Paper Starlights

Handmade Paper Star Lanterns. Two Families, Three Decades, One Old Aluminium Trunk.

Paper Starlights began in India in 1996, during Diwali. Two people from the UK found themselves captivated by the traditional Indian paper star lanterns shining in doorways and community spaces around them — the way they transformed a room, the warmth they created, the sense of occasion they carried without any effort on the part of the room. They tracked down the young family making them, the conversation went well, and the first consignment of starlight lanterns arrived in the UK in an old aluminium trunk. They were an immediate hit at UK music festivals. What followed was a journey the length and breadth of Britain selling them to independent shops from a beat-up Ford Sierra 1.6 GLX Estate — and repeat orders coming in almost immediately, because people just loved Paper Starlights and have continued doing so for nearly thirty years.

The brand is now based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, and the founding friendship between the two families has become a proper trading partnership spanning two generations and three continents. Every star is still made by hand. Each one is hand screen-printed using a wooden printing frame and plant-based pigments — a traditional process that produces depth and richness of colour that cannot be replicated by machine. Colour balancing is done by eye. The paper is responsibly sourced. Natural dyes throughout. Workers are paid in advance, work in safe premises with flexible patterns that accommodate family life, and are part of a supply chain that Paper Starlights describes as fair trade from end to end — not as a claim but as a practice they have built and maintained since 1996. The stars arrive flat-packed and open point by point into a perfect five-pointed lantern. British Standard tested, compliant with BS EN 60598-1, suitable for use as a lampshade over a standard fitting or with battery-operated LED fairy lights. Used at Kings Cross Station, Twickenham Film Studios, Glastonbury and Grand Designs. Reusable year after year. The kind of thing you keep.

Explore the wider Home Decor collection, or discover brands chosen for their values through Sustainable Brands and Shop by Purpose. For independent makers working in small batches, explore our Small Batch Artisans edit, or find considered gift ideas through our Gifts for Her and Gifts for Him guides.