For seniors: Introducing handmade decoration ideas to welcome a wonderful Christmas
Around Christmas time, many senior care facilities put up decorations like wreaths and trees.
Decorations help create a lovely seasonal feel and capture the festive atmosphere.
So this time, we’re sharing ideas for handmade Christmas decorations.
We’ve gathered many projects that are practical to use and that seniors can enjoy making together.
The materials come from recyclables or items you can get at 100-yen shops, but the results are all high quality.
Handmade pieces are one-of-a-kind and special, so please use this article to help make this Christmas a memorable one.
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[For Seniors] Handmade Decoration Ideas to Welcome a Wonderful Christmas (61–70)
Christmas ornament
Christmas ornaments that make you want to decorate your tree.
Stores sell all kinds of ornaments, but if you’d like an easy handmade option, try making them with yarn or felt.
Both can be picked up inexpensively at 100-yen shops and the like, and you can create cute ornaments at low cost.
The method introduced here forms the head and body the same way you make pom-poms, then decorates them with felt and ribbon.
You can make classic ornament characters like a snowman, reindeer, and Santa Claus.
They’re easy for seniors to make as well, so give it a try.
Christmas garland
Here’s an idea for a Christmas garland using raffia tape.
Wrap the tape around a piece of cardboard of a handy size several times, then cut along the edge with scissors and slide it off the cardboard.
Use another piece of raffia tape to tie the bundle near the top, then snip the bottom loops to open them up.
Attach a star to the tied part, and your tree is complete.
Make several of these, thread them onto a string, and hang them up to finish your Christmas garland! For extra holiday sparkle, bundle in some shiny, glossy tape along with the raffia tape—highly recommended.
Christmas garland
A garland that’s easy to make with origami is perfect for a craft activity leading up to Christmas! Fold a sheet of origami paper into a triangle and open it once.
Then, just like folding a paper airplane, fold the two adjacent edges toward the center line.
Fold the remaining triangular section downward, hook it over a string, and glue it in place—that’s one piece done! Arrange pieces in your favorite pattern—place various colors for a vibrant look or alternate two colors—and you’ll have a hanging decoration that brightens up any room! Be sure to enjoy the process of preparing for Christmas together with older adults as well.
Christmas tree and ornaments
This wall decoration features a Christmas tree motif with a beautiful, three-dimensional look, as if its branches are spreading out.
Don’t just focus on the tree’s shape—be mindful of the surrounding decorations, too, to fully convey the Christmas atmosphere.
Start by rolling a piece of green construction paper, cut into a fan shape, into a pointed cone.
Then attach strips of paper with fine slits cut into them to resemble branches.
The key to a beautiful finish is to layer the pieces so that the seams between attached parts are hidden.
Once you add the ornament pieces, the tree is complete.
By stacking and layering the units, you can even create a larger tree.
Christmas tree mobile
This is a cute hanging tree ornament that looks adorable from every angle! Stack two sheets of origami paper in your favorite colors and fold them together, then draw a tree outline and cut it out.
Once you have four trees of the same shape, crease each one so that the center line forms a valley fold when viewed from the front, and glue them together while folded vertically.
Before attaching the last piece, tape a string in place for hanging, then glue the remaining origami on top to hide the tape, and your tree ornament is complete.
It looks charming as it spins in the breeze, so using reflective origami paper is also recommended!
Christmas rose
Hellebores take time to bloom, and they’re often thought of as plants that don’t flower.
However, they are actually plants that produce beautiful blossoms during the cold Christmas season.
Let’s try making this flower with origami, which will brighten up Christmas in a range of colors, mainly pinks and whites.
The idea is to create star-shaped points using reverse folds, then fold them sideways to recreate the overlapping petals and soft appearance.
By paying attention to the finer steps to give it a three-dimensional finish, and by making good use of the white on the back side of the paper, you can create a beautiful hellebore.
Try different colors and incorporate them into your Christmas decorations.
Santa and the Reindeer
When it comes to Christmas, Santa Claus and his reindeer are the stars, right? There are plenty of songs about Santa, and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is the most famous reindeer song in the world.
Wouldn’t it be great to fill an entire wall with these beloved characters? When making Santa, it’s best to keep a good balance of red and white.
Be sure that the white parts of his hat and outfit don’t overlap with the white of his beard.
Using cotton for the beard gives Santa a three-dimensional look.
If you make his eyes big, you’ll get a cute, childlike Santa.
To make them look like good friends, put the same hat on the reindeer as well.