Chinese New Year 2018: Malaysia Version Dog Ema

[2015:Goat] [2016: Monkey] [2017: Rooster]

Ema (絵馬, lit. "picture-horse") are small wooden plaques, common to Japan, in which Shinto and Buddhist worshippers write prayers or wishes. The ema are left hanging up at the shrine, where the kami (spirits or gods) are believed to receive them. Typically 15 cm wide and 9 cm high, they often carry images or are shaped like animals, or symbols from the zodiac, Shinto, or the particular shrine or temple. In ancient times people would donate horses to the shrines for good favor; over time this was transferred to a wooden plaque with a picture of a horse, and later still to the various wooden plaques sold today for the same purpose. Once inscribed with a wish, Ema are hung at the shrine until they are ritually burned at special events, symbolic of the liberation of the wish from the writer.

My Malaysia version of dog ema is slightly smaller than real ema. Besides that the real ema in wood but I made it to manila card. Hope my friends will not burn the ema that I gave them. Hehe..

First, I found the silhouette of dog that I want and print it out in sticker paper. After that, stick on origami paper and cut it accordingly.

I types the words of couplets on Microsoft Word and print on red color paper.

Then, I draw the ema size that I want and cut it. I use it as reference to cut entire ema at manila card.

After that, I sticked the dog silhouette and couplets on ema.

I punch a hole on top of ema so that I can tied a string through it.

At the back of ema, I stamp using my own stamp and write some words.