Getting your house ready for CNY? Let your little ones between four to six be involved with the decorations. Together with Med Kärlek, which does breathtaking event design for weddings and other occasions, we’ve come up with a list of five easy crafts to dress up your home.
Paper Fans
These red and gold fans of varying sizes make a great festive backdrop. Image credit: Things Made Posh.
What you’ll need:
A4 size red construction paper
A4 size yellow/gold construction paper
A few rolls of double-sided tape, about 1cm thick
Stapler
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Scissors
Cup or something round to trace
A pencil, pen or marker to trace the circles out
Twine or string
Method:
Start folding the paper accordion-style, and then continue with another piece. Stick them together, fold in the middle and tie with twine. Open the fan and stick the sides together. Image credit: Driven by Decor
- Starting from the edge of the short side of the paper, fold the paper approximately 1cm into the paper.
- With the folded edge, fold it over again, so now you have two folds of about 1cm each. (It doesn’t have to be accurate so don’t worry)
- Continue folding the paper all the way to the end, accordion-style, making sure to crease the paper well with your fingernails.
- Next, start folding up the paper, with the first edge over the top of the paper and the next under. Repeat until you have an accordion-like piece of paper.
- Repeat the same steps for the second sheet, then stick double-sided tape on the last fold so it joins up with the first sheet of paper.
- After this, fold the paper in half and tie tightly with a string. Fan it out till it forms a circle.
- Next, use the gold paper and trace out a few circles the size of the circumference of your cup. Cut out two circles per fan, and then hot glue each circle to the fan on as many points as possible, so that it will stay in place.
- Repeat these steps until you have several fans. Make sure to vary the colours (red fan, yellow circles, yellow fan red circle etc) for a nicer look.
- Stick them to your wall to create a fun backdrop for your Chinese New Year #ootd shots!
If you want to make a larger fan, use the same steps, but instead of folding into half, simply join six fans together to form a circle.
Spring Blooms
The DIY spring flowers in a vase - a gorgeous CNY decoration from Med Kärlek.
What you’ll need:
- Drawing block
- Poster paint
- Paint brush
- Scissors
- White glue and / or tape
- Palette
- Container to wash your brushes
- A nice branch ( You can get your child to pick up a few and choose the best two or three.)
Method:
Paint three sheets of drawing block a single colour each, e.g., pink, yellow and red.
1. Start by picking out colours you’d like for your flowers. For example, pink, red and yellow.
2. Paint the whole drawing block sheet with your chosen colour. Leave it out to dry while you work on the other two colours.
Fold the paper into quarters and then into a triangle.
3. Once dry, fold it down the middle of the long side, like a card, then fold in again to have four equal folds.
4. Next, fold the corner up to form a triangle.
Fold the excess part downwards, cut it off, and fold the paper into quarters, cutting into smaller squares if necessary.
5. Now, fold the excess part downwards and cut it off.
6. Next, fold the squares into four smaller squares. (If it’s too thick to do so, unfold the paper so you have two squares and cut down the middle first).
Fold into quarters again, and then draw out a petal shape and cut it out.
7. Draw an approximate shape of a petal onto the square. Make sure the thick folded edge is the middle of this petal.
8. Cut around the lines you’ve just drawn. You should have four four-petaled flowers.
Open up the petals and curl them inward. Stick two together.
9. Repeat the steps for all the red and pink papers you’ve prepared.
10. With a pencil, roll the edges of the petals inwards so it looks more lifelike.
Take a strip of yellow paper and cut fringe into it, then roll it up to form the pollen. Join all three flower pieces together.
11. Cut the yellow paper into strips across the shorter length of the paper.
12. Create a fringe texture by cutting lines partway into the paper. Your cuts should be perpendicular to the paper.
13. Use the pencil and roll the paper from one end to the other. Secure the ends with tape or glue. You’ve now made the pollen of the flower.
14. Assemble the flower. It should have two of the four-petaled flowers, and one yellow pollen. Glue the centres together and hold it for a few seconds while it sets. Repeat this with all your other flowers and pollen stems.
