Awesome Chiense Decoration Ideas

Chinese New Year - you hear it coming even before you see it. Time to get your house ready for the Spring festival, and deck it with traditional Chinese New Year decorations!

For Chinese New Year 2017, why not make your own decorations instead of buying them? We’ve scoured the web and shortlisted 10 of themost popular Chinese New Year decoration ideas. These decorations are not difficult to make, affordable, and have symbolic meaning. Hop over to the next section to learn more about the symbolism behind various decorations, and then try making them yourself!

Popular Chinese New Year Decorations and Their Symbolism
- Chun Lian (Spring couplets): These banners have four characters written on them, and are usually hung or pasted beside doors or above them. Pick couplets with messages of renewal and hope for the new year.
- Paper cuttings: The skillful masters of this craft cut characters like “Fu” (blessings) and beautifully intricate scenes from paper. Take your pick from a wide selection of designs.
- Ang Pows (Red packets): These packets containing money are given to children by their elders, and symbolise continued blessings in life.
- Firecrackers: According to a popular Chinese myth, Nian was a monster that came to devour people every year, so firecrackers were used to frighten it away!
- Live plants: Live plants are popular for welcoming spring. Different plants have different meanings, for example, lucky bamboo plants represent resilience, health, and abundance.
- Fresh flowers: A floral display reiterates the element of Spring. If bought, flowers that bloom on the first day of the festival are doubly auspicious! Cherry, plum blossoms, and pussy willow branches are popular and are often decorated with colourful or red hanging decorations or ribbons. Orchids are chosen for nobility, hyacinth and narcissus for luck, and peonies are symbols of peace and prosperity.
- Fruits: Mandarin oranges and kumquats are popular because of their golden hues. Pile them up in a basket or have a full kumquat plant in a pot in your house to bring in prosperity and good luck.
- Gold coins: Ancient gold coins as well as any representations of money, such as ingots, symbolise wealth.
- Chinese knots: Decorations featuring the looping knot are used as protection against evil as well as to represent longevity.
- Fans: The fan and its pattern are found in many designs because fan in Chinese sounds like “good”.
- Lanterns: As the holiday traditionally lasts 15 days, a lantern festival is held on the last day to mark the end. The light brings luck and is a welcoming sight.
- Animal symbols: Lastly, every year is always represented by a zodiac animal. Try incorporating the new year’s
- Zodiac animal into your Chinese New Year decorations!