Chinese New Year is a time to gather with friends and while the time away chatting, snacking and in many cases, playing games or participating in activities together. This Chinese New Year, involve your guests or the little ones by setting out some supplies for an Art and Craft session at your house. It will be fun, and everyone will get to take home a DIY “gift” from your house after the visit.

Using Ang Pow (red packets) and red paper supplies is a great place to start and makes the activity more festive. There are plenty of online resources which will show you all sorts of exciting new ways to make new patterns. Here are some that you might want to try for yourself.

Ang Pow Goldfish

Ang Pow Flowerball

Ang Bao Lantern

For other crafts you can make with Ang Pows, check out sheknows.com for easy to follow instructions on how to make decorative red Chinese Paper Lanterns, noisy Chinese Drums for the kids and the innovative paper cup dragon. See also the fantastic paper snakes in Red Ted Art’s Blog.

Fig Jam and Lime Cordial has a reasonably easy paper lantern you can make with your extra Ang Pows and finally, for those hot afternoons, get everyone fanning away with these brilliant DIY fans from firstpalette.

Adapted from articles first published on the Dads for Life Website.