People, guess each one of you know that Chinese New Year is just around the corner. Have you bought all your clothes, shoes and handbag yet? (: What do you know about Chinese New Year? Chinese New Year is celebrated on the first day of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, this is the most important annual festival for the Chinese community. Each year is named after one of the 12 animals according to the Chinese Zodiac. Houses are cleaned and decorated to prepare for the big day. Family members from far come back for the gathering. New year cards are exchanged between friends and relatives. A reunion dinner for the family will be held on the eve of the new year. Bad language and unpleasant topics are discouraged. There are many activities held on Chinese New Year -- lion dances and small fire works. Red paper showing Chinese characters of prosperity and wealth are pasted either in front or inside the house. Ang-Pow or red packet containing money is given out to children and elderly. Open house is practiced for visiting relatives and friends with various ethnic races. The new year is lasted for fifteen days which the concentration is on the first three days. The celebration ends with the 'Chap Goh Meh' on the fifteenth day. We have many so called 'pantang' during the Chinese New Year. E.g: no sweeping or mopping the floor, no foul language, no unpleasant topic, and many more.

Have you decorate your house yet? As for me, my mom never decorate the house. You can never see lantern outside my house. But I decorated my room this afternoon. Finally, I'm done decorating my own room (: Are you free this days? If you are free, get crafty for Chinese New Year!

What do you need? (:
Paper lunch bag, Orange and black paint, Black marker, Black, white, orange construction paper, Gold paint pen, Scissors, 1 black chenille stem, White craft glue, Glue stick, Pattern.

How to make it?
1. Paint outside of paper bag with orange paint and let dry. (See photo.)
2. On a piece of black construction paper, use the gold paint pen to draw 2 circles, about 1 inch in diameter. (See photo.)
3. Cut around the circles, leaving a border of black paper, cut each end out to a point to resemble the almond shape of an eye. Use the pattern for the eyes as a guide.
4. Dip the handle end of a paint brush into black paint and using a circular motion, at the round blacks of the eyes onto the gold. Let dry. (See photo.)
5. When bag is dry, add tiger stripes around the bottom of the bag (the head) and down both sides. Add a nose and facial features as well. Use the pattern as inspiration for drawing on the face. Use black paint to fill in the stripes. (See photo.)
6. While paint is drying, cut the ears and paws out of orange construction paper using the patterns. Color in the center of the ears with black marker. Use a glue stick to attach the ears to the back of the bag and the paws to the front.
7. Cut two teeth from white paper and use a glue stick to attach them beneath the flap.
8. Glue the eyes to the face using a glue stick.
9. Cut chenille stem in to four pieces and use white craft glue to attach two to each side of the face. Let dry.

*If you prefer not to paint the bag, you can cover it with orange construction paper.

This is very easy. I think everyone can do this (: I made this many times when I was young (:

What do you need?

How to make it?
1. Use your ruler to measure and cut one inch off the short end of your paper. Set aside to use as the handle.
2. Fold your paper in half lengthwise.
3. Draw a line one inch from the end of the long edge of the paper opposite the folded edge. This will be the line where you stop cutting.
4. Measure and mark lines one inch apart starting at the folded edge and moving towards the "stop cutting" line.
5. Cut on the marked lines up to the "stop cutting" line.
6. Unfold the paper.
7. Re-crease the paper in the opposite direction. This will hide any pencil marks.
8. Match the long edges together on the lantern and use tape to hold it in place.
9. Staple the handle to the top of the lantern.
10. Make as many lanterns as you wish and display them around your home.
11. If you wish, add glue, glitter, sequins or other things to decorate your lanterns.

How to make it?
1. Cut chenille stems into unequal lengths, some long some medium.
2. Twist two unlike lengths together and bend and twist ends to make them look like branches.
3. Cut pink tissue paper into ½” squares.
4. Lay branches onto work surface and line with a layer of white glue. Do not put glue on the stem.
5. Place the handle end of a thin paintbrush into the center of a tissue paper square. Twist the tissue paper around the handle.
6. While tissue paper is still on the end of the paintbrush handle, dot it onto the glue on the branch. Tissue paper should stick to the glue and slide right off the handle. Leave a space between tissue paper flowers and repeat process. Let dry.
7. Turn branches over and repeat on other side.
8. Paint the Styrofoam ball with brown paint and let dry.
9. Insert branches into Styrofoam ball.

P/S: countdown 8days to Chinese New Year.! Clean your house yet? (: Be fast..!