Get crafty for festive decor

It is that time of the year when auspicious-coloured decorations in every hue of red, gold and orange go on sale at stores and markets.

But if you want something different this Chinese New Year, ditch the store-bought decor and check out these bespoke products that some indie retailers are making.

Some of them, such as Mr Jeffrey Eng, are traditionalists who are keeping heritage alive.

The 55-year-old learnt the art of making red banners for doors from his father.

He can also make cushion covers and table runners with embroidered motifs.

Then there are young people such as Ms Kerine Chun and Mr Jerald Hui who are putting a new spin on old traditions.

Instead of writing auspicious sayings on red paper, their bespoke decor and gifts business KCottageStudio is offering laser-cut acrylic or wood plaques with these Chinese characters.

The Straits Times talks to these artisans to find out more about their offerings.

From hongbao to lantern

Every Chinese New Year, Madam Gladys Tan, 53, collects hongbao and turns them into beautiful lanterns for the festive season.

In her hands, the red packets become fish, which symbolise abundance; bottle gourds, an icon of good health and fertility; and spheres, which are perfectly round and symbolise having a bountiful year.

The taiji instructor says: "I'm sure every household would have many leftover hongbao.

This is my way of making use of them. In a way, it's also recycling - less paper wastage and I can make something new out of it."

Two decades ago, she decided to pick up the art from handicraft shops in Chinatown and Ang Mo Kio.

The stores sold paper to make lanterns and decorative accessories such as threads and plastic flowers. Customers had to buy a lantern kit to get a lantern-making lesson.

To improve her skills, she also bought lantern-making books.

When the Internet came about, she went online to watch tutorials for inspiration for more elaborate pieces.

Besides hongbao, the materials needed to make a lantern are easy to get: a stapler, glue, tassels, beads and small plastic flowers to decorate it.

In the early days, her lanterns were more traditional in style, with rounded bodies, gold trimmings and red tassels.

Through the years, she has updated the look and uses hongbao with different hues such as pink and orange.

The folds of the lantern are also more intricate.

For example, she can assemble a flower-shaped lantern with layered petals or make a basket out of the envelopes.

She makes these lanterns for her family and friends and has received rave reviews. "They like it because they have never seen lanterns like these and no one else has them."

Three years ago, she decided to become a registered trainer with the People's Association (PA) to teach the skill to others.

She conducts one-hour classes under the PA's Course Xpress initiative at various community centres.

There are still some classes that will be held before Chinese New Year.

These sessions usually

have 10 to 15 participants each and also draw people of other races.

Madam Tan, whose only daughter sometimes helps out with lantern- making in her spare time, says: "You don't have to make these lanterns just for a festive season. Lots of people just like to learn and make something new."

Floral pineapple a fun piece for tables

The pineapple plant is popular during Chinese New Year because "ong lai", the Hokkien name for pineapple, sounds like "prosperity has come" - making the fruit a symbol of luck.

But some may find using the pineapple plant as a display piece a little too wild for the indoors. So a florist has created a Prosperity Pineapple floral arrangement that makes for a unique table centrepiece.

The arrangement is shaped like a pineapple and the yellow body is made of chrysanthemums stuck to a foam centre.

The crown is made from Dracaena reflexa, or the Song of India plant.

It is the brainchild of Madam Lee Ai Tit, 62, florist-owner of Wood Flower Cottage in Siglap Centre, who started selling the floral piece last year.

Previously, she had made them to give friends and family during the festive period.

The Prosperity Pineapple comes in two sizes: A 20cm-tall one costs $100 and has a flower arrangement around it while a 10cm-tall version, which costs $80, is placed in a red pot.

This year, she and her daughter Alice Kwah have also added a "parent-child version" that pairs the tall and short "pineapples" together.

Originally, Madam Lee had toyed with the idea of making arrangements shaped like a mandarin orange or pomelo - other popular fruits during Chinese New Year - but settled on the pineapple.

On the Prosperity Pineapple, Ms Kwah, 38, says: "The pineapple has leaves coming out at the top that make it look like the fruit is wearing a king's crown. There's a sense of grandeur to it, which makes it a good centrepiece."

Ms Kwah left her corporate job last March to help her mother at the shop and promotes the business on social media.

Before she arranges the flowers, Madam Lee soaks the chrysanthemums in water to harden the stems so that they can pierce the foam structure more easily.

The shop has already received 10 orders this year for the floral pineapples.

The arrangements can last for about 10 to 14 days and need to be misted every four days.

While this may seem like a small order, Madam Lee says it takes some time to make each one.

A 20cm-tall arrangement takes her about 11/2 hours. Last year, she made 20 arrangements.

Ms Kwah says the Prosperity Pineapple, which is a "twist" on the traditional festive plant, is not for everyone.

Those who prefer something classic-looking will usually opt for plants such as orchids.

She says: "This piece is more like the Vivienne Westwood of Chinese New Year plants - it's fun and quirky.

Prosperous welcome with a family plaque

Chinese New Year does not feel complete without auspicious sayings or lucky characters adorning walls or the front door.

Often set against a red or gold background, popular options include "fu" - the Chinese character which means blessings - hung upside down; or "xing fu", which means happiness and bliss.

But some home owners may want blessings around the home without loud colours and tacky fonts.

If so, bespoke decor and gifts company KCottageStudio has come up with a chic solution: a name plaque that combines auspicious Chinese characters with a family's surname.

For example, a customer with the surname Chen can order a piece with the characters "fu dao chen jia", which translates to "fortune arrives at the Chen house".

The plaques, which are made of acrylic or wood, are laser-cut using an industrial machine.

There are six designs so far, including "extras" such as faux peonies and cherry blossoms to add to the background.

Prices start at $45.

KCottageStudio's founder Kerine Chun, 28, hopes these modern designs will appeal to a younger crowd. "You can leave it up the whole year. There isn't an overtly Chinese New Year feel to the plaques."

In 2014, she first experimented making objects with a laser-cutting machine she bought from China.

First, she made cake toppers, then went on to create larger signs for weddings and events.

The business became good enough for her to quit her job as an analyst at a bank.

In 2015, she roped in Mr Jerald Hui, 29, her secondary school and polytechnic mate, who left his job as an insurance broker.

Together, they now work out of an industrial space in Sembawang, where they have two laser-cutting machines.

Once the wood or acrylic is cut, they sand it down and spray-paint it, depending on what the customers want.

Their first hit was their wooden Christmas wreaths last year, which allowed the English names of the family members to be incorporated into the design.

Later, they ventured into making Chinese New Year decorations and used Chinese words.

Clients can also opt for a fully customised design.

For example, for the upcoming Chinese New Year, a customer has ordered a wood plaque shaped like an ancient coin, with a hole in the middle and traditional fonts for the Chinese characters inscribed on it.

Mr Hui says: "There is almost no limit to what you can design. It's boring to pick something up from the store."

For more information, go to www.kcottagestudio.com

natashaz@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Jan 14, 2017.
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