Craft: How to make Chinese paper cuts

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Chinese paper cuts of a rabbit, dragon and horse.

What is Chinese paper cutting?

Chinese paper cuts (jiǎn zhǐ) are used to decorate (zhuāng shì) windows during the Chinese New Year (Chūn Jié).

They are usually red (hóng sè de) because the colour red symbolises happiness (kuài lè) and good luck (hǎo yùn).

Chinese paper cuts of a rabbit, dragon and horse.

How do you make Chinese paper cuts?

A4 card, safety scissors and coloured pens or pencils.

You will need:

  • a sheet of A4 thin card (kǎ piàn)
  • a pair of safety scissors (jiǎn dāo)
  • coloured pens (shuǐ cǎi bǐ) or pencils (qiān bǐ)

Instructions:

  1. Print out (dǎ yìn) the template onto an A4 sheet of thin card.

  2. Colour in the template - try adding in some red.

  3. Carefully cut (jiǎn) along the dotted lines.

If you don't have a printer, why not try cutting your own shape?

Image gallerySkip image gallerySlide1 of 3, Print out the template onto an A4 sheet of thin card., Step 1

Click below to download the instructions and template

Key Mandarin words

MandarinPinyinEnglish
Chūn JiéChinese New Year
hǎo yùngood luck
hóng sè dered
hóu zimonkey
jiǎn zhǐpaper cuts
kuài lèhappiness
lǎo shǔrat
lóngdragon
horse
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