It's Chinese New Year and this year is the year of the Ox. I chose to create some very simple paper lanterns for today's craft. I was called into work unexpectedly this morning so I brought the supplies to work with me and did them on my lunch break, so pardon the pictures!
Chinese New Year is a 15 day festival in China that begins with the new moon that falls sometime between January 21st and February 20. It is often referred to as the Lunar New Year because it follows the phases of the moon. During this time celebrations occur to usher out the old year and bring forth good luck and good fortune in the new year. We could definitely use plenty of that after this past year!
Let's move on to our craft. The paper lanterns are very simple and something I remember learning to do as a child. All you need for your lanterns are:
- paper
- scissors
- glue ( or a stapler- I forgot to bring the glue to work!)
- string to hang them
First you will take one sheet of paper and roll it into a tube shape. You can glue the edges to hold its shape (or staple it as I have). Set this piece to the side while you create the outer layer of your lantern.
Now you are going to take a second piece of paper and fold it in half. You will cut slits in the paper from the crease almost to the end. You want to make sure you have them all connected, so don't cut all the way through.
Once you've completed this step, you can now combine the two pieces of paper. Take one end of the paper with the slits cut into it and glue around the end of your paper tube. Then glue the top to the paper tube as well. It should cause the paper to bend and create a lantern.
You can either cut another strip of paper to create your string or use actual string to hang your lantern. You can decorate your lantern as well, get creative with it! These are super simple to make and a fun decoration to add to your Chinese New Year celebration.
If you are also interested in making an easy Chinese dragon, check out this one I found by Pink Stripey Socks. I really liked this one because the body was made with a paper chain, and we all know I can't resist a good paper chain! Whatever you choose to do, I hope you have a fun Chinese New Year celebration!
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