Chinese New Year has always held a special place in my heart. Growing up in Malaysia, we celebrated for 15 joyful days, visiting relatives, sharing home-cooked meals, hearing the laughter of cousins filling the house, and receiving red envelopes from elders with warm wishes for the year ahead. It was a time when everything felt bright, hopeful, and full of possibility.
Even though I now celebrate it far from where I grew up, those memories stay with me. Folding paper during this season feels like reconnecting with that part of my childhood.
This year we welcome the Year of the Horse, a symbol of strength, energy, freedom, and perseverance. I hope the year ahead brings you courage to move forward boldly, and the momentum to chase the things that matter most to you.
To celebrate, I folded this adorable Origami Horse Box designed by Jannie van Schuylenburg. I love how playful and charming it looks, and it makes such a sweet little gift box, perfect for holding small treats or lucky coins during the festive season. Here are a few photos of the one I folded.
If you’d like to make one yourself, please visit her YouTube channel for wonderful the step-by-step video tutorial here (click this link).
I also folded a cute origami horse by Paper Kawaii. It’s simple and cute, and perfect for festive decorations. To make it extra special, I created my own red envelope to attach the horse onto, turning it into a small handmade Chinese New Year red envelope.
Both the horse and the envelope were folded from a 15cm x 15cm square paper. I made the envelope just the right size to hold the horse. You can watch my short video below to see how I folded the red envelope, and I’ve also shared the full horse tutorial from Paper Kawaii here (click this link) if you’d like to fold one too.
Chinese New Year lasts for 15 days, and for me it will always be a season of renewal, gratitude, and hope. No matter where we are in the world, traditions have a beautiful way of travelling with us.
If you celebrate Chinese New Year, I’d love to know — what traditions do you keep? And if you try folding one of these horses, please let me know in the comments. It always makes me so happy to see your creations.
Gong Xi Fa Cai 🧧 Wishing you a joyful, peaceful, and prosperous Year of the Horse.