Roll into the Year of the Snake with these festive crafts

Difficulty: Explorer (Level 1)

One important part of the Lunar New Year is giving and receiving red envelopes with money inside.

The red colour symbolises good luck and also protects the receiver from evil spirits. Usually, children and unmarried people receive the red envelopes. Older, married people are the ones who give them away.

The amount of money inside usually ends with an even digit. People believe that odd-numbered gifts of money are for funerals.

If you have some red envelopes from the Lunar New Year, make sure to spend the money wisely and be thankful for the gift. Use your extra envelopes to make a string of fake firecrackers. Or celebrate the Year of the Snake with a toilet roll craft.

Red envelope firecrackers

Materials

• 12 to 15 red envelopes

• hole puncher

• tape

• string (about 30cm long)

Instructions

1. Roll the red envelope until it can wrap around your finger. Tape it together so that it stays in this round shape.

2. Punch a hole at the top of the cylinder. Put the string through the hole, and tape it so that it doesn’t fall off.

3. Roll the rest of the envelopes, and add them to the string. Try to place them around the string so that they look like firecrackers.

Paper roll snake

Materials

• toilet paper roll

• pen

• red paint

• yellow paint

• paintbrush

• scissors

• glue

• 2 googly eyes

Instructions

1. Paint the toilet paper roll red, and let it dry.

2. Use your pen to draw a spiral around the toilet paper roll. It should go around the roll at least three times.

3. Cut around the roll, while following the spiral you drew. It should still stay in one strip.

4. Glue the googly eyes on one end. Draw ears above the eyes with the gold paint. On the other end, paint the snake’s tail. You can also paint scales on its body.