[Day Service] Setsubun decorations that bring smiles. Ideas for enjoying them with a variety of materials.

Ehomaki wall decoration

[Easy crafts with construction paper & origami♪] I tried making a Setsubun Ehomaki wall decoration! Free template | February | Winter

Ehomaki rolls are eaten on Setsubun.

They’ve become familiar to people all across Japan, but they originally seem to have been a custom centered in the Kinki region.

This is inferred from the expression marukaburi (“eat it whole”) being in the Kansai dialect.

So let’s make an Ehomaki wall decoration to get into the Setsubun spirit.

You can make it with just one set of colored construction paper, so you don’t need to be especially handy.

It could be fun to divide up the work and make a lot together when everyone gathers at a day service, for example.

You’ll use a lot of black paper for the nori (seaweed) part, so be sure to prepare extra black paper.

A flat square with origami

[Origami] Setsubun 'Masu (flat)' ~Oriya Komachi’s original origami~

Speaking of Setsubun, we throw beans, and we use a masu box to hold those beans.

A masu is not only a tool for measuring rice or sake; it is also sacred as a container for offerings to the gods and is considered an auspicious item.

This craft is inspired by the masu, which is indispensable for such Japanese events.

Since the finished piece is flat, it should be easy to use as a large decorative ornament.

Using a single sheet of origami paper, you fold it into a shape that looks like a square seen from the front.

By creating folds and layers of paper, gaps are formed where items can be inserted, which also gives it a three-dimensional look—this is the key point.

If you insert paper of a different color into these gaps, the color contrast enhances the three-dimensional effect and adds a festive look that makes it even easier to use for decorations.

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kappamaki

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Origami Otafuku and Little Oni

Often written as “otafuku” using characters that also mean inviting good fortune, Otafuku appears as a symbol of luck.

Some say her face is modeled after an image of a beauty from the Heian period.

Long ago, it seems that being slightly plump with narrow eyes was considered a mark of beauty.

Quite different from today, isn’t it? How about folding an Otafuku with origami? It’s not very difficult, so even older adults can quickly learn how to make it.

You can draw Otafuku’s facial features with a pen or cut colored paper and paste it on.

If you have grandchildren, making them together sounds like fun.

Plum blossoms made of paper

Two types of cute paper plum blossom decorations (with audio commentary) – How to make

February, when Setsubun takes place, is the heart of winter and still a very cold season, but the plum blossoms that start to bloom around this time give us hope that warmer days are coming.

This craft features plum blossoms, which evoke the end of winter and the breath of spring.

Cut construction paper into strips, then join both ends to form a petal-like shape.

Apply glue to the joined part and combine about five of them to create a flower.

The key is to combine longer and shorter strips for a three-dimensional look, and to use two different colors of paper to add a festive touch.

Once the plum blossoms are finished, we recommend stringing them together and displaying them, incorporating other decorations as well.

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Oni and Setsubun decorations made with paper bowls

[Craft Idea] Setsubun Crafts: Otafuku Mask, Oni (Demon), Kanabō (Spiked Club), Plum Blossoms – Japanese Event Crafting (February) (Senior Recreation) (Early Childhood/Educational) (Wall Decorations) (Creative) (Paper Bowls) (3D) (Origami)

Create three-dimensional Oni and Otafuku figures using paper bowls.

Paper bowls sold at 100-yen shops work perfectly.

Cut the bowls for the Oni and Otafuku, and use crumpled origami paper to form their faces and hair.

You can also make the Oni’s distinctive, permed-looking rounded hair by crumpling origami paper.

Yarn or thinly cut strips of origami paper can also be glued on as hair.

Because this craft involves crumpling and squeezing paper, it uses the hands a lot.

It’s said that “the hands are a second brain,” with many nerves connecting the fingertips to the brain.

Using the hands and fingers helps activate the brain and can aid in dementia prevention.

Enjoy this brain-training craft activity and create wonderful pieces!

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Nakajima Junko

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bean box

Setsubun Origami: How to Make a Bean Box – Origami Oni

Every year, large crowds gather for the Setsubun Day event held at Naritasan Shinshoji Temple.

Many older people might say, “I’ve been there.” You often see on the evening news how everyone eagerly scrambles to catch the beans tossed by actors from the NHK Taiga drama and sumo wrestlers.

Let’s try making a ‘mamebako’ (bean box) out of origami, which is always used when throwing beans.

Fold a square box shape and attach a handle to finish.

Don’t forget a cute touch like an oni (ogre) face, too.

Wall decoration of ogre pants

[Setsubun] How to Make an Oni Underpants Wall Decoration

At Setsubun, the ritual of throwing beans to drive away demons (oni) is indispensable.

Although oni have a strong image of being evil or frightening, I think they are an important motif for Setsubun.

This decoration is inspired by the tiger-striped pants that oni always wear.

Just using tiger-patterned pants conveys the idea of an oni and evokes a sense of the oni’s powerful, shouting presence.

The process is very simple: cut yellow construction paper into the shape of pants, then add black paper to create the stripes, and you’re done.

Another key point is how freely you can customize it—what shape you make the pants, and how you add the stripes are entirely up to you.

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