Craft for Kids: CNY Lantern

‘Twas was the night before the Lunar New Year and not a child was sleeping. Instead seated around the flickering glow of their own homemade Chinese New Year lantern, they feasted upon traditional goodies and listened as the elders wove tales of a bygone era. Together, the entire family awaited the arrival of the new year…
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Oh yes, the littlies get to twirl cardboard roll snakes around their chubby fingers, but we’ve not forgotten about the older ones. Guide your kinder- or primary school-going child in crafting this delicate paper lantern, which will set the mood for festive contemplation quite beautifully.

What you’ll need:

– Tracing paper
– Four Chinese New Year paper or cloth cutouts
– Red paper strips 1cm wide (construction or craft paper)
– A thin brush or cotton buds
– Craft glue
– Scissors
– Tea light candle
– Tea light candle holder
– Lighter or matches

What to do:

1. Cut four squares of equal size from the tracing paper. The tracing paper squares should be large enough to frame the cutouts equally on all sides.

2. Glue a paper or cloth cutout on the centre of each tracing paper square. Let them dry.

3. Cut 1cm-wide strips from red construction or craft paper. The strips should be as long as the side of your tracing paper square.

4. Fold the red strips into half, length-wise.

5. Glue two tracing paper squares onto a strip, forming an ‘L’ shape. Continue with the other two tracing paper squares.

6. Light a tea light candle and put it into the holder.

7. Place the tea light candle inside the lantern and let it glow, let it glow, let it glow.

Note: You can strengthen the lantern by propping its sides with wooden stirrers. The reinforced lanterns can also be strung up with string or ribbon. We used year of the snake cutouts but you can also make lanterns for each animal zodiac in the family, or one lantern with four different animal zodiac cutouts.