Even as someone who celebrates Chinese New Year every year without fail, I’ll admit I’ve never gone all out decorating my own home. A few Mandarin oranges here, some red “auspicious” stickers there, and that’s usually the sum total of my festive effort. So when I fell into an Instagram rabbit hole of HDB void decks that looked more happening than my entire flat, I was instantly intrigued.
I stalked the account and realised that the person behind these intricate CNY displays isn’t even Chinese. She’s Anitha Tamilmaran, a Singaporean who’s been transforming HDB void decks at the Cantonment Towers cluster with festive decorations for a while now. And the best part is: most of her decorations are made from recycled materials, things most of us would toss without a second thought.
Anitha assembling her Christmas 2025 HDB void deck decor.
Image credit: Anitha Tamilmaran
Anitha’s story starts somewhere a little more ordinary. She was an interior design graduate who stepped away from her career to focus on raising her children. But even as a full-time mum, she volunteered in her kids’ school whenever she could, teaching art and sharing her creativity.
When her sons grew older, she tried to re-enter the workforce, but like many parents who’ve taken a long career break, she found it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. So to keep her mind sharp, she dived into the financial markets to challenge herself in a different way.
These days, though, Anitha has since paused that pursuit entirely to pour her energy into completing her festive decoration cycle across HDB void decks – and right now, at 50 years old, this has her full attention.
Kolam made from recycled materials, designed and put together for Cantonment Primary School.
Image adapted from: Anitha Tamilmaran
You’re probably wondering, “Why go through all this trouble?” I had the same question – craft supplies are readily available everywhere, so I had to ask why she sticks so firmly to recycled materials. Turns out, Anitha has been working with recycled materials for years, just without consciously labelling it as such.
For instance, one of her past projects involved decorating Cantonment Primary School with a kolam, a traditional South Indian decorative floor art you usually see during Deepavali. Her version was made from food packaging, bottle caps, and fruit foam nets instead.
Graduation banner created by Anitha for her son.
Image credit: Anitha Tamilmaran
For Anitha, it’s no longer just about making decorations look nice. “Now, I feel genuinely elated when I can turn recycled materials into meaningful artwork. It gives the work a deeper purpose,” she shared.
As for where she gets her recycled materials, she usually sources them from all over the neighbourhood. Residents sometimes contribute items, and she keeps a lookout at nearby shops, gyms, supermarkets, malls, and recycling areas that she passes daily.
Meanwhile, the rest of us are proudly reusing last year’s CNY decorations out of pure laziness, no judgement though, and she’s out here turning “trash” into festive pieces.
Image adapted from: Anitha Tamilmaran
Her journey of decorating HDB void decks started with a Singapore flag for National Day, but not the kind we hang on our window ledge every August. It was a huge 6ft x 9ft mosaic SG flag, created to commemorate SG60.
Image credit: Anitha Tamilmaran
The idea came up casually during a chat with her RC chairman about National Day decorations, and Anitha decided to take on the challenge. She gathered anything red and white she could get her hands on, from bottle caps to paper bags, bubble wrap, and styrofoam – all transformed into an eye-catching tribute to the nation.
What was meant to be a one-off community project became bigger. Riding on the success of the flag, Anitha pitched another idea to her RC chairman: why not do something similar for Deepavali? And when she received the same warm response, she realised she could really make a difference, one void deck at a time.
A peacock for Deepavali and a snowman for the Christmas decorations.
Image adapted from: Anitha Tamilmaran
That National Day project was Anitha’s first foray into public art. Up until then, her creations had mostly stayed in classrooms or smaller community spaces. Suddenly, she was making something huge, meant to be enjoyed by everyone.
And since that first installation, Anitha has been spreading her recycled festive magic across her neighbourhood. From Deepavali to Christmas, and now Chinese New Year, Anitha is slowly but surely working her way through a full festive cycle.
Image adapted from: Anitha Tamilmaran
Behind every colourful display is a lot of unseen effort, and most of it falls on Anitha’s shoulders. Each of her festive setups takes at least 2 months of prep. She’s also mostly running a one-woman show, handling everything from planning and sourcing materials to building and installing the displays.
Occasionally, her husband pitches in, and sometimes residents or seniors drop by to help with the simpler bits. “Because they are seniors, I never expect or demand too much from them,” she said.
Before a single decoration goes up, Anitha takes the time to explore the culture and meaning behind each festival. She then chooses a story she wants to tell, and figures out how to bring it to life respectfully, creatively, and of course, with recycled materials.
Anitha also shared that weekends tend to blur into workdays – not out of obligation, but because she keeps raising the bar for herself. Every installation is a personal challenge to make it bigger, bolder, or more meaningful than the last.
Image adapted from: Anitha Tamilmaran
However, she’s aware that these high standards come with trade-offs. She candidly shared that setting such expectations can make the process more challenging and time-consuming, but it has also pushed her to grow and pick up new techniques. Without pushing herself, she wouldn’t have discovered what she’s truly capable of. Over time, she has learned to balance perfection with practicality, finding simpler and more efficient ways to achieve the results she wants.
