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[For Seniors] Let’s Make New Year Decorations by Hand! A Collection of Easy Ideas Using Everyday Materials
How about a craft activity where you hand-make decorations to brighten up the New Year? We’ll share ideas for easy-to-try ornaments using familiar materials—auspicious motifs like senryō (coralberry), the pine-bamboo-plum trio, Mount Fuji, and sea bream.
You can crumple lots of tissue paper, accordion-fold origami, or press clay onto cardboard—great fine-motor exercises, too.
If everyone divides up the tasks and works together, the conversation will flow and smiles will abound.
Once the decorations are finished and hung on the wall, they’ll fill the space with a festive New Year’s atmosphere.
Enjoy a fun crafting time while sending your wishes into the coming year!
[For Seniors] Let's Make New Year's Decorations by Hand! A roundup of easy ideas using familiar materials (1–10)
A small New Year’s pine decoration at the mallNEW!
Pipe cleaners are also great for New Year’s decorations.
Let’s make pine, bamboo, and plum—auspicious plants for the New Year—and add them to a kadomatsu.
You create them by wrapping and curling the pipe cleaners.
While making these lucky New Year items, older adults can enjoy themselves and get plenty of fine-motor movement, too.
As you work, you might recall past New Year’s and year-end memories with family and have lively conversations.
A kadomatsu made with fluffy pipe cleaners gives off a cozy, heartwarming feel.
It could make a lovely interior decoration as well.
Japanese-style ema plaque with 100-yen origami
Let’s make an ema (a wooden plaque used to write wishes for the gods) using patterned origami paper and colored construction paper.
First, fold the origami paper in half by matching the top and bottom edges, then place it back down with the crease at the top.
Next, fold the bottom-right corner up into a triangle so that it meets the center of the top edge.
Then fold that triangle again so its base aligns with the vertical center line of the origami.
Unfold the paper back to the half-folded state, and cut along the leftmost diagonal crease with scissors—the left side of the origami will now be in the shape of an ema.
Glue this onto the colored construction paper and cut around it, leaving a 5 mm border.
After that, attach a white piece of paper for writing your wish, and glue on a string and knot made from the leftover origami.
Add decorations, and it’s complete.
Origami Shimenawa Wreath
Let’s make an original shimenawa New Year’s wreath using origami that parents and kids can enjoy together.
Prepare seven sheets of origami paper and fold the base parts.
The key is to align with the lines and make crisp creases as you fold.
After folding all seven the same way, connect them and assemble them into the round shimenawa shape.
For the top section, add creases to create a rope-like pattern and glue it together.
You can also crumple a piece of origami into a ball to make a cute tangerine (mikan) and attach it as a decoration.
New Year’s arrangement with 100-yen shop artificial flowers
It’s long been a tradition to tidy up and decorate with fresh flowers for New Year’s to welcome the Toshigami (New Year deity).
You can easily enjoy making a gorgeous New Year’s decoration using artificial flowers from the 100-yen shop.
Arrange your favorite artificial flowers on a base.
The key is to decide placement while considering the size, shape, and color of each flower, creating a balanced composition.
Incorporating red and white or gold may enhance the New Year’s feel.
Filling gaps with small artificial berries or leaves can add volume and make the arrangement look more festive.
New Year wall decoration
First, make the base by diagonally attaching reversible red-and-gold crepe paper onto a rectangular sheet of black construction paper.
Then, decorate by adding paper flowers, a paper fan, and mizuhiki cords on top.
Create each flower by making the individual parts separately and then assembling them into a single bloom.
Arrange the parts for balance and attach them with a hot glue gun.
Adding gold glitter to the flower centers will give an even more glamorous finish.
Besides pine, bamboo, and plum, there are many flowers perfect for New Year’s, such as chrysanthemums, lilies, and ornamental cabbages, so it’s also recommended to arrange and create your favorite flowers.
Origami Japanese-style Decoration: Crane and Fan
Let’s combine origami and washi paper to make a crane and a folding fan.
First, fold the origami paper in half, then accordion-fold it, keeping the spacing evenly aligned as you go.
When creating a folding screen shape, vary the sizes and adjust where you make the halfway fold to achieve the look.
A key tip is to position the washi pattern on top so it remains visible.
Fold a crane using a quarter-size piece of origami paper, and finish by attaching plum blossoms around it.
Mizuhiki, which enhances a traditional Japanese atmosphere, is perfect for celebrations and festive occasions.
Give it a try!
New Year’s decoration with camellias and mizuhiki
Would you like to make an elegant New Year’s decoration using mizuhiki cords? First, thread your favorite beads onto three mizuhiki cords.
Glue the cords onto the backing paper in an S-shape, then decide where the beads should go and glue them in place as well.
In the remaining blank areas of the backing, arrange and glue felt pieces shaped like pine, bamboo, plum, and camellia, along with squares of washi paper with traditional patterns.
Once your design is set, attach the backing to a gold base, add a cord for hanging, and you’re done.
Using black backing paper will make the mizuhiki stand out beautifully.
Shishimai decoration
Let’s try making a shishimai (lion dance) craft by tearing origami paper.
First, tear green origami into small pieces for the lion’s body.
Using two sheets—one solid and one patterned—will make the finish more festive, so it’s recommended.
Paste the torn pieces onto a white backing paper in the shape of a large circle, then attach the lion’s face and ear parts cut from another sheet of construction paper on top.
Use round stickers for the eyes and cheeks, and cotton for the hair.
Finally, attach a red-and-white chenille stem (pipe cleaner) with a bell around the neck, thread a string for hanging, and you’re done!
Shimenawa made of paper
For New Year’s, let’s try making a shimenawa decoration—often displayed at the front door—using only construction paper.
You’ll make the shimenawa base, camellias, plum blossoms, shide (paper streamers), and a fan.
Since templates are available for download, you can cut the listed parts from construction paper and assemble them by following the steps.
It’s best to place the template on the construction paper, staple it in place, and cut them together.
Add slits, fold along the creases in an accordion style, and enjoy the paper crafting process as you create it.
Kadomatsu wall decoration
A New Year décor classic! Here’s how to make a kadomatsu wall decoration.
First, cover a cork coaster (the base) with chirimen fabric.
Next, glue washi-patterned origami and mizuhiki onto a strip of cardstock, roll it into a tube to form the kadomatsu base.
Wrap green origami around a straw and cut the tips diagonally to make green bamboo, accordion-fold origami to create a fan, and skewer decorative balls onto craft wire to represent mochi blossoms and nandina berries.
Make a “Geeshun” (Happy New Year) tag by sandwiching a toothpick between paper, then arrange everything neatly on the base.
For the mochi blossoms, nandina, and New Year tag, insert a piece of foam into the base and stick them in.
Finally, glue the kadomatsu onto the base, attach a hanging cord, and you’re done!