October 21, 2017 at 5:11pm
@Michelle
-
Cheryl
September 1, 2016 at 12:10pm
-
Lia
September 1, 2016 at 12:26pm
@Cheryl
-
lisa
November 1, 2015 at 3:09pm
-
Lia
November 2, 2015 at 1:57pm
@lisa
-
Nell
September 19, 2015 at 4:30pm
-
Lia
September 21, 2015 at 9:23am
@Nell
-
Claudia
March 13, 2015 at 9:54am
-
Lia
March 13, 2015 at 10:22am
@Claudia
-
Zora
January 16, 2015 at 5:08am
-
Vicki
November 14, 2014 at 9:12am
-
Lia
November 14, 2014 at 11:59am
@Vicki
-
BerlinBine
November 2, 2014 at 11:03am
-
Lia
November 3, 2014 at 10:03am
@BerlinBine
-
klwade2013
October 27, 2014 at 6:49pm
-
Rhonda
October 24, 2014 at 7:28am
-
Lia
October 24, 2014 at 9:50am
@Rhonda
-
Tara
October 23, 2014 at 5:10pm
-
Lia
October 24, 2014 at 9:56am
@Tara
-
Barb
October 23, 2014 at 4:40pm
-
Lia
October 24, 2014 at 9:58am
@Barb
-
Adeline
October 21, 2014 at 4:24pm
-
Lia
October 22, 2014 at 9:11am
@Adeline
-
Denise
October 19, 2014 at 3:59pm
-
Lia
October 20, 2014 at 3:52pm
@Denise
-
Denise
October 19, 2014 at 1:03pm
-
Lia
October 19, 2014 at 3:06pm
@Denise
-
Shawn
October 17, 2014 at 1:38pm
-
Lia
October 17, 2014 at 5:24pm
@Shawn
-
Scootingranny
October 16, 2014 at 3:58pm
-
Lia
October 16, 2014 at 5:29pm
@Scootingranny
-
Jenni
October 16, 2014 at 3:41pm
-
Lia
October 16, 2014 at 5:29pm
@Jenni
-
Julia
October 15, 2014 at 9:32am
-
Lia
October 15, 2014 at 3:20pm
@Julia
-
Claudia
October 15, 2014 at 12:51am
-
Lia
October 15, 2014 at 9:00am
@Claudia
-
eliza
October 15, 2014 at 12:07am
-
Lia
October 15, 2014 at 9:01am
@eliza
-
Carmen
October 14, 2014 at 10:02pm
-
Lia
October 15, 2014 at 9:01am
@Carmen
-
Elizabeth
October 14, 2014 at 7:36pm
-
Lia
October 15, 2014 at 9:03am
@Elizabeth
-
Verónica
October 14, 2014 at 6:14pm
-
anna
October 14, 2014 at 6:49pm
@Verónica
-
Laura
October 14, 2014 at 9:25am
-
anna
October 14, 2014 at 12:52pm
@Laura
Leave a CommentHi Lia Griffith Team,
I downloaded the Halloween Lantern svg zip file, opened and uploaded into Design Space. The score lines came in offset from the design, and I will need to manually move them into place. I am concerned, however, that manually moving them may make the sides of the lantern uneven. Can you advise how to keep the score lines in place when importing?
Thanks!
Debbie
Hello Deborah! I just updated that file (from 2014), grouped the score lines, and am seeing in my Design Space that they are staying in place. Let me know if it is working for you now.
Hi Lia,
I just did a fresh download and the initial upload looked good – that’s the stage where the image appears in Design Space with a checkerboard background, and the user is asked to name the file. Once I did that, the image that appeared on the Design Space working page still had the score lines offset. I grouped the score lines and did my best to move them, using the right hand vertical folding tab (to glue the lantern together) as the placement guide. I will see if it works okay. It’s past Halloween, but it was so cute I wanted to go ahead and make it for next year. Thanks for trying to help!
Debbie
Bummer. Sometimes this quirk happens with Cricut… then it stops. I did group the score lines so you should be able to move them together, rather than one at a time.
Hi Lia – last message, I promise. 😊 I made four lanterns today and they came out great! No issues with where I moved the score lines. Thanks again for being here for me (and all of your fans!).
Cheers,
Debbie
You can message as much as you want! 😉 I am so glad this project worked out, even with the little bug.
I have designated score lines and attached them to the cut but they are coming out too low. Are they supposed to be low so the top is more rounded?
No, they are supposed to align. It is a Cricut error and hopefully, they will adjust it soon. In the meantime, you can hand-score the top.
Has anyone else had a really hard time with the cricut cuts on this? I love it so much and want to make a bunch. But it takes 3 or so hours to weed. Any tips for settings etc?