Image credit: Anitha Tamilmaran
When Anitha first started taking on these massive festive projects, the people around her naturally couldn’t help but worry. Family, friends, and even the seniors who hang out in the neighbourhood would chime in with gentle reminders not to overexert herself, as they’re concerned about her health. She had to reassure them that this isn’t a burden, but something she truly loves doing.
Some residents bring her snacks or drinks, knowing full well that she can get so absorbed in her work that she forgets to eat. For the really big setups, she does get extra hands, but most of the time it’s just her and her husband sharing the workload.
Anitha’s husband is her pillar of strength, constantly reminding her to rest and recharge.
Image credit: Anitha Tamilmaran
Her days can stretch from 7.30am to 11pm, with breaks only when she’s completely spent. Even when she’s not physically working, her brain rarely switches off – ideas pop up while cooking, exercising, or simply resting – every moment is a chance for inspiration, according to Anitha.
Sometimes, she forces herself to slow down by watching a movie, with her husband stepping in as chief reminder that even the most passionate creators need to rest.
Anitha measuring the void deck’s ceiling height to ensure her decorations fit.
Image adapted from: Anitha Tamilmaran
We may marvel at the pictures of the decorations now, but behind the scenes is a side most people don’t see: the stress of leaving your hard work at the mercy of the weather. Wind and rain are constant worries, especially when many of the pieces are handmade and naturally more delicate.
Because every installation is created from scratch, Anitha feels extra pressure for them to not only look good, but also survive in a public space where people can walk up and touch them. She and her husband spend hours discussing stability and structure to figure out how to anchor everything securely while still keeping the designs as she had envisioned.
Image credit: Anitha Tamilmaran
She uses lightweight recycled materials but reinforces the structures with strong backing and industrial tape. Before anything goes up, she and her husband test the stability, and she makes regular visits after installation to check on the pieces and carry out maintenance.
For her CNY decorations, one design element she used a lot was the lattice pattern, a criss-cross or grid-like design made up of repeated lines that intersect. As the void deck walls had gaps and worn sections, the lattice pattern covered gaps and added support, all while visually tying the space together.
Image credit: Anitha Tamilmaran
Another problem Anitha encountered, especially during her Deepavali project, was the lack of space to work on her craft. Her home turned into a craft studio, with materials everywhere and work-in-progress pieces in corners. In her words, “My house was honestly a mess.”
As the installations got bigger and more detailed, it became clear she needed proper space to assemble and store everything. That’s when she approached her RC chairman to ask if she could use the RC space to work instead.
After getting the green light, that spot became her go-to “workshop”. She’d be there consistently building piece after piece as the scale of her projects kept growing.
Anitha’s CNY setups are easily some of the most elaborate pieces she has created to date – not just in scale, but in the thought and meaning behind them too.
Image credit: Anitha Tamilmaran
One of the most striking features is the moon gate – a circular doorway you often see in traditional Chinese gardens. The circle symbolises unity, harmony, and prosperity, and is linked to the full moon, which is believed to bring good luck.
She shared that these installations give people a chance to understand cultures beyond their own. Even within the same religion or tradition, many meanings aren’t widely known until someone takes the time to explore them. The moon gate ended up being one of those unexpected educational moments, with residents discovering its symbolism simply by stopping to admire the piece and chatting with her.
True to Anitha’s style, the moon gate was built almost entirely from recycled materials gathered with help from friends and the community. The main structure came from onion packing netting, which a friend helped collect from a storekeeper in Hougang.
She also sourced items from a temple, reused empty spray cans from Fitness First, repurposed a discarded washing machine cover for the base, and used Ferrero Rocher chocolate packaging as decorative details.
Image credit: Anitha Tamilmaran
Besides the moon gate, the horse “statue” is another highlight. Funny enough, naming the horse turned out to be harder than building it. Anitha lamented that she discussed ideas with many people, but nothing quite clicked at first.
Her original vision for the horse was actually very simple – a light, almost white body with a black mane. But midway through the process, her son’s girlfriend made a comment that stuck: it didn’t feel “grand” enough.
The horse in its original state, before Anitha spruced it up.
Image adapted from: Anitha Tamilmaran
That’s when Anitha began adding touches of red and gold – colours associated with prosperity and good luck in Chinese culture. “It suddenly felt powerful and auspicious,” she recalled. “I went home that night exhausted, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how different it looked.”
She did more research and discovered that in Chinese tradition, the Fire Horse is often depicted in red, symbolising strength, vitality, and auspicious energy. And coincidentally, the colours that were added felt right and aligned with the culture.
Image credit: Anitha Tamilmaran
Of course, she couldn’t just name it “Red Horse”. The word “Hong” stood out because of its layered meanings depending on the Chinese character – it can mean red (红), or grand or magnificent (宏). They have the same pronunciation, but different meanings.