15. Lastly, attach your flowers to the branches and arrange them nicely in a tall vase or glass.
Image credit and ideas from Med Kärlek.
Mickey Mouse Ornament
These super-cute Mickey Mouse ornaments work well as decorations for Chinese New Year as well as Christmas.
What you’ll need:
Black, red and white paper
Scissors
Glue Stick
Bakers Twine for hanging
Method:
- Cut out eight red circles about 6cm in diameter.
- Next, cut out two more circles from the black paper at about 4cm in diameter.
- Punch out several white circles so you can make Minnie Mouse’s signature polka dots.
- Glue the white dots onto the red circles, then fold each of these red circles in half.
- Put glue on the top of the semi-circle (i.e., the one without the white dots) and then stick it to another semi-circle. Repeat until you have four semi-circles together.
- Now add one smaller semi-circle on the top left side to form the ear.
- Next, add the next four semi-circles to get eight in total. Add lots of glue to the bakers twine draped down the middle, as well as to the remaining ear.
- Wedge the bakers twine right into the middle and then bring the two open semi-circles together. Tie a knot at the bottom with the remaining twine.
Other variations to this include all black with a red paper bow, or black ears and red ball (without the white polka dots). To this, you’ll need a small yellow square, with a black smaller square below it (to create a frame). Cut out a black strip and glue it to the ball ornament, and then glue the square over it. You can hang these on various branches or sticks you’ve gathered for a cute CNY decoration.
Idea and images from Red Ted Art.
Simple Chinese Lanterns
Make these super easy lanterns with LED battery-operated lights.
What you’ll need:
Red paper A4 size
Scissors
Glitter pens (either these or these)
A stick of glue
A jam jar (about 454g)
LED tea light
Method:
Measure 15cm by 25cm, and then draw and cut the lines. Decorate the paper and then glue the ends to form a lantern.
- Cut out a rectangle of 15 by 25 cm to fit the jam jar.
- Draw two lines from the left and right edges, measuring 2.6cm, then draw another 10 lines 1.8cm away from each other.
- Fold your paper in half and then cut according to the lines you’ve just drawn.
- Next, decorate in between the lines with glitter pens or glue.
- Once dry, glue the left and right edges on the shorter side of the paper together.
- Put the LED tea light into the jam jar, then slide the lantern over.
- Repeat until you have the desired amount of lanterns. These could also make a cute table centrepiece!
Images and instruction from Blissful Domestication.
Tassel Garland
Create these awesome tassel ornaments to hang in your home. Image credits: A Pair and a Spare at Collective Gen)
What you’ll need:
Red or gold paper napkins
Twine or baker’s twine
Scissors
A long branch to hang these tassels on
Optional enhancements:
Other CNY decorations that you can hang.
Method:
Cut strips into the napkin, then put string into the fold. Grasp the top about 1 inch from the top and secure with more twine. Image credits: Tikkido.
- Make sure your napkin’s fold is on top and DON’T cut into it.
- Similar to the pollen, and the lantern, you’ll want to cut strips of about 1cm thick, but be sure to stop about two finger widths from the folded line.
- Next, open up your napkin, and put your string or twine along the fold. Flip the napkin back over the twine. Make sure to give yourself extra string to secure the tassel.
- Now, pinch the string together, and use your free hand to scrunch up the top of the napkin, and hold fast.
- Use a shorter length of twine to tie the napkin in place so it forms a tassel. The longer twine on top can form the basis of your garland, or you can cut the length off and tie a knot so it forms a loop to hang the garland on your branch.
- Repeat the above steps until you have loads of pretty garlands and hang it up!
Additionally, try these Melissa & Doug Child-Safe scissors to help your little ones master cutting paper. It’s great for both left and right-handed kids, and won’t cut their clothes or hair.
Haven’t got your kids their Chinese New Year clothes yet? Check out Motherswork’s collection!
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