Papercutting is a Chinese art that is both ancient and highly valued in China. It takes something ordinary and [with a little time] turns it into something incredible. And with the intricate examples of papercutting in the book that’s featured here and the chance to try it yourselves, this box showcases that art beautifully!
Did you know? The skill of papercutting pre-dates the invention of paper?! Around 1,500years ago Chinese communities would use leather and cloth to create the same beautiful designs.
Our January 2021 boxes feature 大红包 Da Hong Pao Tea [big red robe] is a type of Oolong tea from the Wuyi mountains. Take a fairly generous pinch of the tea leaves and add them to your re-usable tea infusing bag [included in the box].
This tea should be ‘rinsed’ first (i.e. pour boiling water on the tea leaves and pour away the first ‘brew’). This tea is strong, so only needs brewing 15secs before serving. The leaves can be re-brewed several times, just leave the tea to brew for slightly longer each time.
For more detail on how to brew different types of Chinese tea, see our simple guide:
Bilingual Art of Papercutting Book
This book is full of interesting information about Papercutting and – even though some of the English translation in the book can be a little ‘quirky’ – it makes a lovely and unusual coffee table book.
The Papercuttings inside are removable so you can really appreciate the intricate nature of this art form! You can learn more about the fascinating art of papercutting here:
Bull Papercutting style decoration
The Chinese year of the Bull starts on January 31st 2021, so not only is this a great example of how papercutting is used around homes in China but it doubles as a great Chinese New Year decoration!
As a bonus, this decoration is made of plastic which means it’s safe for smaller hands to play with.
DIY Papercutting Kit
Seeing the beautiful art of papercutting is great, but being able to try it out for yourselves is even better!
Your box includes several different designs, a guide to papercutting basics, some thicker practice paper and some high quality papercutting paper for when you’re a bit more confident of your skill.