Chinese New Year Fans

February 6, 2016 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Chinese New Year is on Monday 8th February, and I’ve been crafting!

This year I’m just making fans, as I still have boxes of lanterns ready to go up next week (here are the instructions for a very simple one). The fans are great fun to assemble, and they sit flat against a wall, rather than requiring a hanging spot in a doorway.

My dining room table is cluttered with angpow wrappers, glue sticks and tassels…

As in previous years, I followed this superb YouTube tutorial by Irene Chua…

. . . . .

The pattern only works with rectangular wrappers. These are often available for free at banks (you might need to ask for them) or can be bought quite cheaply at Chinese grocers. If you can’t find them, you should be able to substitute regular red envelopes (maybe pick up a gold marker as well, so you can decorate them!). The tassels are much harder to source – thankfully my gorgeous cousins in Malaysia send them over for me!

. . . . .

Wishing you all a happy, safe and prosperous Year of the Monkey!

Posted in Food & Friends | 28 Comments

28 Responses

on February 6, 2016 at 8:13 am Heather

All the very best wishes to you Celia in this year of the Monkey
on February 6, 2016 at 8:44 am White House Red Door

Your fans are stunning… so beautiful! Happy New Year!!! 🐒🎉🐒
on February 6, 2016 at 9:13 am Helen

Have a lovely time. I lived in China for a year and so got to celebrate the Chinese New Year there :-)
on February 6, 2016 at 11:08 am lambsearsandhoney

Gong hey fat choy, my clever friend!
on February 6, 2016 at 1:27 pm Cher|cherthatdish

Beautiful fans! What a brilliant decor idea! Hope you’re enjoying all the festivities already! I’ve super glad to be back at my parents relaxing and being pampered with all the delicious food to come! Have a good one, Celia
on February 6, 2016 at 6:25 pm Bronwyn

Gorgeous Celia! A happy and prosperous New Year to you and your family.
on February 6, 2016 at 6:39 pm Chica Andaluza

They’re absolutely gorgeous – we’ll be celebrating as a family as we have done for many. many years! Happy and Prosperous Year of the Monkey to you all :)
on February 6, 2016 at 10:11 pm themateriallady

Very cheerful decorations! Have a wonderful year of the monkey 🐒
on February 6, 2016 at 10:18 pm Becky Ellis

Your fans are gorgeous! Wishing you all the best for a bright New Year!
on February 6, 2016 at 10:37 pm @ChristineSalins (FoodWineTravel)

So clever as always, Celia!
on February 7, 2016 at 12:21 am A Famished Foodie

The fans are beautiful! Happy New Year.
on February 7, 2016 at 1:21 am Cecilia Mary Gunther

Love the red! Happy New Year for the 8th.. c
on February 7, 2016 at 3:05 am ginger and scotch

Happy Chinese New Year Celia! I’m inspired by this artsy post – but I think it’ll take me a few years to source enough envelopes.
on February 7, 2016 at 4:21 am Cecile

You NEVER fail to amaze me – these are lovely!! I have some fans from China and Japan which my husband bought during business trips… but they’re packed away… somewhere. Happy Chinese New Year !!
on February 7, 2016 at 11:20 am elizabeth

Have a great Chinese new year and checed out the you tube she has some beautiful makes there dosent she
on February 7, 2016 at 3:22 pm Jan

Your decorations are so lovely, Celia. We are going to a Chinese friend’s New Year celebration tomorrow night and I often wonder if there is something in particular that it’s appropriate to take as a gift or – more to the point – something culturally inappropriate. I thought about making some of your lanterns but my hands seem to be all fists when I try to do something like that and what it was I managed to make would not be immediately obvious:)
on February 8, 2016 at 2:00 am Liz @ spades, spatulas, and spoons

Very clever! Have a wonderful New Years celebration.
on February 8, 2016 at 6:44 am Debra Kolkka

These look wonderful. Happy New Year to you!
on February 8, 2016 at 3:59 pm ChgoJohn

Beautifully crafted, Celia. Wishing you and yours a wonderful Year of the Monkey!
on February 9, 2016 at 9:26 am lorigreer

How beautiful and how talented you are!
on February 9, 2016 at 6:20 pm Liz - Good Things

Wow Celia darling, you are so so clever. Happy new year xxxxxx
on February 9, 2016 at 6:34 pm Stefanie

Happy Chinese New Year Celia, wishing you health happiness and prosperity to you and your family x
on February 10, 2016 at 1:50 am Karen

You are very talented with all your crafting projects. I hope you had a wonderful celebration yesterday.
on February 10, 2016 at 4:08 am emmabarrett1508

Those fans are absolutely stunning. It cheered me up just looking at them on your blog. I have just posted my IMK for February. Happy Belated Chinese New Year. Emma xx
on February 14, 2016 at 7:41 am Queen Bee

I thought I saw somewhere that it is Scone Week. I DONT want to miss it. Are you still hosting and am I too late? Thanks for your lovely site, your time and consideration in this matter.
- on February 14, 2016 at 8:24 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Scone Week is now run by Tandy at Lavender and Lime. It’s in August each year! Cheers!
  - on February 25, 2016 at 12:01 pm Queen Bee
    
    Thank you Celia, I’m subscribed and looking. Forward to Scone Week. It is on my calendered for August. Is there any particular ingredient or theme?
    - on February 25, 2016 at 12:02 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
      
      Bee, you’ll have to check with Tandy. It’s her show now! And she’s particularly lovely! :)