Chinese New Year Ang Bao Firecrackers

“Tong Tong Chiang, Tong Tong Chiang, Tong Tong Chiang Tong Tong, Tong Tong Chiang.” Whenever this Chinese song 恭喜发财 is played on the radio, you know that we are going to celebrate Chinese New Year soon!

Going back to ancient Chinese New Year history, the nian monster would come out of its hiding place to feed on people and animals. To prevent this from happening, the villagers used firecrackers and fireworks to scare the monster away. They also believe that firecrackers and fireworks are used to drive away evil.

A quick fact about firecrackers in Singapore – since August 1972, there has been a total ban on firecrackers after an explosion that killed two people. Since 2003, they are only allowed to be set off under strict control by government organizations or the tourism board during the festive season.

Since we can’t use firecrackers in Singapore, many people will buy or make their own firecracker display for their home to scare the evil away. Some shop-bought firecracker displays will even come with battery-operated firecracker sounds!

It is easy to make this firecracker display but it does take a lot of time to make it. I have used this coin lantern display method to make the top. I did make a few alterations. You can also use a wall wreath display or even a number eight display for this craft. It is open to any combination. Be creative!

It measures approximately 18 cm by 60 cm by 5 cm, not including the length of the Chinese knot tassel and red string. It is straightforward to make and I am rating the difficulty 3.5 out of 5, which should take roughly an hour to complete. This craft will work well with thin red ang baos. It will be easier to roll them into tube shapes. If you are using thick ang baos, the ang baos might rip around the corners which can be quite unsightly. Also, it will be more difficult to thread them up.

To make this, you will require:

• 30 rectangle ang baos / red envelopes (approx. 7.6 cm by 11.5 cm)
• Stapler & staples
• 50 – 60 cm red string
• Chinese knot tassel
• Double-sided tape
• Bubble milk tea straw/rolling pin
• Thick needle and red sewing string

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Fold the ang bao into half horizontally and press it down.

   

2. Fold all four corners of the ang bao inwards. Make sure that you fold the front of the ang bao inwards to the back of the ang bao. Repeat for the rest of the 7 ang baos.

   

3. Staple 4 ang baos for the front of the lantern as shown.

   

4. Staple 4 ang baos for the back of the lantern as shown.

   

5. Join the front and back of the craft by stapling it as shown (like a V-shape).

   
   

6. Now you have completed the coin lantern. Tie a knot on the red string, place it inside the coin lantern and staple it to secure it.

   

7. Place double-sided tape on the back of 21 ang baos.

   

8. Roll the ang baos using the bubble milk straw. If you don’t have the straw, use something similar to roll, like a small rolling pin.

9. Peel off the cover on the double-sided tape and stick the end of the ang bao to make a roll. Repeat the rest of 11 ang baos.

10. Staple the top and bottom ends of the ang baos. I like to staple them to ensure they are secured.

    

11. Now thread the firecrackers together. First, tie a knot at the end of your stitching thread and thread the first firecracker. I do not have red colour thread hence using purple colour. Nevertheless, the thread should not be seen.

    

12. Follow with the next firecracker. I thread it on one side of the ang bao and place them neatly as shown.

    
    
    

13. Once finished, tie a knot and make a loop.

    

14. Now thread both ends of the firecrackers. I didn’t want the firecrackers to move or be placed messily, hence I stitched them up to stop them from moving. You can use glue instead if you don’t want to thread it. I do find glue can get quite messy. Or you can try hot gun glue – once the glue dries, you can use scissors to trim any loose glue around the ang baos.

    
    

15. Place a folded ang bao into the loop as shown.

    
    

16. Staple the folded ang bao onto the bottom of the coin lantern.

    

17. Place the Chinese knot tassel at the bottom of the firecrackers.

    

So what do you think of this ang bao firecracker display? It does not look hard but took a while to thread them all in order. If you have younger children, you might want to try out a much simpler firecracker craft instead. Don’t forget to check out the rest of my Chinese New Year crafts!

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