The Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, is a time of great celebration and joy. It is a time when families come together to honor their ancestors and welcome in the new year with hope and good fortune. One of the most important aspects of the Chinese New Year is the tradition of creating and displaying decorations and crafts that symbolize prosperity, happiness, and good luck.
In this blog post, we will explore 18 Chinese New Year crafts which are easy to make with pipe cleaners /chenille stem. During these craft activities, we could not only making the lunar new year decorations, but also learning more about Chinese traditional cultures.
We have all these items as DIY kits with Low MOQ and very competitive prices. If you are interested in the craft kits, just contact us to ask for a free quote and samples.
1.Dancing Lion Head
The Dancing Lion, a vibrant symbol of Chinese culture, embodies auspiciousness and prosperity. The lions are always with colorful costume, symbolizes good fortune and happiness. We could use the RED, WHITE, YELLOW AND BLUE pipe cleaners to make the lion heads for hanging decoration or brooches or hair pins.
Video tutorials:
2.Dragon Head ( Chinese Loong )
The Chinese dragon, a revered symbol of power, strength, and good fortune, is deeply embedded in Chinese culture and mythology. Unlike the fire-breathing, malevolent Western dragon, the Chinese dragon is a benevolent creature associated with prosperity and wisdom. It is often depicted with a long, serpentine body, adorned with scales and a majestic mane, symbolizing its role as a guardian and protector. The dragon is also associated with water, believed to bring rain and ensure a bountiful harvest. Its appearance during festivals, particularly the Chinese New Year, is believed to ward off evil spirits and bring blessings for the year ahead, making it an integral and cherished part of Chinese tradition.
2024 is the year of Dragon (also calling Loong), we could make dragon head for hanging decoration or brooch or the headband.
Video tutorial:
3.Firecracker
The Chinese cracker, also known as a firecracker, is a traditional and symbolic element of Chinese culture, often associated with celebrations and festivals, especially the Chinese New Year. These small, explosive devices are made of paper cylinders filled with gunpowder and other combustible materials. When ignited, they produce a loud, sharp sound, often accompanied by colorful sparks and smoke. The Chinese believe that the loud noise and bright light of the firecrackers help to scare away evil spirits and bring good luck and prosperity for the coming year.
Only use the Red and Yellow pipe cleaners ,we could make the mini firecrackers hangings to decorate on table centrepiece.
Video tutorial:
4.Firework
Chinese fireworks are an iconic symbol of celebration, known for their vibrant colors, intricate designs, and breathtaking displays. Originating from ancient China, fireworks have a rich history and cultural significance, often used to mark special occasions like the Chinese New Year, weddings, and other festivities. The use of fireworks during celebrations is believed to bring good fortune, ward off evil spirits, and create a festive atmosphere.
Use the pipe cleaners and the led light chain, we could make colorful fireworks and put into vase to decorate our tabletop.
- 5.Peace red Knot
The Chinese Red Knot, also known as the Chinese knot or “Jie,” is a traditional decorative knotting technique that has been passed down for generations. The knot is created by tying a series of interlocking loops and has a long history in Chinese culture, symbolizing unity, prosperity, and good fortune. The color red representing happiness and vitality. Chinese Red Knots are often given as gifts during the Chinese New Year, as they are believed to bring luck and blessings to the recipient.
We could easily make the Chinese Red knots out of pipe cleaners , add on with the words like “平安” PINGAN as Safety and “大吉” DAJI as Good Luck in the middle of the two sides. Hang it in our car or just put it on our table centerpiece to bring lucky and safety in the new year.
Video tutorials:
6.Chinese Lantern
The Chinese red lantern, or “Hong Deng Long,” is a symbol of happiness, prosperity, and good fortune. Typically made of red paper or silk and adorned with intricate designs, these lanterns are an integral part of Chinese culture and are often used to decorate homes, businesses, and streets during festivals like the Chinese New Year. The lantern’s shape is believed to resemble the full moon, symbolizing unity and completeness. Additionally, the light from the lantern is thought to ward off evil spirits and bring blessings for the coming year.
