While I may not be the craftiest person around, I do love crafts! I started hosting craft-ernoons last spring at our branch for tweens on Wednesday afternoons and for families during the summer. They’ve been well received, so I’ve hosted it during official school breaks, and plan to run another spring series later this year. I like to keep the weekly craft different, as it helps create interest in the program. In the past we’ve done terracotta pot painting, Model Magic® clay sculpting, DIY journals, mini canvas painting,friendship bracelets, watercolor painting, bookmark making, and that’s not even the full list!
For mid-winter break this year (Presidents Day week) I wanted to do something a little different. Our craft-ernoon falls on Tuesday, February 17, the start of the Lunar New Year (also known as Chinese New Year, Tết, Seollal, and Spring Festival depending on the region), with this year being the year of the horse. I wanted to incorporate the celebration of this holiday with our craft-ernoon. As a Mexican American, I do not come from a culture that celebrates the Lunar New Year. How can I make sure to accurately and respectfully present this program in a way that is reflective of the experience of our patrons? It’s a big ask. So, here’s what I’ve been doing to prepare for this program.
Fai Chun (挥春)
Fai Chun (挥春) are traditional decorations that are used during the Lunar New Year. Often placed at the entrance of your home, they include phrases of good luck and prosperity. There are three types of Fai Chun that vary in shape and content: Doufang, Chuntiao, and Chunlian. One of the most common decorations seen is that of the doufang “fu” (福), meaning ‘fortune’ or ‘good luck’. I wanted to incorporate the doufang into our craft-ernoon but wasn’t sure how. So, I did what any Gen Z member would do: consult TikTok.
Creative Ways to Recycle Red Envelopes for New Year | TikTok
Typing in Lunar New Year Crafts, this video came in as one of the results. Jennifer (@jenniferyungart) shows us how to reuse red envelopes to create decorations for the Lunar New Year. Using my own red envelopes that I had accumulated over the years I recreated the craft and made a large size example that smaller hands would be able to handle.
(Picture by Maria Leon-Roman)
My colleague Michelle, who is a wizard on the Cricut machine, created the “fu”characters (and many other embellishments) for the craft. I also purchased decorative red scrapbook paper that I cut into strips that families can use to weave their own doufang during the program.
Red Envelopes (红包)
Red Envelopes (hongbao in Mandarin and laisee in Cantonese) are a gift of money given during holidays or for special occasions that symbolize good luck, prosperity and good wishes. While brainstorming craft ideas, Michelle sent me this video posted by Buzzfeed showcasing @miss_qi_vous creating lanterns made by red envelopes.
I recreated the craft using just scissors and couldn’t get them as round as Vicky (@miss_qi_vous) but decided that it would be a fun craft for any older kiddos that come to the craft-ernoon, as there is more folding and cutting involved.
(Picture by Maria Leon-Roman.)
Final Thoughts
You might have noticed that I leaned more heavily on the Chinese interpretation of the Lunar New Year. This was on purpose, as a large portion of the Asian/Asian American community we serve at our branch consists of Mandarin speakers.
When creating programs that fall outside of your cultural knowledge, it’s important to look towards that community for guidance. I feel confident in these crafts, as both creators are from communities that celebrate the Lunar New Year. I also spoke to people in my inner circle who are from these communities as well to make sure that these crafts resonated. I look forward to seeing how both crafts are received on a cultural and accessibility level.
Have any questions about hosting craft-ernoon? Do you have a similar experience creating a program that’s outside of your culture? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!
Wishing you all a wonderful Lunar New Year! 新年快乐! 恭喜发财!
References:
- Chinese New Year Red Envelopes. Envelopes New Zealand. (2025, November 1) https://www.envelopespackaging.co.nz/chinese-new-year-red-envelopes.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqE2UAHwh2fHmlyExpIyis87whqHh0CujNNnZI_3ezuTWr5jyee
- “Fai Chun (揮春),” Chinese Calligraphy, accessed January 29, 2026, https://learning.hku.hk/ccch9051/group-24/items/show/32
- Lam , M. (2018, January 31) Spreading joy through the Chinese New Year Custom of Fai Chun: Cathay. Cathay Pacific. https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_ZA/inspiration/hong-kong/chinese-new-year-custom-of-fai-chun.html
Maria Leon-Roman is a Children’s Services Librarian at the Seattle Public Library (SPL). Her childhood love of books and libraries inspired her to try to apply for a library job at the age of 8. She eventually got hired as a Student Assistant at age 17 and has spent the last 11 years working through the ranks at SPL. She is currently serving as co-chair of the ALSC Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee. Outside of work, Maria loves to play video games, bake, and obsess over her dog, Simón.