Man crafts hundreds of lanterns from cans

Nguyen Van Tuan's mid-autumn festival lanterns, crafted from cans in Tan Dinh ward, fetch up to 1.6 million VND and are in high demand.

Undamaged, clean cans are scored, then shaped using pliers. It takes him about 15 minutes to shape each can. "This step is crucial because uneven cuts affect the aesthetics and quality of the product," Tuan said.

On the afternoon of 18/8, in a small house on Nguyen Phi Khanh Street, 56-year-old Nguyen Van Tuan meticulously crafted lanterns from used cans.

He recounted that during the 2021 Covid-19 lockdown, he had ample free time and began experimenting with can lanterns after watching videos on social media. He cut and shaped beer and soda cans into festive lanterns. To his surprise, his creations gained popularity, and orders started pouring in. Since then, he has been making and selling these lanterns every mid-autumn festival.

Decorative stars and spheres are cut into pieces, glued together, secured, and dried for a day to harden.

He has now designed about 6 lantern models, priced from 40,000 to 1.6 million VND. The price depends on the number of cans used, the frame, and the decorative accessories.

In the photo, Tuan displays a lantern made from 40 cans, priced at 1.6 million VND, which took him two weeks to complete. "Initially, I made traditional mid-autumn festival lanterns from cans, and gradually, I developed my own style to satisfy my personal interest," the 56-year-old explained.

Tuan uses fishing line to attach the stars before affixing the cans to the frame. Depending on the size and complexity, each lantern takes several hours to two weeks to complete.

Tuan holds a lantern priced at around one million VND. The lanterns are not individually named but are categorized by the number of cans used. He usually makes lanterns using 1, 9, 10, 24, or 40 cans.

Tuan's lanterns cannot use candles; they typically use LED lights for illumination.

The most popular are the single-can lanterns, priced at about 40,000 VND. "Customers buy them not only for the festival but also as home decorations. When there's a breeze, the spinning cans create a captivating visual effect," he shared.