The Story

Ever since I was a child, I’ve always been entranced by the beauty and elegance of Koi as they swim gracefully through the water. I’ve always wanted to capture that wonder in my art, that feeling of magic as if they're flying.

I held onto that dream, and 6 years ago, I set out to create the paper koi lantern. It took countless prototypes; late nights spent designing, assembling, then redesigning, before I was finally happy with the result. 

I didn’t want a lantern that only looked like a koi, I wanted the paper koi to be posable, so that it can swim and move its body like a real fish. 

That is why the koi is made up of only interlocking paper, without the use of glue or tape. This allows the scales to extend and contract in all directions. It can hold any pose, and you can change it up at any time to create new looks.

Designing was the fun part, but perfecting was the hard part. After I was happy with the shape of the Koi, I still I had to test countless papers types and LEDs.  If the paper is too thin, the Koi will damage easily, if the paper is too thick, the light won't shine through. It took many more years of redesign to to find the best combination that looks great, both day and night, and can hold up over time. 

I'm so excited to finally share my creation. Now you can get your very own DIY koi lantern kit. Each kit will come with all the paper pieces already cut out for you, using precision laser cutting technology. It can handle all the intricate details that traditional die-cutting cannot. The paper is made of 285 GSM metallic card stock, it is both acid free and archival. It is made by one of the best paper makers in Italy, Gruppo Cordenons, founded in 1630. It has a beautiful sheen like the scales of a real koi, and is extremely sturdy.

I will share a series of video tutorials on how to assemble your koi from the kit.

My tutorials will also cover the different ways to insert the lights, and design tips to best display your koi.  You can set them on the table, let them swim up the walls, or hang them from your ceiling. The possibilities are endless. 

Which Koi colors are best for you?

There are 8 metallic colors to choose from, and you can mix and match them with color changing LEDs for the best combinations to fit your style. 

• White - Best for all purpose lantern, the white paper allows the colored lights to shine through the paper itself, so you can change your entire koi into any color you want, blue, gold, or a rainbow display.
• Gold - The only other paper besides white that lets light through the paper itself. You can partially change the color of the koi when the lights are on, and maintain an elegant gold hue on the fins. The gold does change the color of the lights, so blue light through the paper is more green. 
• Copper - One of the shiniest papers. This thick metallic color only lets light shine through the openings in the scales so that it glimmers at just the right angles. 
• Red - This bold color looks great with lights on or off. Similar to copper, light shines through the openings in the scales.
• Black - Metallic black is mysterious and sleek. Light will peak out the scales but not light up a space. You can adjust the LEDs to cast a sprinkle of lights all around it.
• Blue - Very similar to black but with that beautiful sheen like the night sky. It's great for a celestial themed Koi collection.
• Silver - As shiny as copper, but almost white in color. Unlike actual white, this silver only lets light through the openings of the scales like a glitter of stars. 
• Teal - The newest color, just added after surpassing our stretch goal! This paper is very slightly translucent, so you can see a bit of light shining through the paper in complete darkness, but it is mostly opaque and would not light up an area the way White does.  

While the Koi already looks great by itself, lights really add that extra bit of magic. You can use any low powered LED light you have at home, or get our custom made color changing RGB LED strips as an Add-on. The lights come with a 2m long cable so you can hang them from the ceiling, and uses universal USB plugs. You can power them from any USB charger or USB hub. You can change colors, brightness or mode with buttons close to the USB plug.

The RBG LEDs can be set to stay at a single color, or set to automatically cycle through a rainbow of colors. You can also adjust the brightness to fit your mood.

Warm and magical, or cool and mysterious, the lights are at your command.