Oh no! This should not take you anytime at all, the papercut lantern should lift off the mat without any trouble. You can try it with a fresh, sharp blade and adjust your settings to cut deeper. Another trick– when the design is done cutting, don’t press the arrow button to unload right away. Lift up one corner of the paper on the mat while it’s in the Cricut, and see if it has cut through the paper. If not, press the flashing Cricut button and it will cut the design again perfectly. If you unload the mat and try to cut again, it will not be lined up exact.
these are so adorable, i am trying to make for my mantel and when i upload the SVG file the score lines are showing as cut lines and also on a second mat. i have the air explore 2, any help would be very much appreciated. Thank you!!
Hi Michelle! You’ll need to change those lines to “SCORE”, then select the design and those lines and select “ATTACH”, that way they won’t go to a second mat. Hope that helps!
what cricut cartridge did you use for the Halloween lanterns?
Hi Cheryl, it’s actually not a cartridge– the SVG file is included in the post for members to download 🙂
do this svg file only work on cricut explore? I have the cricut expression 2.
Yes unfortunately the Cricut Expression only takes Cricut’s own cartridges:(
I am in love with these beautiful lanterns and am including them in my Top 10 Halloween Lantern Round-up that goes live 9/20/15. I will be using one photo with a link back to this post and may also use the same photo in a pin collage. Please let me know if this is not okay. Thank you!!
That is so sweet, thank you:-)
Love Halloween and will love adding these to my collection of decorations.
Thank You for sharing these files!!
It has quickly become one of our favorite. In fact we liked it so much we made another one for Winter and one for Spring. https://liagriffith.com/winter-paper-lanterns/ https://liagriffith.com/spring-in-bloom-paper-lanterns/
Thank you
Thank you. Looking forward to trying this.
Hope you will love it:)
Dear Lia, thank you for this great design! I did it by hand and although it was quite a lot of work, it turned out really nice <3
I am impressed by all of you cutting by hand, there will be another lantern for the Holidays as well:)
Besides changing them to scoring lines, you will need to “attach” the scoring lines to the image. That way the scoring and the cutting happens on the same mat.
I made one last night and it turned out beautiful! The only problem was the scoring didn’t work so I had to do that by hand. This was my very first cut using my new Explore so I was probably doing something wrong. Thank you so much for sharing this! I got so many “likes” and comments when I shared my finished product on Facebook. I’ll be watching for more of your beautiful projects :-)!
Hi Rhonda. When you are in the Cricut software makes sure you take the lines in the group and change them to score. If that doesn’t work Cricut’s customer service team can probably help! Happy to hear they turned out beautiful anyway!! Send a picture our way, we would love to share it on Facebook as well:)
These are awesome! Thanks for sharing your lovely creation!
Thank you Tara!
Thank you cant wait to try it out. Got To Smile !!!!
Yay! Hope you have fun!
Love them! – anxious to cut them out.
They will look darling:)
Thank you so much! Just learning, so you are a blessing to me!
I have 3 foster grand daughters and 2 other grand daughters, i thought we would try these tomorrow~
Hope you have fun making them and Happy Halloween!
I have a new explore Orchid, and I was wondering how I get this to cut on it? I tried saving it to my desktop, but when I imported it, it said not supported. I would love to make these for my grand darlings to enjoy. Love your work! And inspiration!
Use the SVG file and import it as the vector upload. You will want to make sure and select all and attach once you are on the Design Space with your image on the board. This will make sure your score lines are on the same mat.
These are gorgeous. Thank you so much for sharing them with us.
My pleasure:)
These are wonderful! Thank you for sharing!
You are welcome:)
These are incredible! I’ll have to keep this in mind for a crafting with the girl I babysit for 🙂
What a great idea, I am sure she will love it!
Thank you Lia, they are just wonderful! I can’t wait to make many of them for myself and family.
Have fun, sure your family will love them;-)
Thank you so much for sharing all your great ideas.
I love these spooky little lanterns. 🙂
Can you tell that I love Halloween;-) Just cannot stop making all these cute decorations:)
as always you are so generous with us. thank you for svg 🙂
This project is great. I would love to see you more often in video tutorials. Any chance for this?
Hi Eliza, I really hope so! I live by Inspire, Teach and Reignite Creativity and what better way to reach a big audience by video. All I need is money;-)
Thank you Lia amazing again.
You are welcome! Have fun creating:)
Simply and beautiful!!! Halloween is my favorite season of the year, and every year I do some new decorations. I would definitely do this project for this year. Thanks for sharing!!
How fun! It is my favorite season too, at least until Thanksgiving;-)
Everything you are making is beautiful!!!
Thank you:)
Love them. I have never been that excited about Halloween until YOU introduced me the cricut explore and your STUNNING designs. Hugs
Awe…. you are too sweet! So happy you are in love with both your Cricut Explore and Halloween! I am too;-) Hugs!
Back to the Top