[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!
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[For Seniors] Let's Make New Year's Decorations by Hand! A roundup of easy ideas using familiar materials (1–10)
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!
New Year’s decoration with a crane and a folding fan
Here are some New Year’s decoration ideas using cranes and fans.
Make the crane by folding origami.
For the fan, accordion-fold a sheet of origami paper, bring the two ends together, fold it in half, and glue the inside to hold its shape.
For the ornament with the characters “Geshun” (Welcoming Spring), fold a strip of construction paper in half, then fold both ends slightly, overlap those folded sections, and glue them together.
Once it forms a signboard shape, attach a piece of paper with “Geshun” written on it to the front.
After you’ve attached the crane, fan, and “Geshun” ornament to the base, punch out some small round pieces and scatter them around to finish with a festive touch.
[For Seniors] Let’s Make New Year’s Decorations by Hand! A Collection of Easy Ideas Using Everyday Materials (11–20)
Preserved flower, hagoita style
Let’s make a preserved-flower hagoita that you can display in your entryway as a festive, auspicious New Year’s decoration.
Cut cardboard into the shape of a hagoita to create the base, adjusting the size to suit where you’ll display it.
Attach the front and back fabrics together, then use glue to add artificial flowers and pom-poms as you like.
It might also be nice to glue on natural items like nuts or seed pods to give it a seasonal feel.
Finally, glue a ribbon around the edge to finish.
Give making your own original hagoita a try!
Ball-shaped New Year’s decoration
New Year decorations shaped like smooth, cornerless balls are popular as auspicious ornaments perfect for the season.
Prepare 24 circular pieces of construction paper.
Fold each circle in half and glue the halves together, applying glue to one side as you go.
A glue stick is recommended because it helps prevent wrinkling and makes it easier to stick.
Clip the pieces with clothespins to hold them in place, apply glue to the center area, and press firmly to secure.
Use washi paper and ribbon to make decorations and attach them with glue.
Finally, wind thread about 30 times, attach it to the ornament, and you’re done.
Feel free to choose thread in any color you like.
Mini Hagoita Ornament
Let’s make a handmade hagoita, perfect as a New Year’s decoration.
Cut construction paper into the shape of a hagoita to create the base.
Attach felt to both sides with glue—using different colors may make it look even more festive.
Cut plum blossoms and shuttlecocks from felt, glue them together, and arrange them on the hagoita.
Adding a vivid color to the background of the hagoita can enhance the New Year’s celebratory feel.
Decorating with sparkly beads or rhinestone stickers is also recommended.
Simple tissue paper shimenawa wreath
Shimenawa are often displayed as New Year approaches to ward off evil spirits and indicate a place to welcome the gods.
Prepare four sheets of crepe paper and glue the edges together.
Place folded tissue paper inside and roll it up to wrap it, which will give the shimenawa some thickness.
Twist it as you shape it into a loop.
For the mizuhiki cords, form loops in both large and small sizes, balancing their proportions as you go.
Make an Edo-uchi cord and attach the flowers, and it’s complete.
Create a handmade shimenawa and welcome a festive New Year.