Classroom Activities

Make a Chinese Gift Packet

Instead of presents as in the West, the Chinese give gifts of money at Chinese New Year, at weddings and birthdays. The money is usually placed in a red packet/envelope decorated with an appropriate symbol, greeting or lucky sign, like the one pictured on the right.

To make your own Chinese gift packet you will need:

• a sheet of red paper
• scissors
• paper glue

First, click here for an outline graphic of the red packet. Print this onto a sheet of red paper, or if you don't have any red paper print it onto white paper and colour it in red . Cut out the packet and fold it along the dotted lines, folding in the direction away from the printed Chinese characters (if you want to make your packet particularly nice, you can paint the characters with gold paint). Straighten the packet out again, and turn it over so you are looking at the side without the characters, as in the diagram below.

Now fold over flap A and apply a little glue along its right edge. Fold over flap B and press it firmly onto the glued edge of flap A. Apply a little glue to flap C and press it firmly onto flap B.

You now have your Chinese gift packet! Flap D is the flap of the envelope and a little glue can be applied to seal it- but don't forget to put your gift money inside first!