[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 Decorations by Hand! A roundup of easy ideas using familiar materials (51–60)
Snow Rabbit Kagami Mochi and Sanpō
Decorations of a snow rabbit kagamimochi and a sanpo tray that you can make with familiar materials and give a three-dimensional feel.
With its traditional Japanese atmosphere, this craft is recommended for seniors as interior decor or a hands-on activity.
Crumple tissue paper to form large and small mochi, and stack them in a balanced way.
Use a long No.
3 envelope as the base; placing the kagamimochi on top creates the look of a sanpo tray.
Make parts like the red berries of nandina and the rabbit’s ears from origami paper, and by getting creative with the expression, you can finish it as an adorable snow rabbit.
The soft texture of paper and cotton gives it a gentle impression, making it a friendly New Year’s decoration.
It’s an idea that conveys the warmth of something handmade.
origami horse zodiac
One of the twelve zodiac signs, the Horse (Uma).
Let’s fold a horse out of origami to welcome the New Year.
Using washi-patterned or double-sided origami paper makes it look very festive.
In this video, hand-dyed yuzen paper is used.
Fold with the patterned side on the outside.
Pay attention to making clean, sharp corners—the neater the folds, the better the final result.
The section that becomes the face involves a 3D fold and takes a bit of practice, but the challenge makes finishing it all the more rewarding.
How about enjoying some conversation with friends or family as you get started on New Year’s preparations?
Cute Paper Kadomatsu New Year Decoration
This is a New Year’s decoration made with paper cups that even older adults who aren’t used to crafts can enjoy.
Insert parts made from origami or colored paper—such as bamboo, plum blossoms, and leaves—into the base paper cup, arranging them in a balanced way.
Using round sticks or toothpicks adds a three-dimensional look and increases satisfaction with the finished piece.
Using washi or chiyogami makes it look more luxurious and enhances the New Year atmosphere when displayed.
It’s a fitting idea for the festive spirit of the season.
A crane floating inside a cylinder
Let’s make a stylish and mysterious decoration that looks like a crane—an emblem of longevity—floating in the air! All you need is a single sheet of origami paper, scissors, and glue.
First, fold the paper to create a cross-shaped crease in the center.
After folding it into a square, fold the center into a triangle, make a large cut with the scissors, and then unfold the paper.
Using the square that appears in the middle, fold a crane.
Once the crane is finished, shape the entire origami into a cylindrical form as if spreading the crane’s wings, and glue the edges together to finish.
Display it on a table or anywhere you like!
[For Seniors] Let's Make New Year's Decorations by Hand! A roundup of easy ideas using everyday materials (61–70)
cocoon ball
Mayudama, made to pray for a bountiful harvest, are one of the quintessential New Year’s decorations.
Traditionally, they are made by attaching rice cakes or dumplings to branches of oak or willow.
Here, however, let’s make them without using food! Instead of rice cakes, prepare six round pieces of paper of the same size and combine them to form a single spherical mayudama.
If you string several of these spheres together with thread, you can easily create a cute mayudama decoration! Other recommended methods include covering small round styrofoam balls with chirimen crepe fabric, or using small fluffy fabric pom-poms.
Plum blossoms on a folding fan
Here’s how to make a festive decoration featuring a vibrant fan adorned with plum blossoms, perfect for the New Year.
For the origami fan, start by folding the paper in half to create a guide, open it, then fold toward the crease, and fold in half again—continuing to make fine creases for an accordion fold.
Fold along the creases in alternating directions to form two accordion-folded pieces, stack them together, and bind them about 4 cm up from the bottom with gold wire.
Trim the corners at both the top and bottom to round them off—the extra touch really elevates the look.
Add mizuhiki cords and plum blossoms in your own style.
Try using two colors of origami, and choose hues that feel right for the New Year.
Daruma doll, rising-sun fan, and adonis flowers (fukujusō)
How about a wall decoration packed with lucky symbols: a daruma for prosperous business, a fan that spreads good fortune, and Adonis flowers (Fukujusō) whose floral language signifies happiness? First, make the daruma by combining two sheets of accordion-folded paper to form the body, then layer a single sheet of accordion-folded white paper for the face.
Add the eyes, mustache, and the pattern on the belly to finish.
Make the Japanese-flag fan the same way, using accordion folds.
For the Adonis flowers, cut yellow paper into flower shapes and combine it with finely slitted yellow and green paper.
Once you’ve made plenty of each part, arrange them thoughtfully and decorate the wall!