Thursday, September 8, 2011

China crafts: Mooncatcher

In honor of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, we made a mooncatcher to join our Peruvian suncatcher. 
 

The Mid-Autumn festival is one of the most important Chinese festivals of the year.  It is a celebration of harvest, honoring the Moon Goddess Chang E.  Festivities go on for a couple of weeks, and are at their peak on the night of the full moon.  People eat mooncakes and other moon-shaped foods like pomelos.  Families have moonlight picnics, lanterns in hand.   

Supplies:
  • chopped crayons (we used white, purple and blue)
  • construction paper (same colors)
  • two wax paper circles
  • an iron and a dishtowel
  • scissors
  • glue sticks

 Step One: Sprinkle the crayon bits on one of the wax paper circles.  Cover it with the other wax paper circle.

Step Two: Put the wax paper sandwich in a dishtowel and iron it.  Press the iron down for a couple of seconds all over the paper, until the crayons have melted.

That's the inside of your moon.  

Step Three: For the outside, cut a circle with a hole in the middle out of construction paper.  Cut other decorations.  We used craft scissors that made a wavy designs.  The Whirl Girl cut some shapes herself and I cut out a couple of crescents.

Step Four: Glue it all together.  

Hang it in a window!  The center becomes lit up by sun (or moon) light.  


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