3 Crafty Chinese New Year projects kids can do themselves

If you haven’t celebrated the Chinese New Year with your family before, this could be your lucky year. The start of the Chinese New Year (February 8 this year) means the beginning of a new lunar calendar. And just like other traditional New Year’s celebrations, it also means having a good time. Ringing in the Chinese New Year with food, fun, family — and a few festive crafts — can bring luck and good fortune, so pull out the crayons and paper, and get the kids crafting! 

What you’ll need:

• paper
• scissors
• tape
• ruler
• pencil

What you’ll do:

1. Fold the sheet of paper in half crosswise.
2. Use your ruler to mark off lines that are 1-1/2 centimeters apart.
3. Beginning at the fold, cut vertical lines at each mark, stopping about 1-inch from the edge of the paper.
4. Unfold the paper, then tape the two long edges of the paper together to form a tube.
5. Cut a strip of paper that is approximately 6-inches long and 1/2-inch wide. Tape the two ends of the strip inside the top of the lantern to form the handle.