![[For Seniors] Craft Ideas Recommended for New Year’s and the New Year](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/kZWyZJoGYZE/maxresdefault.webp)
[For Seniors] Craft Ideas Recommended for New Year’s and the New Year
In winter it’s cold and you tend to feel reluctant to do anything.
At times like that, try adding some fun, absorbing craft activities.
In this article, we’ll share New Year–themed craft ideas you can enjoy, perfect for the season.
New Year’s brings a festive image, and it’s the perfect time to make New Year decorations.
As a New Year craft activity, enjoy origami with auspicious motifs, or try making New Year decorations at the end of the year in preparation for the holiday.
Each idea is sure to result in a gorgeous, delightful creation!
[For Seniors] Recommended New Year’s Crafts and Activities (1–10)
Pine made with tissue paper
As a traditional New Year’s good-luck motif, the pine-bamboo-plum trio is indispensable.
This time, let’s make a pine tree using tissue paper.
Accordion-fold green tissue paper and cut it in half.
Make fine slits on both ends, attach a pipe cleaner in the middle, and fan it open to complete the pine needles.
The pipe cleaner will serve as the pine branch! Next, use brown tissue paper to form the trunk and branches.
Crumpling the tissue paper and applying liquid glue makes it easier to shape—this is a key tip.
Work together with the seniors to make many pieces and create a magnificent pine tree to brighten the New Year at the senior facility.
kusudama (decorative paper ball used for celebrations)
Let’s make a perfect New Year’s kusudama using origami.
Prepare 32 sheets of 8×8 cm origami paper and 32 sheets of 7.5×7.5 cm origami paper.
First, fold each sheet from one corner to the opposite corner.
Next, fold it in half so that one edge meets the opposite edge, then continue folding as you would when making a paper crane.
Open it once and fold along the crease lines.
After making 32 units of each size, combine the smaller units with the larger ones, glue them together, and decorate with beads to finish! Since this uses fine motor skills, it’s recommended as finger dexterity training for older adults.
Kite making
Many people played with kites when they were young, and I’m sure many older adults did too.
Here, we’re introducing a kite-themed wall decoration.
If you can draw, feel free to create your own illustration; if you prefer coloring, we’ll provide a black-and-white illustration for you.
Tailor the project to each person.
Cut the finished illustration into a kite shape, then attach a tail made from a straw and tissue paper to the back.
Thread a string through the straw, and your wall decoration is complete.
Enjoy making it while sharing stories about the days when you used to fly kites.
Rotating zodiac
This is a rotating zodiac chart made with wooden spoons.
Draw the zodiac animals on the bowl of each spoon.
Next, make the rotating base.
Use cardboard and a paper plate as the base, and assemble it so it can rotate using straws and chenille stems (pipe cleaners).
Once the rotating base is finished, attach the wooden spoons with the zodiac drawings onto the base to complete it.
The animal at the 12 o’clock position represents this year’s zodiac sign, and by spinning the base, you’ll have a zodiac chart you can use every year.
You can divide the tasks among everyone, or adapt and arrange the steps to suit your situation.
folding-fan crane (origami crane with a fan-like design)
It’s an auspicious piece perfect for the New Year: a fan with a crane attached.
In fact, this work is made from a single sheet of origami paper—the fan and the crane are connected.
Hearing that, you might think, “That sounds really complex and difficult,” but surprisingly, all you need to do is make a single cut in the center of the paper.
After making the cut, accordion-fold one half of the paper to form the fan, and use the other half to fold the crane.
There are a few points to watch out for, but the basic steps follow the standard method for folding a crane, so it’s quite approachable.
Maneki-neko piggy bank
Here’s an introduction to a maneki-neko (beckoning cat) piggy bank.
Maneki-neko have long been considered lucky charms.
With this piggy bank, the cat’s paw actually moves when you put money in.
Let’s make it together and surprise some seniors! All the materials, aside from two milk cartons, can be found at a 100-yen shop.
First, cut one milk carton to create the cat’s body.
Next, use the other milk carton and a bamboo skewer to build the mechanism that moves the paw.
Attach construction paper and draw a maneki-neko illustration on the front to finish.
It’ll be fun to have everyone draw their own cat faces and display lots of unique, personality-filled maneki-neko.
plum blossoms
Here’s a simple plum blossom craft.
Prepare construction paper, cotton swabs, and gold acrylic paint.
Cut the cotton swabs in half and paint them gold.
Next, cut a 5-centimeter-diameter circle from red construction paper.
Fold the circle in half, make three of these, stack them together, and staple them.
Then gently open each piece to form petals.
The key is to avoid leaving a crease down the middle of the petals.
Glue the sides of the petals together, attach the gold-painted cotton swab in the center, and you’re done.
It’s very easy to make, so it could be perfect for recreational activities for seniors.