BUTTERWORTH: Leftover red packets turn into works of art in the hands of interior designer Goh Keat Hoe. The 42-year-old has been making beautiful red lanterns using red packets for the past 10 years, using only scissors, glue, cardboard and a stapler.
“I learnt how to make the lanterns from watching online videos and at first I made lanterns to decorate an old folks home, where I am a committee member.
“I collect red packets of various designs and sizes from people and make new lanterns every year.
“We pick the nice ones, making sure the design and words are nice to look at and are visible when we make the lanterns.
“This year we made 24 lanterns of different sizes. I make them in pairs and display them at Rumah Sejahtera Permatang Tinggi for Chinese New Year.
“I noticed it excites everyone and becomes a spot to take photos,” he said.
Goh said he was inspired by mall displays during celebrations and thought it would be nice to do the same at the old folks home.
“People usually discard their red packets after receiving them.
“This way, they can be upcycled into something attractive.
“For a big lantern, I use around 50 red packets while a smaller one requires around 30 red packets.
“It takes me around two hours to make one, longer if it is a bigger one,” he said.
“I do add other decorative features, like beads, tassels and cloth trimmings.
“This is to make it look grander. To make sure the lanterns are hardy, I add pieces of cardboard, usually from discarded posters or boxes, inside the red packets,” he said, adding that he makes the lanterns at home with the help of a student who wanted to learn how to make them.
“I do not sell them. If people want, I give it to them.
“I am willing to teach those who are interested to learn how to make them,” he said.
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