Chinese arts and crafts have endured for thousands of years, achieving sophisticated levels of quality and design. Chinese silks, pottery and other handcrafts were highly sought after for centuries. For a long while, these trade commodities made it to the west overland via the Silk Road and later on by sea via European traders.

Today, the traditional crafts still flourish.  TheFancyCrafts is a Chinese team which specializes in designing beautiful embroidered jewelry and accessories and providing them as DIY craft kits. There are some finished items.

 All their kits are all-one-one, that is, the premium threads, fabric and tools are included.

Much of their inspiration comes from the 12 Chinese zodiac animals and mythology. Their amulet bags can be used as large amulet necklaces, ornaments or handbag charms. This one below celebrates the coming Year of the Snake :

Many of the animals are highly stylized such as this lucky dragon embroidered pouch necklace :

Lucky Dragon amulet

The Chinese stone guardian lions are architectural elements for important buildings. Shown below are a pair from the Ching dynasty located in the Forbidden City, Beijing. They are sometimes known as Chinese foo dogs or lion dogs. Perhaps because of their guarding symbolism? They were believed to have protective powers.

Picture Source

And this is TheFancyCrafts' foo dog toy kit :

Another awesome offering is the Monkey King doll kit. The Monkey King is a well loved character from a 16th century novel. He was born from a stone and acquired all sorts of supernatural powers through Taoist practices.

Story of the Chinese Zodiac

Jan 29, 2025 is the first day of Chinese New Year. The Chinese calendar is based on lunar months so it is not a fixed date in our regular calendar. It's an important event for Chinese people because like the Thanksgiving, it is the time for families to gather. 

This coming year is the Year of the Snake. Not just any snake but the Wood Snake. The Chinese zodiac is much more than just the 12 animals. For example, the cycle also combines with the 5 elements - fire, wood, earth water and metal - such that the cycle is actually 60 years long. 

Watch this brief video which explains how the 12 animals came to be in the zodiac, and in what specific order.


Before You Go :

jewelry making supplies

Disclosure

This blog may contain affiliate links. I do receive a small fee for any products purchased through affiliate links. This goes towards the support of this blog and to provide resource information to readers. The opinions expressed are solely my own. They would be the same whether or not I receive any compensation. 
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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM