For seniors: Heartwarming and cozy. Recommended handmade Hina dolls
Hinamatsuri is an event filled with the wish for girls to grow up healthy and happy.
On March 3rd, many families traditionally display Hina dolls and celebrate.
In this article, we introduce handmade Hina doll ideas especially for seniors.
One-of-a-kind handmade Hina dolls have a warm, charming feel, don’t they?
The Hina dolls featured here are all easy to make using familiar, readily available materials, so please feel free to use them as inspiration.
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[For Seniors] Heartwarming and Cozy. Recommended Handmade Hina Dolls (51–60)
Hina Doll Card
How about making flat decorations—Hina Doll cards? Hina dolls made of origami can be hard to display, but with cards you can stand them up as they are, stick them on the wall, or put them in a photo frame—there are lots of ways to decorate.
Make slender, kokeshi-like Hina dolls (the Empress and Emperor) out of origami and attach them to a backing card.
It’s also nice to decorate around the edges of the backing with chiyogami or your favorite colors, using a torn-paper or collage style.
Adding a message on the back and giving it as a gift is also recommended.
folding screen
If you’re making the Emperor and Empress dolls with Hina Matsuri origami, adding a folding screen will make the display even more festive.
You can make one with just two sheets of gold origami paper, so give it a try! First, stack the two sheets and accordion-fold them, then trim one end with scissors.
Open them up and simply attach the two pieces together.
Because it’s accordion-folded, it can stand upright on its own! You can use it both flat and three-dimensional, so be sure to incorporate it into your Hina Matsuri decorations.
paper lantern (especially small decorative festival lantern)
Let’s make paper lanterns (bonbori) out of origami to complement the Emperor and Empress dolls! You can make one lantern from a single sheet of origami paper.
The key is to make sharp, well-defined creases as you fold.
Some steps are a bit tricky, but take your time and enjoy folding carefully while chatting with others.
Try different colors or patterned paper for a lovely finish.
Since it works both as a flat piece for wall decorations and as a freestanding ornament, you can display it in various ways to suit your space—another part of its charm!
Hina dolls in clear pockets
These are soft, cute Hina dolls made with clear pockets and tissue paper.
You can enjoy the finished pieces even after making them by displaying them in seniors’ rooms and more.
Crumple tissue paper in colors inspired by the Emperor (odairi-sama) and Empress (ohina-sama), roll it into balls, and place it into clear pockets to form the bodies.
Since you use your hands and fingertips, it can help stimulate the brain.
Attach a face drawn on construction paper to the body you just made to complete the doll.
Prepare a decorated paper plate or backing, paste the dolls on, and hang it on the wall.
With a little creativity—like making it into a wreath—it becomes a lovely interior decoration or display piece.
[For Seniors] Heartwarming and Cozy: Recommended Handmade Hina Dolls (61–70)
Hina dolls placed on a table, gently swaying
An easy Hinamatsuri decoration idea that seniors can enjoy: thread pipe cleaners through a paper cup to make a hanging ornament.
Draw illustrations on a paper cup with pens or stickers, then make a hole in the center of the cup’s bottom.
Twist three pipe cleaners together from about 2 cm up to the halfway point, and thread them through the hole in the paper cup.
Secure the pipe cleaners on the inside, then wrap their ends around a pen to form the base.
Tape on decorations made from construction paper and add gradient pom-poms; once decorated, you’ll have a gently swaying tsurushi-bina (hanging Hina doll) ornament.
Hina dolls made with toilet paper rolls and origami
This craft uses toilet paper rolls that you might otherwise throw away to make Hina dolls.
It requires very few materials, so if you’re looking for a Hinamatsuri craft, definitely give it a try! The basic method is simply to decorate cut toilet paper rolls with origami or Japanese-patterned paper.
Rounding the corners of the rolls gives them a cute look! You can also make the kimono sleeves three-dimensional to add a touch of elegance.
Since this is a highly flexible craft, try creating your own original Hina dolls!
Bonbori (lanterns) made with toilet paper rolls and origami
Let’s make a “bonbori” lantern that gently lights up on either side of the Emperor and Empress dolls.
If you have a toilet paper roll and origami paper ready, you can make one easily.
The main body of the lantern is made from a toilet paper roll, while the glowing flame and decorative patterns are created with origami.
Using your favorite origami will give you colorful, unique lanterns.
You’ll cut the toilet paper roll into the shape of the lantern, but please handle scissors with care.
You could also pre-cut the rolls into lantern shapes and have older adults assemble them.
Once finished, you’ll have a sweet piece that glows softly and gently.