We could easily make mini red lanterns or lantern garlands with pipe cleaners.
Video tutorials:
7.Fuwa
The Chinese Fuwa, are the colorful characters represent the five traditional blessings in Chinese culture: prosperity, happiness, passion, health, and good luck.
It’s funny to make pipe cleaner FUWA as hanging ornament or brooch or a pick. This pattern is a little bit complex and needs patience.
Video tutorials:
8.Lunar New Year Flowers- anthurium
The Anthurium, also known as the Flamingo Flower or the Laceleaf, is a popular flower associated with the Lunar New Year in Chinese culture. The Anthurium symbolizes happiness, abundance, and good fortune, making it a cherished and auspicious flower for Lunar New Year celebrations.
9.Lunar New Year Flowers- red camellia
The Red Camellia, also known as the “Chinese rose,” is a beloved flower often associated with the Lunar New Year in Chinese culture. The Red Camellia symbolizes prosperity, wealth, and success.
10.Lunar New Year Flowers- red plum blossom
The red plum blossom, or “Mei Hua” in Chinese, is a beloved flower associated with the Lunar New Year in Chinese culture. It symbolizes prosperity, wealth, and success. Its rich color and delicate fragrance make it a popular choice for festive decorations, arrangements, and gifts during this auspicious time of year, bringing joy and good fortune to those who receive it.
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11.Lunar New Year Flowers- Red Pussy Willow
The Red Pussy Willow, also known as the “Red Dogwood” or “Salix chaenomeloides,” is a flower that holds special significance during the Lunar New Year in Chinese culture.It symbolizes growth, renewal, and good fortune.
12.Fu Character
The Fu (福) character, pronounced as “foo,” is a Chinese character that means “good fortune” or “blessings.” It is a highly auspicious and symbolic character, often seen during the Lunar New Year celebrations. The Fu character is typically displayed upside down, as the word for “upside down” in Chinese sounds similar to the word for “arrive” (dao). Thus, the upside-down Fu character is interpreted as “good fortune arrives,” symbolizing the arrival of blessings and prosperity.
Video tutorial:
13Chun Character
14.Lucky Bag/Goody Bag
The Lunar New Year goody bag is a traditional and symbolic gift exchanged during Lunar New Year celebrations. These small red bags, typically filled with money,candies, snacks, and other gifts, are given to children and unmarried adults as a symbol of prosperity, happiness, and good luck.
15.Persimmon
The Persimmon, or “Shi Zi,” is a popular fruit associated with the Lunar New Year in Chinese culture. It symbolizes prosperity, abundance, and good fortune. It’s widely used as vase decorations.
16.Orange
During Lunar New Year, oranges are a symbol of prosperity and abundance. They’re often given as gifts or used in decorations because their round shape and vibrant color are believed to bring good luck and fortune for the coming year. The Chinese word for orange sounds like “gold,” so having oranges in the home is like having gold, a symbol of wealth and prosperity. Oranges are also seen as a symbol of fertility and family unity.
17.Chili Peppers
Chili peppers, or “La Jiao” in Chinese. These spicy and flavorful peppers are believed to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck and prosperity for the coming year. In some regions, chili peppers are also hung on doorways or around the home to protect against negative energy and bring blessings and good fortune. Chili peppers are a symbol of vitality, strength, and abundance during the Lunar New Year festivities.
18.Candied Haws
Candied haws, or “Bing Tang Hu Lu” in Chinese, are a traditional treat enjoyed during Lunar New Year celebrations in China. The red color of the haws symbolizes good luck and happiness, while the sweetness represents a sweet and prosperous year ahead. Candied haws are a popular street food during the Lunar New Year festivities, and they are often given as gifts or used as decorations to bring joy and blessings to the home.