A dear friend is moving away, and the only thing I can console myself with is that her going-away party gave me an excuse to finally buy the magical & mysterious Flying Wish Paper...
I can't think of a lovelier ritual for friends to perform as they wish each other or one of their number well. Everyone writes a wish on a piece of special paper, crumples it, rolls it into a tube (I had to try like 6 times!), and lights the paper on fire. It burns like ordinary paper after seeing these in action in a darker room, I realized the flame is actually green & sparkly! for a moment, and then suddenly, whooosh! It flies up to the ceiling, and the charred remains float gently down like a graceful jellyfish. I couldn't do the flying & floating justice in photos, so you'll have to take my word for it: it was magical, something that has to be experienced in person. We'll all be wishing great things for our friend as she treks north, but I would love to use these again at a party for a happier occasion- a new home, a new love, a new year.
I found Flying Wish Paper at Kinokuniya Stationery And Gifts (and visited it three times & asked the clerks lots of questions before finally purchasing it!) in San Francisco's Japantown, but the company's website lists many other stockists.
Images: Tess Wilson
100 DIY Ideas for the 3-Day Weekend
Danielle's Charming, Classic Walk-Up
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
White Enamel Flatwa...
How To Cook Fluffy, Tasty Quinoa
Perfect Summer Cocktail Recipe: Honey Bourbon Lemonade
And if for some reason something goes wrong and the drapes start on fire....now thats magical! Probably not a bad idea to have a fire extinguisher close by just in case.
Is there any difference between "Flying Wish Paper" and home cut pieces of tissue paper? *cheapskate*
Is this nitrocellulose? This is one of those things that grad students do at lab late at night when they're bored.
My family used to do this every Christmas with the Lazzaroni Amaretti cookie wrappers...
That's so nice, I watched the video on the company's website, it shows really well how it works.
I think it's really sweet, but possibly not a good idea for low ceilings or near wood/curtains etc.(?)
As Intoxokate says, those cookie wrappers work great. It was a favorite holiday party thing of my parents. It would amuse the guests, and then send them on their way.
And you get to eat the cookies!
Flying Wish Paper?
This way to the Egress!
I've used Flying Wish Paper as part of many occasions - it is just as you describe it. You really need to see it to appreciate the beauty. My favorite story is using it at my New Year's party last year - writing out my resolution and sending it off. Super cool, and it was perfectly safe. Then, of course, had to use it throughout the year to keep that resolution in mind!
Thank you for writing about my product! Really glad you like it. I want to address some of the comments above:
- same warnings as a candle. But it burns out very quickly and is not on fire when it flies.
- very similar to tissue paper and you can try it if you want to. You might get lucky...but probably not.
- there's a science to the paper, but no special chemical (and certainly nothing explosive!) added.
- it is like the Lazzaroni cookie paper! But they changed their formula and it doesn't fly anymore (as of about a year ago). Mine flies much better anyway...but no cookie.
- to the Egress! Sure, why not. We all need a little fun. Step right up!
You can do this with an empty (unused) teabag. Snip the top off, stand up in a tube, light.