DIY Goat Year Red Packets (Part 1)

[Part 2]

In Chinese and other Asian societies, a red envelope, red packet or hongbao (angpow) is a monetary gift which is given during Chinese New Year or special occasions such as weddings, the birth of baby or graduation. To know more about red packet can read at Wikipedia.

In this year, I send my Chinese New Year greeting through my DIY red packets but not through card. First, I tried doing a sample of red packet by using used white paper first so that it will not waste.

Then, I tried drawing some lines on white paper as for folding red packet purpose. I draw it according to the size of greeting paper that I wish to put in the packet. After that, I use it (white paper) to photocopy to red paper so that I can start to fold it. 

It’s time to fold the red packet. 

As you can see, I just draw lines for half page whiles the other page; I cut it accordingly to the size of the other page (page with line). 

After cut it accordingly, continued with paste the red packet accordingly with glue. 

After made a red packet, it’s time for do some decoration. I plan to write some words on it. As I scared my words will not same in size so I tried draw some line on red packet so that I can control the size of my word. If not, you will see 2 words big and 2 words small. Haha..

I write the words using marker pen instead of Chinese writing brush as using marker pen easier. 

Write the word was not so easy because the head of marker pen is thick so need to write carefully. If not, the word cannot see clearly. Example “安”that the “女”need to write clearly as sometime the thick of head pen will made the center of “女”cover with black ink.

At the bottom of the words on red packet, I put the walking sheep. As I cannot find the sheep sticker so I made myself by draw it first and scan to computer then paste the scan sheep at Microsoft Word for few times and print it out.

As the sheep only black and white so I color all the sheep with different color.

After finished coloring, I cut all the sheep out by using scissors. 

Then, I paste the sheep at the bottom of the word that I written with draw some walking path of sheep.

My drawing of sheep

At the front of red packet has words and sheep are not enough so I plan paste some butterfly on it so it looks cheerful.

I use butterfly craft puncher and pattern origami papers to punch out many butterfly. Then, start to stick the butterfly with free style on red packet.

How about the back of the red packet? 

I had used free online barcode generator to do my own barcode. It is so easy to make it, just type the text that you wish to appear on barcode. You also can further customize your barcode by select “advanced options”.

Same as sheep, I copy and paste my own barcode for many times in Microsoft Word and print it out to paste on red packet. 

Besides barcode, I had drawn gold bullion and scan, copy, paste and print it out. 

After print it out, I had color gold bullion with yellow color. The gold bullion also sticks on red packet as seal.

My drawing of gold bullion

That’s all for part 1 and will continue more on part 2.