For Seniors: Auspicious Handmade Zodiac Ornament Craft Ideas
The Chinese zodiac changes every year, and figurines of that year’s zodiac animal are considered lucky charms.
It’s said that if you display them in your entryway, living room, or household shrine, they will protect your home for a year.
In this article, we introduce handmade zodiac decoration craft ideas tailored for older adults!
The look and feel change depending on the materials you use, so choose your favorite based on what makes you think, “I’d love to display this at home—it’s lovely.”
Try making this year’s zodiac figurine together with everyone at a day service or other care facility!
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[For Seniors] Auspicious! Handmade Zodiac Ornament Craft Ideas (1–10)
Zodiac Paper Cups
Let’s make zodiac animals and figurines using paper cups—great helpers for craft projects! Paper cups are easy to handle and convenient since most households have them, and you can also buy them at 100-yen shops.
Cut a paper cup vertically in half, and shape the bottom part to become the animal’s mouth.
Adjust the face shape, add ears, and attach arms and legs.
This method is versatile, so you can create many kinds of animals in many poses.
Using natural brown or patterned paper cups also makes them look charming.
Wall decoration
Eto-themed wall decorations that brighten up your room can make you feel the festivity of the New Year just by looking at them.
Using colored construction paper to create a variety of decorations based on the zodiac animal of the year is a very positive craft activity.
While you need to be careful when using tools like scissors, coming up with your own original designs is also great training for the brain.
If you make them with the intention of praying for a good year for the family and friends you spend time with, this craft will likely leave you feeling refreshed and uplifted as well.
Nodding Zodiac
How about a zodiac ornament with an animal whose head bobs up and down, guaranteed to lift your spirits just by looking at it? This decoration is easy to make using just a milk carton, colored construction paper, a clear file, and a piece of cardboard—highly recommended for its simplicity.
To make it, first cut open the side of the milk carton opposite the overlapped seam and remove the bottom.
Next, fold the construction paper in half and glue it to the outside of the carton.
Finally, create the face with a different sheet of origami paper, then attach it to the body using a long, narrow strip of construction paper—and you’re done! It’s also great brain exercise, so consider using it in day service centers and similar facilities.
For Seniors: Auspicious! Handmade Zodiac Ornament Craft Ideas (11–20)
Paper plate zodiac
Ornaments of the zodiac made with paper plates are recommended because you can create them with familiar materials.
You can enjoy the craft by pasting origami and other papers onto a shaped paper plate, then adding facial parts and patterns to finish.
Just the zodiac face is fine, but adding New Year-style decorations will make it feel even more festive for the season.
However, since you’ll often be using scissors or a utility knife to cut and paste the paper plates, please work carefully.
origami: horse ema (votive plaque)
Here’s an idea for making an ema (votive plaque) from a single sheet of origami paper.
The creasing step is important for this one: you’ll cut along those crease lines with scissors and keep folding from there.
The steps for folding the horse are quite detailed, so having some tools on hand might help.
Also, if you use 15 cm origami paper, the finished piece will be quite small, so we recommend using a larger sheet.
Write your wish on the white part of the ema and hang it up with a string.
Use brown-toned origami paper for this project.
battledore (a traditional Japanese decorative paddle used for New Year, also used in the game hanetsuki)
Hagoita, a traditional New Year’s pastime.
Every year toward the end of December, I often see people who made headlines that year turned into hagoita decorations on the TV news.
Hagoita are not only for playing—they’re also popular as ornaments.
These days, you can even find DIY kits and wooden boards pre-cut into the shape of a hagoita at 100-yen shops! Using a kit to paint the zodiac animal of the year and display it would surely look lovely.
And not just painting—try decorating it with mizuhiki cords or chirimen fabric, which you can also get at 100-yen shops.
Mosaic Zodiac Ornament
Recommended when you want to try making something with a slightly cute, retro vibe.
This is a mosaic artwork that depicts the animals of the Chinese zodiac using tile items from 100-yen shops.
You can glue classic glass tiles onto a board, or, if you’re not fond of fiddly work or your hands aren’t steady, use sticker-type tiles to make it easily.
You can go into fine detail, or just enjoy broad shapes like silhouettes.
Put it in a photo frame and it instantly looks stylish.
You’ll enjoy the beautiful colors unique to tiles, and it’ll brighten your mood!
