Begin by folding a sheet of construction paper in half lengthwise. You should have a long, thin rectangle. Make 12 or more cuts in the paper along the fold line. If you are holding the rectangle vertically, the cuts will be horizontal, or perpendicular to the fold line. Unfold the paper and glue or staple the short ends together. Cut a strip of paper 6 inches long and half an inch wide. Staple the ends to the top of the lantern. Hang the lanterns on a string across the room as a decoration.
Draw the shape of the head and tail of the lion or dragon on construction paper. Cut out the shapes. Decorate them with colorful markers, paint or glitter. Fold a piece of paper in half lengthwise. Cut along the fold line to make 2 rectangles. Fold the rectangles like an accordion and staple or tape them together to form the long body of the lion or dragon. Tape or staple the head and tail to each end of the body. Tape a wooden barbeque skewer or plastic straw to the head and another to the tail. Make the animal dance by moving the skewers up and down.
Have each student decorate 3 sheets of red construction paper with stamps dipped in gold paint. Tape or glue the sheets of paper together lengthwise. Fold the paper accordion style, with each pleat measuring about 1 inch. Gather the pleats together at one end and wrap 3 chenille stems around them, holding them together. Alternate red and gold chenille stems for traditional colors.
Make your own traditional decorations using Chinese symbols. Cut 5 or 6 inch diamond shapes out of red paper. Use a black marker to draw the symbols. Refer to a website such as A China Family Adventure for instructions for drawing the symbols. Use ribbon to hang them around the classroom or tape them on the wall as decorations.