[Day Service] Setsubun decorations that bring smiles. Ideas for enjoying them with a variety of materials.
As Setsubun approaches, it’s fun to decorate the day-service space.
There are many hands-on projects that let you feel the season, such as 3D rolled sushi (ehomaki) made from origami, egg-shaped red oni, vibrant oni crafted with tsumami-zaiku, and hanging ball ornaments (temari) using chirimen fabric.
You can also recreate the traditional holly-and-sardine (hiiragi iwashi) custom with origami or make tabletop decorations with paper clay—there are endless ways to express yourself.
The conversations that naturally arise while crafting together create warm, heartwarming moments.
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[Day Service] Setsubun Decorations That Make You Smile: Fun Ideas Using Various Materials (11–20)
Egg-shaped red ogre and blue ogre
Although driving out demons is the main event of Setsubun, at kindergarten and daycare events the demons practically act like the stars of the show.
The children squeal with delight, too.
If the demons are that humorous, they’re more than welcome, right? So let’s make some cute egg-shaped demons using polystyrene balls sold at 100-yen shops.
They’re very easy to make: just cover a polystyrene ball with chirimen fabric and add the demon’s face and horns.
You’ll find it’s easier than you think, so you might make a bunch and line them up as an adorable demon squad.
Using yarn for the hair makes them even cuter—give it a try!
A 3D sushi roll (Ehomaki) made with origami
Ehomaki are sushi rolls that, according to tradition, you eat silently in one sitting while facing the year’s lucky direction.
Depending on the region, there are different customs, such as eating while smiling or using hand-rolled sushi.
What were the Ehomaki traditions in your hometown? How about making everyone’s favorite Ehomaki with origami? It’s best suited for seniors confident in their dexterity, so if you’re up for it, give it a try.
The seaweed surface doesn’t vary much, so the real contest is the cross-section where the fillings show.
How well you can recreate ingredients like cucumber and tamagoyaki with origami will make all the difference.
There’s also a how-to video, so feel free to use it as a reference.
Hanging Temari Ball Decorations
Tsurushi kazari are hanging decorations made by threading motifs like decorative balls and flowers onto strings.
Each individual motif carries a gentle wish for longevity and good health, making these traditional ornaments symbols of good fortune.
Varying the length of the strings and the number of motifs on each string adds movement and creates a lively look.
Using soft chirimen fabric is recommended, as it follows the curves nicely and makes beautifully rounded balls.
While they look lovely displayed on a dedicated stand, you can also hang them by your entryway or suspend them directly from the ceiling to freely enjoy their vivid charm.
An oni made with tsumami-zaiku
Tsumami-zaiku is a traditional Japanese craft in which small pieces of fabric are folded and assembled into parts that are then glued together.
In the Edo period, it was used for items like hairpins, and the glamorous hair ornaments became hugely popular.
This time, we’ll adapt tsumami-zaiku to make little oni (demons) for Setsubun.
There are many small parts, but since you simply layer the basic folds, there are no complicated steps, and you can easily make cute oni! By changing the material or color of the thin chirimen crepe fabric, you can create oni with different vibes, so have fun making and displaying them.
Setsubun decorations with holly and nandina
Holly has long been believed to ward off demons.
Those sharp leaf tips always bring to mind the oni from Setsubun, don’t they? Like the New Year’s shimenawa, I want to keep cherishing these old customs and seasonal events.
Here, instead of using real holly, I’m going to make a Setsubun decoration by combining holly and nandina bought from a 100-yen shop.
They’re artificial flowers, but quite realistic and well made, so you can just bundle the pieces together with a rope and you’re done.
As a tip, using a thick, rough rope gives it a nice traditional feel.
It doesn’t take much time, so it’s great for busy people too!
Setsubun hanging decoration
Setsubun, which invites good fortune and drives away evil, is an essential winter event that also carries a wish for a healthy year.
Let’s incorporate various motifs associated with Setsubun—such as oni (ogres), ehomaki sushi rolls, and holly-and-sardine talismans—into your decorations.
This project has you make each motif with origami, creating a cohesive look thanks to the unified material.
Since ehomaki and holly-sardine pieces end up with similar shapes, try varying the color and form of the oni to add originality.
[Day Service] Setsubun decorations that bring out spontaneous smiles: ideas to enjoy using a variety of materials (21–30)
Yarn: Making a Friendly Oni Wall Hanging
Decorate your room with an Oni theme to bring a Setsubun vibe.
In this idea, you wrap yarn around thick paper, then attach felt parts for the face and horns to make the oni.
After making a red oni and a blue oni, glue them onto a base; add holly leaves and a paper label with the word “Setsubun” to finish.
Decorate the four corners of the base with washi-pattern origami or tape, and place gem or pearl stickers in the empty spaces.
The impression changes depending on whether you use the square base as-is or rotate it into a diamond shape.
Punch a hole in the base, thread a red ribbon through, and finish it so it can be hung on the wall.
