Embrace the Chinese New Year with these creative ideas

07 Feb 2024

Beginning on February 10^th, Chinese New Year is an annual festival that begins with the new moon. It is a time to celebrate loved ones and new hopes for the future. This year is the year of the dragon, and while we may not have many dragon inspired ideas, if you’re looking to infuse a little wonderful Chinese culture into your home, we’ve got some brilliant Resene wallpapers and DIYs that will do the trick!

Porcelain and patterns

Immerse your bedroom in the timeless elegance of this Chinese-inspired wallpaper design, where delicate florals and intricate porcelain patterns come together to create a harmonious ambiance. The dusky pink backdrop of Resene Wallpaper Collection 333143 (left) adds a touch of warmth, infusing the space with a gentle and soothing atmosphere. The floral motifs, inspired by traditional Chinese art, gracefully dance across the wallpaper, bringing nature's beauty indoors.

In the dining room (right), a sophisticated transformation unfolds with the dark blue shade of Resene Wallpaper Collection 333145, exuding richness and depth. This deep hue serves as a dramatic canvas for the design, showcasing intricate detailing. The interplay of dark blue and porcelain elements creates a luxurious and refined setting, turning your dining area into a space of opulence and grace. Together, these Chinese-inspired wallpaper designs seamlessly blend tradition and modernity, enhancing the aesthetic appeal of your home.

Lucky lantern

This DIY lantern stand will help brighten up your backyard. Since the very first paper lanterns were made over 2000 thousand years ago, they've become ubiquitous in Chinese culture and around the world, particularly in times of celebration. They represent family gathering and a brighter future and can also symbolise people letting go of the past and creating new goals for the year ahead.

The colour of the new year is almost always red to symbolise good fortune, and this red lantern stand painted in Resene Bullseye will stand out amongst your garden greenery. Try to find some red lanterns to match, but if you can’t you can always paint over the lantern frame in your desired Resene red.

Click here to make your own lantern.

A gift of fortune

Give a gift of fortune and luck with these DIY Chinese New Year envelopes. Celebrate Chinese New Year and give a gift to loved ones with these lucky DIY red envelopes. In Chinese culture, red is considered the colour of luck. Often when the new year arrives, red outfits are worn to visit relatives and friends, to exchange blessings and gifts. Children will often receive red paper envelopes filled with cash notes symbolising that bad luck is driven away and good fortune is passed on. We used Resene Red Berry and Resene Red Hot to paint ours, but there are many more Resene reds you can try too.

Click here for steps.

Published: 07 Feb 2024