Session overview:
20 minutes Object based learning
Crafting Luck: Exploring Tradition Through the Chinese 福 Symbol
Objectives:
The session is designed to introduces the cultural significance of the 福 character in Chinese New Year traditions through a hands-on paper-cutting activity, encouraging reflection on how craft connects culture, identity, and community.
- Understand the cultural significance of the 福 (Fu) character and the universal role of paper craft in different cultures
- Creating your own customised 福 decoration: Using paper cutting craft
- Discussion: Symbols, Paper cutting craft in your culture
Materials Provided:
- Red paper
- Decorative stickers, Traditional Chinese symbols for good luck
- Dry flowers
- Scissors and pens
Session Plan:
(Slides provided)
Introduction of the session (5 minutes):
Opened with a question: “What does luck mean to you?”
Showcase the FU paper cutting objects (Handmade & Manufactured)
Explained the 福 (Fu) character’s meaning and its connection to prosperity and good fortune.
Shared the tradition of placing 福 on doors, and the upside-down version meaning “fortune arrives” (倒福).
Highlighted global crafting traditions (e.g., Papel Picado in Mexico, Rangoli in India) to establish a cross-cultural connection.
The act of preparing decorations like the 福 character is not just about the object itself but the shared experience of creating it. It brings families and communities together, fostering connection and belonging.
Step by step demonstration (8- 10 minutes):
Provided step-by-step guidance on how to fold and cut the paper to reveal the 福 character. (Handout with step-by-step instructions provided and visual slides demonstration)
Explained key techniques and tips for clean paper cutting.
Showed an example of a finished paper-cut 福 to set expectations.
Customisation:
Question: While you making Can you recall a time when making or creating something brought your family or community together? How did it make you feel?
Participants cut out their own 福 characters.
Encouraged personalisation with decorations (gold pens, stickers, dried flowers, Year of the Snake symbols). Discussed the theme of crafting as a family,community activity, prompting reflection on similar traditions in their cultures.
Reflection & Discussion (5 minutes)
Participants shared their finished 福 characters and their thoughts on the process.
Asked reflection questions:
“What other traditions involve making decorations or crafts together?”
“How does crafting create a sense of connection or continuity in your culture?”
Concluded with a key message: Crafting is more than making—it’s about storytelling, tradition, and passing down cultural identity.
What happened in the session:
We were given 20 minutes to deliver an object-based learning experience for five peers. I introduced traditional Chinese paper cutting, a craft deeply associated with Chinese New Year—the biggest festival in China. To provide cultural context, I encouraged participants to reflect on the meaning of luck in their own lives: What does luck mean to you? Are there any colours or traditions that bring your community together? I also highlighted that paper crafting is not unique to Chinese culture; rather, it is a universal language of celebration, fostering connection and belonging across different cultures.
We spent approximately 13 minutes on the actual crafting process, during which I aimed to inspire conversation about traditions that bring families and communities together. As participants followed the step-by-step paper-cutting process, I facilitated discussions that encouraged them to think beyond the object itself and focus on the shared experience of creating it.
The crafting process was a key part of the learning experience, as it engaged participants in cultural traditions beyond just verbal explanations. By physically cutting and customising their own 福 characters, participants were able to connect with the symbolism behind the craft in a more personal way. This hands-on engagement aligns with Schultz’s (2012) observation that “interaction with artefacts deepens students’ learning” (as cited in Hardie, 2019, p. 185). The act of making transformed the object from a simple decoration into a cultural learning tool, allowing participants to experience tradition through direct interaction rather than passive observation.
After cutting out their 福 (Fu) character, they customised and decorated it using traditional Chinese symbols, which added a personal and emotional attachment to the object. This aspect of the activity allowed them to express their creativity while further engaging with the cultural significance of the craft.
However, I ran out of time for a group reflection discussion, which led to valuable feedback on time management and the need to better balance crafting and conversation.
Reflection and feedback:
One key strength of the session was the multi-sensory approach to teaching. I provided both a handout with step-by-step instructions and visual slides to accommodate different learning styles, ensuring accessibility for all participants. This was particularly beneficial for those unfamiliar with Chinese traditions, as it gave them a structured way to follow along. Additionally, monitoring the group’s progress, offering tailored guidance, and encouraging active participation helped maintain engagement. The discussion portion also stood out, as participants shared their own cultural traditions, allowing for meaningful cross-cultural dialogue.
However, some feedback suggested that I could have minimised the use of slides and relied more on the object itself to tell the story. While I believe slides help structure the session and support different learners, I acknowledge that focusing more on direct interaction with the 福 character could enhance engagement, as trusting the object itself to drive learning. As cited in Hardie (2019), “Objects can be particularly stimulating in relation to learning processes when handled and studied closely. Objects can act to ground abstract experiences, can enable recall of knowledge, and can arouse curiosity.” (Hooper-Greenhill, 1999, as cited in Hardie, 2019, p. 18-19). This reinforces the idea that physical interaction with an object creates a more immersive and memorable learning experience.
In future iterations, I would consider reducing the number of slides and using them only for key visuals, allowing the object to take centre stage. Instead of beginning with an explanation, I could start with an interactive observation exercise, where participants examine the 福 character and make guesses about its meaning before revealing the cultural significance. This would shift the focus from passive learning to active discovery, reinforcing the object-based learning approach.
Reference
Dr Kirsten Hardie (no date) ‘Innovative pedagogies series: Wow: The power of objects in object-based learning and teaching’, Higher Education Academy [Preprint]. Available at: https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets.creode.advancehe-document-manager/documents/hea/private/kirsten_hardie_final_1568037367.pdf (Accessed: 11 March 2025).