The Chinese New Year (CNY) is all about ushering in good luck and fortune for the year to come. And one way to do that is by putting up auspicious decorations around the home to ‘invite’ the prosperity in. While it’s easier to buy these decorations off the shelf, putting in the time and effort to DIY these decorations can make the process much more meaningful for families. You could even throw in a brief lesson about the origins of Chinese New Year to make it a tad more educational! Up ahead, we feature eight Chinese New Year art and craft projects that are doable for preschoolers, which also play well as home decor for the Year of the Snake.
Easy Chinese New Year Art And Craft Ideas To Try With The Family
Create some prosperity at home with these easy CNY art and craft projects.
1. Chinese New Year Lantern
To make this Chinese New Year art and craft tutorial a little more child-friendly, you can substitute the use of a craft knife with scissors instead (fold the paper lengthwise and cut). That way, the project can be a little more hands-on for your kiddo. And if you craft up a few lanterns, you can string them up to form a garland!
Supplies you’ll need:
2. Paper Tangerine
With only repetitive cutting and pasting techniques, you can teach your child to make a tangerine out of paper. The key is to use thin tissue tape to form the accordion effect. Once done, hang it on your lucky plants or ‘serve’ it up on a paper plate.
Supplies you’ll need:
- Compass
- Coloured paper in green and orange
- Scissors
- Double-sided tissue tape
- Marker pen
- White glue
3. Angbao Fan
Here’s a CNY art and craft idea that’s easy and doesn’t require any adhesives, apart from the stapler. You could either go with the same red packets for a streamlined look or use a variety of different ones for a more vibrant effect.
Supplies you’ll need:
- Red packets
- Scissors
- Large sewing needle
- Tape
- Gold string
- Tassel
- Stapler
4. Red Packet Snake
Can’t kick off the Year of the Snake without an appearance by the snake itself? Then this snake-shaped piece is an easy Chinese New Year art and craft for your preschooler to pick up! Besides being relatively simple to produce, it lets you repurpose your leftover angpows to good use instead of discarding them.
Supplies you’ll need:
- Red packets
- Scissors
- Black marker
5. CNY Banner
One of the most common home decor you’ll find during Chinese New Year is the calligraphed banner with an auspicious saying. While your preschooler may not have the motor skills to fluidly control a calligraphy brush yet, they can bend pipe cleaners into the shape of Chinese characters. And that’s just the skill you need for this ink-free CNY art and craft project.
Supplies you’ll need:
- Pipe cleaners in assorted colours
- Scissors
- Red construction paper
6. Red Packet Flower
Here’s another fun way to reuse any excess angpows and turn them into a pretty decoration piece. Get some basic stationery tools, and together with the kids turn these colourful envelopes into pretty blooms that will look great anywhere, and not just during the festive period. No watering required!
Supplies you’ll need:
- Red packets (or envelope packets of any colour)
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Cutter knife
- Stapler
- Glue/double-sided tape
- Glitter glue
7. Red Packet Fish
The paper fish is a basic Chinese New Year art and craft project that’s great for preschool kids who have mastered the skill of cutting. With just a couple of snips, your kindergartener can turn an ordinary angbao into a delightful little fish. If mum and dad can help string up the fish, the kids can hang them up on the outdoor and indoor plants!
Supplies you’ll need:
- Red packets
- Scissors
- Stapler
- White paper
- Black marker
8. Easy Starburst Wall Decor
The best part about this Chinese New Year art and craft project is that there’s close to zero cutting involved. Your little one will just need to make a few simple folds on red packets, then attach them together to form an eight-point star. Staple on a knotted string and a tassel for the finishing touch, and it’s done!
Supplies you’ll need:
- Red packets
- White glue
- Red string
- Tassel
- Stapler
9. Chinese Firecrackers
What’s Chinese New Year without firecrackers? You may not let the kids go near them, so have them make their own safe version instead! With just coloured papers, ribbons, and some basic stationery tools, they can fashion out a simple firecracker craft that also makes for good decor material.
Supplies you’ll need:
- Red construction paper/red packets
- Scissor
- Tape
- Ribbon/string
- Gold sparkly washi tape
Ring In The Year Of The Snake With These Chinese New Year Art And Craft Ideas For Preschoolers
There are more where these tutorials came from, but we’ll end it at eight for prosperity reasons. And for prosperity reasons, you should also take the time to try these CNY art and craft ideas with your little ones. They’re easy and fun ways to liven up the home for the festivities and great activities that encourage quality time with loved ones.
Don’t forget to shop for traditional clothing, the best bak kwa, and a few auspicious plants to really get into the New Year spirit! Find them all at great prices during the Shopee CNY Sale from 26th December 2024 to 30th January 2025.
