Money Cat

Make your own Lucky Money Cat
This 19th-century cat is sewn with coins and is considered within Chinese culture to be lucky. They were often hung at the end of a bed in the hope they would bring wealth, prosperity and good fortune to the owner. You might also see them at the entrance to shops and businesses. This one has the coins sewn on with red thread, as red is viewed as a lucky colour.

Completed Chinese Money Cat
Make your own lucky money cat to hang in your bedroom. Will it bring you luck in 2021?
You will need:

Resources
Piece of card or stiff paper
Paper for coin rubbing
Variety of coins
Pair of scissors
Pencil
Selection of colouring crayons
Glue
Piece of ribbon or string

Outline
On your piece of card or stiff paper, draw a large cat outline. If you want to copy an image, there are lots of ‘cat silhouettes’ on the internet to choose from

Face
Draw facial features, if desired

Cut out
Cut out your cat image
Colour your cat, if desired. For instance, you may want a tabby cat. But remember, the cat will be covered in coins so you may choose not to colour at all

Coin rubbings
Make rubbings of your chosen coins. You could do this in lots of different colours and a good mix of front and back of the coins will add interest

Cut out
Cut out your coins

Coins stuck on
Stick your paper coins onto your cat
You may wish to add some real coins as well

Attach ribbon
Stick the ribbon or string to the back of your cat for hanging up. You can use glue or sticky tape. Tip: Try to find out where the best place is to add the ribbon or string so the cat hangs correctly.

Hang up
Now find a good place in your bedroom to hang your Lucky Money Cat