The kid’s age decides which of these crafts to pick.
A paper slit lantern needs only scissors, glue and red construction paper, so it suits the youngest crafters, while the dragon mask and the plastic bottle lantern ask for more patience and sturdier materials from older kids.
Since the celebration lasts 15 days, you can spread them over several afternoons and match each one to the child doing it.
1. Egg Carton Dragon
A cardboard egg carton cut into a row of cups makes a dragon body with built-in segments, and that is why it works so well for kids.
Cut the cups apart or leave them joined, paint them red, then add gold for the head and spots.
2 wooden skewers or sticks taped to the back let a child steer the dragon through the air. I’d paint before attaching anything, since wet cardboard sags under glue.
2. Lunar New Year Fans
Cutting the character is the hard part for younger kids, so I’d pre-cut it for them or use a bold, simple one.
Add a tassel at the base for movement. Tape or glue the fold firmly, because small hands pull at it.
3. Firecracker Decorations
Bursts of paper fireworks springing from a red tube give you a firecracker that sits on a table instead of going bang, which suits a classroom well.
Wrap a cardboard cylinder in red paper and label it with the characters for "New Year."
Cut colorful paper strips or streamers for the burst and tuck them into the top.
Scatter small paper confetti around the base for the finish. The tradition behind it is scaring off evil spirits, a good story to tell while kids glue.
4. Paper Slit Lantern
Fold a sheet of red construction paper in half, cut parallel slits from the fold toward the edge, and open it into a cylinder: that is the slit lantern, and it’s the one I’d pick for the youngest kids.
It needs only scissors, glue and paper.
Leave an uncut border at the open edges so the slits don’t tear. Staple or glue the sides, add a yellow paper strip handle on top, and snip yellow fringe for the bottom.
5. Handmade Dragon Mask
Scales make this mask. Layering small green paper pieces, or crumpling the paper first, gives the textured skin that flat cutouts lack.
Cut a face shape with eyeholes, then glue on sharp white teeth and a red tongue, which kids love most.
I’d test the eyeholes against the wearer’s face before gluing anything, because a mask that doesn’t line up gets abandoned fast. Add an elastic band or a stick to hold it.
6. Plastic Bottle Lantern
An empty plastic bottle becomes a lantern once it’s covered in red, which makes this the best use of recycling in the list. Wrap or paint the bottle red, then stick on a yellow diamond with a Chinese character.
Punch a hole near the top, thread a string through to hang it, and tie a red tassel at the bottom. Ask an adult to make the hole, since plastic can crack or slip.
7. Woven Paper Star Ornament
Red paper strips woven over and under each other make a star with a pattern built into it, so the decoration comes from the weaving itself and needs no extra glitter or paint.
Red paper is the one material you need, plus a string or ribbon to hang it.
I’d use a sturdier paper than printer weight, because thin strips crumple as small hands pull them tight. Finish with a red tassel at the bottom point, which adds movement and hides any uneven tips.
Older kids can weave it alone. For younger ones, pre-cut the strips so they only do the weaving.
8. Hanging Lunar New Year Ornaments
A bare branch with pink blossoms turns small handmade ornaments into a display: a lion dancer, a lantern and a gold coin, each hung on its own thread.
Mixing shapes like these gives kids a choice of what to make, so no 2 branches look alike.
Keep each piece small and light, since a branch bends under heavy paper. Red and gold suit the lantern and coin, and the lion dancer can be any color you like.
Hang them at different heights so they don’t crowd. Kids can take their ornaments home afterward, which saves you cleanup.
Crafting with Kids
Kids get more from these projects when a bit of culture comes along with the glue. Tell them that Lunar New Year is a 15-day celebration, so a craft made on day one can stay up for the whole stretch.
Mix the difficulty levels. Fingerprint cherry blossoms suit the youngest kids, while a dragon mask is a medium-difficulty project that older kids can handle.
If a friend or relative reads or writes Chinese, ask them to write the characters on the kids’ crafts. A real hand-lettered character means more to a child than a printout, and it makes the craft a keepsake.
Red envelopes and a Chinese-food snack round out a playdate nicely.
Materials Needed
Most of what you need is already in the house. Egg cartons and toilet paper rolls cover the base of many projects, and a hole punch handles the rest of the prep.
For an egg carton dragon, the supply list is short:
- Paper egg carton
- Yellow and black craft paint
- Daubers, or paintbrushes if that’s what you have
- 7mm wiggle eyes
- 2 jingle bells, 1/2″
- Ribbon, 1/4″ wide
- Hole punch
Daubers are the tidy choice for small kids, since one press makes a clean dot. Brushes work, but they ask for more patience and more paper towels.
Lay everything out in small trays before the kids sit down. It saves you from hunting for a missing bell mid-project.
Cultural Significance
Red, gold and other lucky symbols carry the meaning here, so the craft is more than decoration. Before kids start, say a sentence or two about why a symbol stands for good luck or prosperity.
Because the celebration runs 15 days, you can spread projects across several days instead of cramming them into one afternoon. Start with the easiest craft early and save the harder ones for later in the festival.
Spring Festival, Lunar New Year and Chinese New Year all name the same holiday, so use whichever term your family or guests prefer.
