Easy origami that delights the elderly. Enjoy a heart-lifting time with seasonal origami.
Origami is a wonderful hobby that lets you enjoy the charm of the seasons.
Seasonal creations—like spring clovers, summer festival coats (happi), and autumn maple leaves—have a mysterious way of warming the heart.
Here, we introduce seasonal origami that can be enjoyed together with older adults.
Beyond their visual beauty, these activities can also help stimulate the brain through fingertip movements.
Most of the designs are simple and easy to fold, so seniors can join in comfortably.
They’re perfect for facility events or spending quality time with family.
We hope you enjoy a lovely moment through origami.
Seasonal Origami (1–10)
ice creamNEW!
Prepare two sheets of origami paper, as we’ll make the ice cream and the cone separately.
For the ice cream, fold the paper into a triangle, then fold all three corners inward to finish.
For the cone, also fold into a triangle, but then open it once you’ve made the crease, and fold the left edge in to meet that crease.
Rotate the paper so the newly formed point is at the bottom, then fold the top corner down to make a triangle.
Next, fold the top edge down about 1.5 cm, flip the paper over, and repeat the same fold to complete the cone.
It’s an easy idea to customize too—for example, you can use pleated folds on the ice cream part to suggest soft serve.
jellyfishNEW!
It’s dangerous to touch them, but jellyfish are hugely popular for their beautiful appearance.
Still, jellyfish have many tentacles, so making one with origami might seem difficult.
However, with this idea, you can make a jellyfish using just one sheet of origami paper! In short, you first fold it so that it separates into the body and the tentacles, then use scissors to make cuts to divide the tentacles.
Finally, accordion-fold the tentacles diagonally, alternating left and right, and you’re done.
It looks cool and refreshing, and it’s also a great idea for finger exercise for older adults.
Enjoy it during your summer craft time!
watermelonNEW!
Watermelons are a quintessential summer food; they evoke the heat of summer not only through their refreshing taste but also through their appearance.
This piece aims to recreate a watermelon with origami, letting people feel both the heat and the sense of refreshment from it.
Since the beauty of red and green is essential to a watermelon, let’s skillfully reproduce that with a good combination of origami papers.
Also, a rounder shape looks more realistic, so it’s important to make finer folds and keep it as round as possible.
It might also work to leave some slack in the creases at the edges to create a three-dimensional effect.
Tanabata star decorationsNEW!
Make cross and X-shaped creases on the origami paper, valley-fold along the cross and mountain-fold along the X to collapse the paper into a square.
Fold it in half into a triangle, draw a template, and cut.
After making four stars at once like this, connect them vertically and glue them together.
Attach this to the remaining origami paper and your decoration is complete! Alternating the colored and white sides of the stars on the front will give a more vibrant finish.
It would also be lovely to make them with double-sided origami or transparent origami.
summer vegetablesNEW!
Every food has a season when it tastes best, and there are many kinds of vegetables that are delicious in summer.
This activity involves making summer vegetables with origami, learning what counts as summer vegetables while also stimulating your appetite.
Since many vegetables—starting with tomatoes—are round, fold the corners firmly to express that roundness and convey their delicious appeal.
It also sounds fun to focus on the quality of each piece and let your imagination run about what dishes you could make with these vegetables.
Milky WayNEW!
Let me show you how to make a Milky Way decoration you can also use for Tanabata.
Fold the origami paper in half several times so it becomes long and narrow, then make fine cuts from the top and bottom edges.
The key is to first make cuts from one side, and then insert the scissors from the opposite side to cut in between those slits.
Once you’re done, gently open it up and pull it to the sides so the mesh spreads out, and it’s complete.
Be careful not to pull too hard, as it can tear easily.
It could also look lovely made with transparent origami or watercolor-patterned origami paper.
straw hatNEW!
Hats are the classic way to protect yourself from the summer sun, and when it comes to summer hats, many people strongly associate them with straw hats.
This piece invites you to make a straw hat out of origami and imagine a refreshing breeze in the heat of the season.
Since the gentle roundness of a straw hat is key, be sure to fold the corners of the paper firmly to create an overall rounded shape.
Once the hat’s form is set, it’s important to add decorations like a ribbon—capturing the fun of wearing the hat out and about might be just as important.