theSun Property February 2018

folded out of ang pow through

origami are a common sight in

many homes during the CNY

festive season.

This year, add some heart

shapes into the mix with this simple

tutorial from “HowAbout Orange”

blogger Jessica Jones. Instead of

plain red paper, use old ang pow

cut out into heart shapes, with a

deep slit partway down the middle.

The slit should then be rolled

back and the edges glued or stapled

together to form a 3D heart. Cut

and fold a few in varying sizes, stick

them up on the wall and you’ll even

have a perfect backdrop for those

reunion dinner photos!

FRESH BLOOMS

Kumquat trees, plum blossoms,

orchids, peonies and peach

blossoms are just some of the

flowered plants usually found

scattered throughout the home

during CNY. Kumquats symbolise

wealth and good luck, while the

rest mark the beginning of spring.

theSun ON FRIDAY

JANUARY05,2018

Double

reflection

>A fusion of Valentine’s Day and ChineseNewYear decor

HERE

are two reasons to don

the colour red at home this

month: Valentine’s Day and

Chinese NewYear (CNY).

Every fewyears, the two

celebrations – one of love, the other

involving family – fall within a few

days of the other.

Besides the traditional red hues

that reflect the Chinese festivity

and the romantic pinks and

crimson communicating love and

hinting of Valentine’s Day, here are

some other ways to dress up the

home without getting too carried

away with a little too much of red:

DINING SET

Whether you’re hosting a reunion

dinner or a gathering of loved ones,

the common space that gathers

guests at both celebrations would

be the dining table.

It is advisable to stow away that

deep red tablecloth and instead go

for a homey, more romantic setting

with a do-it-yourself (DIY) xoxo-

painted tablecloth by “walk in

love”. Armed with just a paintbrush

and acrylic or fabric paint of your

desired colour, paint big Xs and Os

onto a basic cotton material. Start

from the corner to create a neat

row or “follow your heart” and

paint them on however you wish.

Leave it to dry before throwing it

over the table.

Amore private sit-down dinner

setting can be a given a simple

boost of elegance by incorporating

table napkins into the decoration.

The simple tutorial from “One

Kings Lane” shows how, with a few

triangular folds, a heart-shaped

napkin is made, to be placed at each

seat of the table. However, hosts

may want something more

challenging and choose to fold

napkins into little rosettes instead.

For bigger parties, it is better to

use serving dishes in hues of red

and pink or with floral designs for a

slight Valentine’s day feel.

SPELL IT OUT

If you constantly scroll Facebook

or Instagram, you would have seen

party photos with inflated letter foil

balloons in the background. This

party trend is simply a variation on

the home decor trend of spelling

out words of significance using

colourful wooden blocks on full

display at entryways or living

rooms. “Love” is one of the most

ALYSSA J. OON

PHOTO: WWW.ONEKINGSLANE.COM

PHOTO: BLOG.LULUS.COM

PHOTO: HOWABOUTORANGE.BLOGSPOT.MY

common words spelled out when it

comes to this trend, which makes it

a perfect piece of decoration or

“talking piece” for Valentine’s Day.

Fashion blog “LuLus.com” gives a

“fresh” take by cutting out the top

of the paper-mached letters and

filling the insides with faux flowers.

Look for faux chrysanthemums or

peonies in pink, red or gold, which

are commonly used in CNY

decoration for its auspicious

significance.

Incorporate a collage of family

photos into the display by using

the decoupage method on the

letter “O”. Alternatively, switch out

the “O” for a heart-shaped block for

a bigger collage but bear in mind

that the block will have to lean on

its side. So, plan the collage layout

beforehand. Homeowners can also

choose to spell out their family

name instead, for a more family-

oriented display.

FORTUNE FOLDING

Fishes, flowers and even lanterns

Often, these plants sit in boring

clay pots because the plants are

mere symbols rather than actual

decoration.

By simply dressing up the pots,

the overall festive look is elevated.

In “Brit + Co” art director Lee

Schellenberger’s tutorial, mini

vases are spray-painted in gold,

red and pink and complemented

with festive wishes written with

paint pens. The resulting product

has a modern, subtle Valentine’s

day feel. “ANight Owl” blogger

Kimberly Sneed on the other hand,

has a tutorial that uses multi-

surface paint to slap on a large

heart in the front of a pot and a

strip along the rim of the pot.

The tutorial can be adapted for

larger potted plants, by wrapping

the pot in burlap or canvas to

imitate the texture of Sneed’s jiffy

pots. Complete the look with

leftover 3D ang pow hearts and

you have yourself the perfect CNY

cumV-Day photo op setting.

LIGHT UP

Once an integral source of light,

now lanterns are mostly on

display for decorative purposes.

As the new year arrives, deep red

lanterns are hung at entrances of

homes in preparation of the

upcoming house parties and

gatherings. Throw in lanterns in

varied shades of pink and red for a

fusion celebration. Using lanterns

with cute heart designs wouldn’t

hurt as well. Including paper

pompoms interspersed between

the lanterns make for a great

backdrop and bring about a more

playful mood.

Some households may prefer

to stay away fromwhite-coloured

lanterns during an auspicious time,

but those brave enough to try

may opt for patterned white

lanterns instead.

Take this tutorial fromChristy

of “One Handspun Day”, which

uses fabric scraps, acrylic paint as

well as lace and ribbon trimmings

to create a whimsical paper lantern

that has hints of “old Shanghai

glamour”. Even if you’re not

celebrating either occasion, these

tweaks to the home interior scene

can bring some much needed

colour, vibe and cheer amid our

unforgiving weather.

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theSun ON FRIDAY

FEBRUARY9,2018