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] Introducing Handmade Decoration Ideas to Welcome a Wonderful Christmas (71–80)
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.
Santa Claus
Let’s make Santa Claus, an iconic Christmas motif, using origami.
Draw lines on red origami paper and cut it out, then roll it into a pointed cone to form the base.
Attach parts like the face, beard, and hat trim to it.
Use rhinestones for the facial features, stickers for the buttons on the outfit, and finish by adding a pom-pom to the tip of the triangle.
It’s also recommended to make mascots like a reindeer or snowman using the same base and display them together to enhance the Christmas atmosphere.
Santa paper fan
This is a three-dimensional Santa paper fan that you can decorate your room or door with for Christmas.
Why not make this cute item that uses a paper fan to represent Santa’s white beard? After folding a sheet of construction paper in half, crease the center, then accordion-fold it from both the top and bottom.
Connect the accordion-folded pieces with clips and fishing line, then attach the printed Santa cutouts on top to finish.
Because it can be made in just a few steps, it’s also recommended for use in recreational activities and events at care facilities.
Try adding arrangements that seniors can enjoy, such as drawing Santa by hand, and put it into practice.
Cyclamen
Cyclamen flowers bloom facing downward, yet they also resemble blazing flames—a duality that makes them truly captivating.
How about crafting cyclamen out of origami and using them as Christmas decorations? With a wide range of colors available, choosing your favorites—beyond the classic red, white, and pink—will make them even more vibrant.
The flower part takes on a crane-like shape midway through, so the folding will feel familiar.
Then just make the stem and leaves, connect them, and you’re done! Their three-dimensional form is lovely, so displaying them in a bottle or similar container is also recommended.
Double heart hanging ornament
A glamorous and cute double-heart origami decoration.
First, divide a 15 cm square sheet of origami paper into eight vertical strips to make long, thin bands.
One double heart can be made from four bands.
Fold one band in half with the colored side facing out, and another band in half with the white side facing out.
Sandwich the colored-side-out band between two full-length bands, then place the white-side-out band on top and staple them together.
Starting from the outer parts, curl each piece inward and down, staple to secure, punch a hole, and hang with thread—and it’s done.
It’s nice that the steps are so simple!
Tree
When it comes to essential Christmas decorations, the “tree” is a must, right? It’s the main feature of Christmas decor, and many places—like senior care facilities—create large wall-mounted trees when December comes around.
There are many ways to make tree decorations, but here’s a super simple one: a tree made from origami.
Fold the origami paper into a triangle, make cuts with scissors, then open it up.
You’ll get strips that you glue one by one toward the center.
Finish by adding a star and a tree trunk, and it’s done! It’s a great idea for a small craft to take home, too.
