[For Seniors] Fun Crafts Recommended for December
December brings fun events and major occasions like Christmas and New Year’s.
Let’s help older adults feel the season with crafts that capture the spirit of December! We’ve gathered many projects that are easy to prepare and simple to make, using recycled materials and items from 100-yen shops.
Moving the fingers during crafting can also have brain-training benefits.
You can display the finished pieces, or take them home to use if they’re practical items.
Enjoy a wonderful time with crafts that are perfect for wrapping up the year.
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[For Seniors] Fun Crafts Recommended for December (31–40)
Christmas flower wreath
An origami flower wreath inspired by poinsettias, which are often used as Christmas decorations.
The flowers, which look as if they’re blooming brightly, are made by combining small origami parts.
Seniors who are good with their hands will likely enjoy making it.
Using red and green origami in Christmas colors enhances the festive atmosphere.
Simply attach the origami pieces to a wreath made from construction paper to finish.
You can also decorate it as you like with ribbons or cutouts of gifts and pinecones made from construction paper.
By changing the colors of the origami pieces, you can create a wreath suited to any season.
Christmas lamp tree
Would you like to try making a handmade, tree-shaped Christmas lamp? Light will shine through star- and circle-shaped holes, making it look as if the tree itself is glowing—a lovely idea.
First, draw a net for a square pyramid on construction paper and cut it out, then use a craft punch to make holes in the four side panels.
Imagine you’re placing ornaments and punch the holes in a well-balanced way.
In the center of the square base, make another hole large enough for the tip of the lamp to pass through.
Assemble the construction paper into a tree and decorate the top with a ribbon and a star.
Decorate the sides of an LED lamp, place the tree over it, and you’re done.
Enjoy it in a dark room.
Christmas tree using decalcomania
Fold a sheet of green construction paper in half and open it, then drop paint on only one side.
The paint will become the ornaments, so think about the colors and where you place the drops as you work.
After dropping the paint, fold it in half again to create a decalcomania— it will transfer to the other side.
Cut the construction paper into a tree shape and attach a trunk made from brown construction paper.
Finally, make a star from yellow construction paper and decorate the very top of the tree.
If you punch a hole at the top and thread a string through, it could also become a garland.
Wall-mounted Christmas tree made from paper rolls
Let’s use toilet paper rolls to create a wall-mounted Christmas tree.
First, keeping the triangular shape of a tree in mind, lay out the rolls temporarily in rows to form tiers.
If a roll is too short or too long, cut it to size.
Once you have the triangle, glue the rolls together row by row, and attach green construction paper to the sides.
After everything is attached, secure the whole piece with tape or similar.
For the trunk, connect about three rolls and wrap them with brown yarn.
Fix the triangular section and the trunk to the wall so they connect, and finish by placing a star at the top of the tree.
Adding origami ornaments will make it look even more charming!
Christmas tree made with ribbons
This is a handmade tree idea that’s completed simply by sticking teardrop-shaped ribbon pieces onto a cone base made from thick paper.
To make the teardrop-shaped parts, cut ribbon to a suitable length and glue the two ends together.
When attaching the ribbon to the base, face the rounded end downward and stick them in a straight line.
If it’s hard to keep them straight, draw guide lines on the base beforehand to help with placement.
Once all the ribbons are attached, decorate the top with a star to finish! Adding small beads for extra sparkle would also look cute.
[For Seniors] Fun Crafts Recommended for December (41–50)
Just cut and paste. Shaka-shaka ornament.
Let’s handcraft warm, felt Christmas ornaments.
First, create your favorite shapes—like a stocking or a tree—using thick paper.
Next, use this template to cut 0.3 mm plastic sheet and the felt that will serve as the ornament base.
Cut out the inside of the thick-paper template to make a frame-only template, then use that to cut three felt frames.
Glue two of the felt frames onto the felt base to add height, and place your favorite beads or sequins inside.
Glue the plastic sheet and the remaining felt piece on top, attach a hanging component, and you’re done!
Papercut Tree
Fold a sheet of green construction paper in half and draw the shape of half a tree.
Cut along the line with scissors and open it up so it becomes a full tree shape.
Once it’s cut, keep it folded and make slits starting from the folded edge.
Cut parallel to the base, being careful not to cut off the outer edge.
To make all the folds into mountain folds, open the slit sections alternately to the left and right.
Decorate with a star made from yellow construction paper, and add round stickers to represent ornaments—then it’s done.
There are also instructions for making snowflakes, so why not make some to decorate together?