Ear-numbing firecrackers, amazing noodle dishes and feeding crisp dollar bills to dancing lions; these are three things I remember most about celebrating Chinese New Year in my hometown of Hilo, Hawaii.
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to ring in the start of the Chinese lunar calendar in paradise this year. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t be having fun ushering in the Year of the Dragon.
This January 23rd, grab the kids, don your most festive red outfits and wish each other a hearty “Xin Nian Kuai Le.” Then, raid your craft closet to make these simple Chinese New Year projects which you can feature in your own parade.
Homemade Dancing Lion Costume
Materials:
Large cardboard box
Bright colored paint (red, orange, green, gold)
Construction paper
Glue
Long pieces of scrap fabric
Stapler
Directions:
Cut eye holes in the cardboard box.
Paint the box to look like a traditional Chinese dancing lion.
While paint is drying, cut out a nose and mouth from the construction paper.
Glue paper facial features on box.
Glue scraps of fabric on the box to mimic a lion’s mane.
Save a long piece of fabric to use as the lion’s tail.
Staple tail on back of box, and get dancing.
Handheld Chinese Dancing Lion
Materials:
Construction paper (red, green, orange, yellow)
Scissors
Markers
Glue
Tape
2 wooden chopsticks
Glitter
Feathers
Directions:
Use a black marker to draw the head and tail of the lion on a piece of yellow construction paper.
Use the scissors to cut the head and tail, and then decorate them with glitter.
Glue on the feathers to make a mane for the lion.
Fold a piece of red construction paper in half the long way.
Cut along the fold line, making two long rectangles.
Fold each piece of paper back and forth to make it look like an accordion.
Glue the two pieces together, forming one long piece. This will be the lion’s body.
Glue one end of the lion’s body to the cut-out head.
Glue the other end of the body to the lion’s tail.
Tape one chopstick to the head and the other to the tail.
Allow glue to dry thoroughly before making your lion dance.
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