Introduce Chinese tradition to your kids with this fun Firecracker craft.

In Chinese culture, firecrackers were used to scare away evil spirits and the legendary man-eating monster, Nian that comes to terrorize the villagers every New Year’s Eve.

Read more about the famous Top 3 Chinese New Year legends here.

It is also a traditional way to welcome Chinese New Year. The loud noises symbolize bidding farewell to the old year and ushering in the new one with a fresh start.

Crafting cardboard firecrackers is the perfect fit for Chinese New Year festivities. Embrace the symbolic colors, red and gold, to signify good luck and prosperity.

This is a safe and eco-friendly way to capture the spirit of the holiday while engaging in a delightful and culturally resonant craft.

How to make cardboard firecrackers:

Materials needed:

• Recycled cereal box
• Red paint
• Gold washi tape
• 4″ x 4″ red paper
• Gold poster board
• 20″ satin ribbon
• Glue gun and sticks
• Scissors
• Paintbrush
• Cricut (optional)
• Pencil
• Fú 福 Chinese character

Instructions:

• Cut the cardboard into six small squares (4 in x 4 in).
• Roll each square and close using hot glue.
• Paint the rolls with red paint.
• Once the paint is dry, attach the gold washi tape on both ends, leaving a small space from the edge.
• Using the Cricut, cut out the 福 Fú character (meaning blessing or good fortune) from the gold poster board.
• Or using scissors and pencil, trace the character first and then cut.
• Glue the 福 to the red paper (at an angle where the red paper will look like a diamond).
• Attach the cardboard rolls to the ribbon alternately starting from the bottom.
• Place the red paper a few inches above the first roll paper. Make sure you have extra ribbon left on the top to tie a knot.

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