7 super fun CNY craft ideas for kids: DIY oranges, cherry blossom trees and fortune cookies

Planning on decorating your home for your family’s Chinese New Year reunion? Why not let your children show off a bit of their artistic side and unleash their creative side with some fun arts and crafts for Chinese New Year.

Not only will this help you bond with your little one – we all know the many benefits of art for kids – it’ll also liven up their festive spirits.

So grab your arts and crafts kit and try out these easy and crafty ideas to celebrate the “niu” year. They are fun, creative, and super engaging; and we know that because we tried them ourselves!

Arts and crafts for Chinese New Year: 7 fun ideas to try at home

1. Toilet paper roll Mandarin oranges

To bring good fortune to your family, have your little one try their hands at making oranges – without a visit to the grocery store. Of course, these are not meant to snack on. But they can be just as prosperous, bringing good luck to you on Chinese New Year. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Toilet paper rolls
• Paper plates
• Paint
• Brush
• Scissors
• Glue
• Paper

What to do:

• Cut the toilet paper roll into as many rings as you like. Then, using a piece of regular paper, cut out circles to cover the top of the toilet roll rings. 

• Paste the circles on the rings, they’re all ready to paint. Cut out the leaves and colour them green. Then, paint the oranges, well, orange.

• Once the oranges are dry, you can stick their little leaves on. Then, put them all together and paste them on a paper plate so that they’re ready to be framed anywhere in your home.

Don’t they look cute? What a fun activity! 

2. Fortune cookies

You can make your own fortune cookies right at home! And no, we don’t mean cooking up some cookies. Instead, you can use any extra red packets you have to create your own motivational fortunes for Chinese New Year.

These paper fortune cookies by Crafts by Amanda can be a fun activity to prepare with your kids and will be exciting to share with your family and friends.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Red packets
• Double-sided tape
• Scissors
• Pen

What to do:

• Cut out circles from the red packets.
• Carefully fold the circles into halves, but not all the way. 
• Join the two ends together with double-sided tape. 
• Fold the halved circles in half again.
• Slip in your fortune paper slips into each one and they’re ready!

3. Paper dragon

You can recreate your own mini dragon dance at home with this paper dragon puppet from Woo! Jr.

It’s simple enough to make and even fun to design as your kids will surely enjoy colouring and customising their very own dragon puppet. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Colouring materials
• Glue
• Skewer sticks

What to do:

• Print or draw your dragon.
• Colour it to your heart’s content.
• Cut it out and paste it to the skewer sticks.
• Fold the construction paper into an accordion shape then paste the two ends to connect the head and the tail. 

4. Chinese lantern

Decorate your home with Chinese lanterns. This paper lantern by First Palette is simple enough looks great. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Paper
• Scissors
• Stapler or tape
• Glue
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Other things you’d like to decorate your lantern with such as tape, gift wrapper, red packets, or even stickers.

What to do:

• Cut off a one-inch strip for the handle and set aside.
• Fold the paper in half and draw a horizontal line an inch wider from the end of the paper. 
• From the folded edge, cut slits one inch apart from each other.

• Unfold the paper and decorate the top as well as the bottom part. 
• Start decorating the lantern with stickers, or paint, basically anything you like.

• Roll the paper into a cylindrical shape by either stapling it or taping the top and bottom. 

• Glue the ends of the hand inside of the tube and you have yourself your own little lantern. 

5. Red packet fish ornament

This red packet fish ornament from Sub Merryn will be an adorable decoration to hang around your home for your Chinese New Year festivities.

For this particular craft, you’re going to need a few simple origami skills to complete your little fish ornament.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Red packet
• Scissors
• Googly eyes
• Stapler

What to do:

• Cut red packet into a square.
• Draw lines as shown and cut along the lines.

• Cut out another red packet with a different colour as the tail then attach it to the body. 
• Paste the googly eye on your fish then you’re done!

6. Chinese fan

Fight the heat with your very own DIY Chinese fan that is simple enough to make with your kids. Plus, it would be also fun to decorate with it for Chinese New Year festivities. So try out this handy craft from Sub Merryn and see what you and your kiddo can come up with.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Red packet
• Paper 
• Scissors
• Glue
• Gold thread
• Other things you’d like to decorate your lantern with such as washi tape, gift wrapper, red packets, stickers, etc.

What to do:

• Fold the paper accordion style then fold it again in half. 
• Afterwards, glue together.
• Cut two triangles on its edge.
• Tie a gold thread at the bottom. 
• Cut the utmost bottom tip of the fan under the gold thread.
• Spread your fan out and decorate it as you wish. 

7. Finger Print Cherry Blossom Tree

For more things to frame, you can also try this simple yet sweet fingerprint cherry blossom tree by Crafty Crafted.

Put your child’s little thumbs to use and let them enjoy the fun of finger painting by creating their own cherry blossom tree. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Paint
• Paper
• Brush

What to do:

• Paint the branches of tree and wait until dry.
• Dip your fingers or thumb into the paint.
• Start stamping them all over your paper like blossoms on a tree.

Hope you try them out and have a crafty bonding experience with your little ones.

This article was first published in theAsianparent.