• Chinese New Year crafts - Kids crafts - tutorial

    Sheep sun catcher for Chinese New Year

    I have to admit that we don’t celebrate Chinese New Year but that doesn’t stop us having fun with crafting around the theme. We’ve already made a Chinese lantern sun catcher but did you know that 2015 is the Year of the Sheep? We thought we’d make a sheep sun catcher. Our windows are full but there’s always room for one more, right? Materials needed to make a sheep sun catcher: Black paper Contact paper White tissue paper Scissors How to make a sheep sun catcher: I drew a sheep on a piece of paper and used this as a…

  • Chinese New Year crafts - Kids crafts - tutorial

    Chinese lantern sun catcher

    My children love to make sun catchers. They are so quick and easy to set up and they are my go to craft if one of them asks to make something and I don’t want to think about it too much. With Chinese New Year around the corner I set up a sweet Chinese lantern sun catcher activity for my 3 year old daughter yesterday. Material needed to make a Chinese lantern sun catcher: Paper Scissors Cellophane squares Contact paper How to make a Chinese lantern sun catcher: First draw your Chinese lantern. I drew mine with a black Sharpie…

  • Chinese New Year crafts - crafts - handmade - Kids crafts - tutorial

    Finger print Chinese lanterns

    Before I bombard you with Valentine crafts (and there’s a lot!) I wanted to share one last Chinese New Year craft. 2014 is the Chinese New Year of the Horse and although Chinese New Year is celebrated on Friday January 31st, celebrations will take place on Sunday 2nd February across venues including Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Shaftesbury Avenue and of course Chinatown itself. I’m not sure I’m ready to take the children to the celebrations just yet so instead we’ve been having fun at home. We’ve already tried our hand at Chinese New Year lanterns and our latest activity involved paint. Like…

  • Chinese New Year crafts - crafts - handmade - Kids crafts - tutorial

    Chinese New Year tea light holder

    We’ve been thinking about Chinese New Year lately. 2014 is all about the Chinese New Year of the Horse but animal crafts don’t seem to be our speciality, so far. Instead we opted for some simple Chinese New Year tea light holders. We collected some old (clean!) glass jars from the recycling bin, a bottle of PVA glue, paint brush and red tissue paper which I cut into small squares. I had to google why red is associated with Chinese New Year, apparently the colour red, which corresponds with fire, symbolizes good fortune and joy. Then my son got to…

  • Chinese New Year crafts - crafts - Crafts for adults - handmade - sewing

    5 minute fortune cookie (for Chinese New Year)

    It feels like the New Year has brought lots of crafting opportunities with it and the toddler and I have been busy. Chinese New Year will be celebrated on February 10th, so we’ve made some fabric fortune cookies that look good enough to eat. They were really quick to make, so perfect for a cold afternoon. Supplies needed to make 5 minute fortune cookies You will need: a 4 inch circle (we drew round a can from the kitchen cupboard on a piece of cardboard) a 5 inch square of felt a 5 inch square of fabric a different fortune,…

  • Chinese New Year crafts - Miffy Mums - parenting

    Happy Chinese New Year!

    February 3 marks the start of the Chinese New Year – and this year is the Year of the Rabbit. To celebrate, Miffy’s author Dick Bruna has designed a series of new Miffy images.  In a lovely little twist, Dick Bruna was actually born in the Year of the Rabbit, back in 1927! Illustration Dick Bruna © Mercis bv 2011 Miffy is of course one of the most famous rabbits of all time. Just for fun I thought I would list the top ten most famous bunnies (in order of creation): • The White Rabbit – featured in Lewis Carroll’s…