[Respect for the Aged Day] Mural decorations to brighten the celebration. Simple handmade ideas to try
How about spending a fun time together while creating wall decorations for a Respect-for-the-Aged celebration? This time, we’re sharing lovely mural-making ideas that you can create together with older adults.
Using familiar materials like construction paper and newspapers, you can make vibrant pieces featuring cranes and turtles—the symbols of longevity—as well as seasonal flowers.
The process naturally sparks conversation and fills the space with smiles.
Once the artworks are displayed, the entire facility will be wrapped in a brighter atmosphere.
Please use this as inspiration for creating warm, heartwarming memories.
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[Respect-for-the-Aged Day] Wall murals to brighten the celebration. Introducing simple handmade ideas (1–10)
Message with cranes, turtles, and brush calligraphy
We’d like to introduce a birthday card featuring auspicious cranes and turtles.
Using turtle and crane stencils, you can add color with pastels to the base paper or colored paper where you’ll write your message.
If you also tint the entire card and base/colored paper with pastels, you can create a soft, gentle atmosphere.
Adding a handwritten message with a brush will turn it into a one-of-a-kind message card or shikishi board.
We also recommend the embossing technique—perfect for birthdays—for adding gold feathers and other lucky motifs.
In other words, using embossing to raise gold patterns is a great option too.
Older adults are likely to be pleased with such original birthday cards or shikishi boards.
collage letters
How about making a lucky-character collage—featuring auspicious characters like “福” (good fortune) or “祝” (congratulations)—for Respect for the Aged Day, using old magazines or flyer inserts you no longer read? Once you’ve chosen the character, type it on your computer and print it out.
Turn the paper over and trace the outline of the character with a red pen.
Cut out random pieces of colored sections (anything but black) from magazines and flyers, and paste them on the front side of the character.
After pasting, cut along the red outline on the back to shape it into the character.
Mount it on white drawing paper for a beautiful, textured collage.
It also looks great on colored paper!
Two-tone fan crane
The red-and-white fan crane is a perfect motif for celebrations.
How about making it together with seniors as an item to liven up Respect-for-the-Aged Day? After folding a red sheet of origami paper in half twice, make a cut in the center.
Fold along the cut and create an accordion fold.
Use the other side to fold the crane.
From here, the work becomes more detailed, but the steps are the same as folding a standard crane.
When making the second one, change the color or reverse the front and back before folding.
Combine the two pieces to complete the fan crane.
The fine movements in origami help exercise seniors’ fingers and provide good stimulation for the brain.
Let’s all make them and enhance the atmosphere for Respect-for-the-Aged Day.
Respect-for-the-Aged Day: Mural ideas to brighten the celebration. Simple handmade ideas (11–20)
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A wreath decoration instantly brightens up a room.
Its large, round shape really catches the eye.
You can freely create any design you like—using origami, yarn, faux flowers, and more—so it makes a great handmade gift.
Wreaths also work anywhere: not only on a wall, but on doors or in entryways, adding a special touch to the space.
Because they’re easy to display somewhere visible, the recipient can always feel your presence nearby.
It’s also a thoughtful gift for older loved ones who live apart, conveying the message, “I’m always watching over you.”
Grandpa and Grandma
Perfect for Respect for the Aged Day in autumn! How about making adorable “Grandpa and Grandma” wall decorations? All you have to do is cut and paste construction paper or origami, so it’s easy for anyone to enjoy! You can download the templates for free, so be sure to use them.
It will look lively if you arrange autumn motifs like red dragonflies, pampas grass, and spider lilies around Grandpa and Grandma.
Highly recommended for decorating senior care facilities on Respect for the Aged Day.
A turtle message card made with mizuhiki
Mizuhiki, the decorative cords often seen on gift envelopes, are made from washi paper and are said to be tied only by hand! Let’s use mizuhiki to handcraft a gift for Respect-for-the-Aged Day.
It’s a great material for expressing gratitude to seniors.
There are many ways to tie mizuhiki, but since we’re celebrating longevity, let’s make a message card with a turtle motif! You’ll make the turtle’s head and shell separately and join them at the end.
It may be a bit challenging for beginners until you get used to handling mizuhiki.
Besides the turtle, try adding ume (plum) knots or awaji knots to create a more luxurious message card!
Simple paper flower
Even when the weather is bad, having lots of colorful flowers decorating the wall can lift your spirits a bit, right? Here’s an easy way to make cute flowers that you can display on the wall or hang from the ceiling.
Fold three strips of construction paper of different lengths softly in half and staple them.
Make lots of these and attach them with double-sided tape.
Try making flowers in various colors, or change the color of each petal.
You can also adjust the number of petals to change the size of the flower to your liking.