After nearly 2 months of casually researching names, Anitha decided to name her creation Hong Rui Ma (宏瑞马) – a name that matched not just how the horse looked, but the spirit she wanted him to carry.
Image adapted from: Anitha Tamilmaran
Another standout in the CNY setup is Cai Shen Ye, the God of Wealth – a figure many people associate with prosperity and good fortune for the new year.
Anitha’s version was built from everyday discards. Yoghurt cups became his ears, recycled boxes formed parts of his body, and that’s honestly just the tip of the iceberg. “There are many – too many to list,” she shared. “Every time I discover a new way to reuse something, I feel elated.”
Image credit: Anitha Tamilmaran
One moment, in particular, stayed with her. “One day, while I was working on site, I saw 2 young ladies bow respectfully to Cai Shen Ye. That was when I felt I had truly done justice to the piece.”
That small gesture meant everything to her. It showed that even though the materials were recycled, the intention and respect behind the artwork still came through.
Image adapted from: Anitha Tamilmaran
Anitha also managed to turn everyday items into koi pond and bamboo backdrops. TV boxes became the pond base and frame, giving the structure a sturdy backbone. Tissue boxes were cut and used to resemble “water”, while coffee bags and toy covers were repurposed into koi fish bodies and fins. Even green samosa packaging got a second life, rolled up to form bamboo stalks.
She carefully traced and cut out Chinese characters like “财” (wealth) and “春” (spring), weaving even more meaning into the entire setup.
Image credit: Anitha Tamilmaran
No CNY display feels complete without a touch of spring, and Anitha brought that to life with clusters of cherry blossoms scattered throughout the installation.
Here’s the interesting part: the blooms were made from pink wardrobe refresher plastics. As someone who loves working with colour, Anitha made sure the installation was bright and vibrant.
Many other structural elements are hidden in plain sight, so we highly recommend swinging by to see if you can spot what has been repurposed.
Image adapted from: Anitha Tamilmaran
Last but not least, there’s the Chinese pavilion roof, the kind you’d usually spot in traditional gardens and parks, like our Chinese Gardens located in Jurong.
Those upward-curving roof edges are called “flying eaves”, and they symbolically reach towards the sky, while the structure itself sits on the ground. The design reflects an ancient Chinese belief in the harmony between heaven, earth, and humanity.
Image credit: Anitha Tamilmaran
As fancy as it sounds, Anitha didn’t build this with fancy materials. She used recycled boxes, cups, and caps to form the roof, cleverly placing the structure above a void deck entryway so it actually feels like you’re walking through a mini pavilion.
Image adapted from: Anitha Tamilmaran
After hearing about the time, effort, and energy that goes into each installation, I had to ask the question on my mind: Is this something she plans to do long-term?
Anitha’s answer was refreshingly honest. “This journey came to me unexpectedly. I love creating out of the box, but the process is physically and mentally taxing.”
Between long hours on site and months of preparation for every festival, this passion project is no small feat. So while she may not continue doing large-scale seasonal installations forever, she knows she’s definitely not done creating.
For now, her focus is on ensuring the upcoming Hari Raya decorations are just as meaningful and thoughtful as the festive wonderlands she has brought to life before.
Image credit: Anitha Tamilmaran
And if you’re wondering whether all that hard work gets taken down immediately, the answer is not always.
Some murals and installations stay up for as long as they’re structurally sound, depending on the RC’s decision. Since Anitha volunteers her time and labour, the final call on what remains is in the RC’s hands.
That said, many residents have shared that they hope the pieces can stay for as long as possible. It’s a sign that these decorations have grown into more than just seasonal backdrops, becoming parts of the neighbourhood that people have grown attached to.
Image adapted from: Anitha Tamilmaran
For displays that look this grand, you’d expect a big budget, but Anitha has kept costs surprisingly low. Most of her spending goes to basics like glue and simple materials. Her National Day flag cost about $75, Deepavali decorations came up to $179, and Christmas decor was $279, with the RC reimbursing these expenses.
For the CNY project, she upgraded her tools through the HDB Lively Places Fund and Challenge, which helped her get better cutters and equipment. Even then, much of the spending went into practical things, like double-sided tape needed to keep everything in place.
So nope, Anitha isn’t paid to do this, but volunteers her time and energy simply because she wants to bring joy to the neighbourhood.
If you’d like to see these festive decorations up close, you can head down to the Cantonment Towers HDB cluster – Block 12 at the RC corner wall, Block 16 facing the bus stop, and Block 8 near the ramp.
Anitha shared that a resident once told her he lives in Block 8, and every time he brings his elderly mother downstairs, her face lights up when she sees the decorations. “Knowing that I could bring joy to elders feels like a blessing to me,” she said.
In a space we usually just walk through on the way home, Anitha chose to create something that makes people pause and smile, and perhaps that’s just kampong spirit many of us didn’t realise we’ve been missing.
Follow Anitha’s journey on her Instagram account and keep your eyes peeled for her upcoming Hari Raya decorations.
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Cover image adapted from: Anitha Tamilmaran
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