Chinese New Year Decoration

How to make firecrackers (not real ones) that will last several years:

First, you need a willing helper.

You also need Mod Podge (or white glue), paint brushes, toilet paper rolls and red tissue paper.

 

Paint the toilet paper roll with the Mod Podge, then wrap a piece of tissue paper around it.  Paint the tissue. 

 

While it dries, you can store your brushes and glue like this, so you don't waste the glue or waste time cleaning out brushes between steps.

When the first step is dry, cut a piece of tissue paper to cover one end.  You will want it to overlap.  Try to look bored, as Luci shows you here.

 

Paint it with the glue, and paint the sides where the paper hangs down--cover it well.

 

I added a second layer of Mod Podge to make this sturdier.  Be sure to let it all dry between coats.

Poke a  little hole in the center, and stick a short piece of yarn into the hole.  Put some of the glue around the little hole and use the paintbrush to apply glue to the inside, where the yarn pokes through.

We found some Chinese characters

and some stickers (I could not find and dragon stickers, boo hoo) and decorated the firecrackers.

Tape a length of yarn in the open end of the firecracker for hanging.

Decorate!

Ta-Dah!

I think they turned out nicely!

Characters came from this site.