How is the Tet At Ty 2025 mascot made?

As the Lunar New Year approaches, many people eagerly wait to see what the mascot will look like and what its expression will be. At a workshop specializing in making mascots and decorative statues in Dong Thanh Commune, Hoc Mon District (HCMC), the author learned about the process of completing the snake mascot that will appear on the occasion of Tet At Ty 2025.

Bustling factory since September

Mr. Ngo Quang Canh (36 years old) is the owner of this establishment with more than 15 years of experience in the field of sculpture and mascot creation. In addition to business, Mr. Canh is teaching sculpture at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts. He said that this year the market requires stylized snake mascots that are cute and gentle.

Mr. Chung meticulously painted each line on the snake mascot.

PHOTO: NGUYEN DIEN

"People often see snakes in the wild as quite aggressive and dangerous. If we simulate the shape of a snake in the wild into a decorative mascot design, it will not be suitable. The designer will make the snake mascot close its mouth, make its eyes look sparkling and combine some accessories such as a scarf, conical hat, bow, flowers... This will both create a highlight and make the snake mascot look cuter and friendlier," Mr. Canh shared.

Mr. Canh's production facility regularly receives orders from eco-tourism areas and shopping malls in District 1 and District 3 (HCMC)... In particular, Mr. Canh said that this year, he will make mascots to display on Nguyen Hue Flower Street (District 1). The mascots produced by Mr. Canh's facility are 6 - 50 m long, with prices ranging from 3 million to 300 million VND, depending on size and details.

According to Mr. Canh, mascot products are mainly made from two types of materials: foam and composite plastic. The process of making a mascot includes: drawing a 3D file, cutting the file on the computer, then running a CNC machine (a material processing machine that operates with the support of digitized electronic devices). Then, the mascot is completed with foam material. For large mascots, the 3D printer will create each part, then glue them together to form a whole.

Mr. Canh said that for composite plastic material, there will be additional steps of cutting the foam pieces, then pouring plaster molds, silicone molds. From the obtained plaster pieces, the worker will assemble them into the complete shape of the mascot, then treat the surface such as adding specialized powder and sanding; and finally paint, draw more details.

PHOTO: NGUYEN DIEN

"Depending on the size and complexity, completing a mascot can take from 2 to 7 days. This year, the workshop started to get busy from September (solar calendar)," said Mr. Canh.

Young people love art

Pham Hong Huy (25 years old) is the person who directly designs 3D drawings for mascots. Huy's work begins by receiving opinions and requests from customers, including the animal and shape they want. Based on these requests, Huy proceeds to draw detailed 3D drawings and only when the customer is completely satisfied will he continue with the next steps.

Mr. Ha used sandpaper to smooth the surface of the mascot after it was covered with powder.

PHOTO: NGUYEN DIEN

After the 3D drawing is approved, Huy begins the product shaping stage. This is an important stage to turn the ideas on the drawing into a real product, ensuring the accuracy and perfection as expected by the customer. "This is the first step to having a snake mascot for the Lunar New Year 2025," Huy said.

Inside the workshop, the atmosphere is extremely bustling, some are putting putty, others are sanding. The working atmosphere is lively because in the workshop there is a speaker playing spring music for the workers to listen to. Inside a closed room, a machine, also known as a robotic arm, is trimming a foam block to create a small mascot. Inside another room, Ngo Xuan Phuong (23 years old), who has worked at the workshop for 4 years, is observing the 3D file; if there are any errors in the printing or cutting process, Phuong will promptly correct them.

Apply specialized putty to make the surface of the mascot smooth and shiny.

PHOTO: NGUYEN DIEN

"My job is to observe the 3D printing file on the computer, helping the cutting and printing process of the mascot go smoothly with few errors," Phuong said.

Painting is the final step to complete the mascot, said Nguyen Van Chung (34 years old, from Dak Lak), who graduated from the painting department at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts and is a painter with more than 10 years of experience. Chung believes that the decisive factor for success in the profession is the ability to be sensitive and think about color coordination, especially choosing the right color tones and balancing light and dark.

"Large works are often painted by machine, which helps to smooth the color transition. While small details still need to be completed by hand painting," said Mr. Chung.

With his skillful hands, Mr. Chung estimates that 70% of the painting process is done by machine, and 30% is done by hand. Because of his direct contact with paint, Mr. Chung always wears a protective mask to protect his health. Mr. Chung's monthly income ranges from 12 to 15 million VND, providing a stable life.

Workers at Canh's workshop work from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. Previously a house painter in Binh Dinh province, Nguyen Dinh Luan (24 years old) started working at Canh's statue and mascot workshop more than a year ago. According to Luan, after the mascot is assembled, the surface will have air bubbles and gaps. Luan's task is to apply specialized putty, then use sandpaper to rub it one more time so that the surface of the mascot is smooth and shiny, without many defects. Luan is paid 350,000 VND per day.

Previously, Mr. Le Dong Ha (30 years old) worked as a worker for a garment company. More than a year ago, this company had no orders so they laid off many workers, including Mr. Ha. After struggling to find a job, Mr. Ha applied to Mr. Canh's workshop to work as a sandpaper worker.

The scale simulation of this year’s snake mascot has many difficult details, requiring workers like Ha to sand the entire surface. For easy-to-handle areas, Ha uses a machine; for the gaps, he sands by hand. This job requires meticulousness and dexterity because the powder layer must be thinned, but still maintain good surface coverage.

"My daily income is 430,000 VND. With this income, I am excited because I will have a full Tet when I return to my hometown in Khanh Hoa province," Mr. Ha shared.

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/linh-vat-tet-at-ty-2025-duoc-lam-ra-the-nao-185250106194219623.htm