[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!
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- [For Seniors] Let’s Make New Year Decorations by Hand! A Collection of Easy Ideas Using Everyday Materials
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[For Seniors] Recommended New Year Crafts and Activities (21–30)
Rabbit New Year decoration
This is a warm, handcrafted piece you can make with everyday materials like yarn and colored construction paper.
Create a fluffy pom-pom with yarn, fold the construction paper into an accordion fan, and place a colored-pencil rabbit illustration in the center to complete a decoration that beautifully blends New Year’s festivity with cuteness.
The charm lies in being able to make a softly textured piece without any special tools.
Display it in the entryway, on the wall, or on a shelf to instantly brighten the room and evoke the excitement of welcoming the new year.
torii gate
@ralphzjayrn Torii gates are a popular feature of New Year’s celebrations in Japan, and can be a stunning backdrop for a variety of activities. Torii gates are large entrances to Shinto shrines that mark the transition from the everyday world to the sacred. It’s considered respectful to bow before passing through a torii gate.ToriiHappy New Year
♬ Japanese EDM Song (Uptempo)(823878) – Happy Spread Music
Many people go to hatsumode (the first shrine visit of the New Year), but it can be difficult for older adults to go out and pray in the cold.
So how about making a torii gate as part of the New Year’s party decorations to liven things up? Create a base from cardboard and simply cover it with black and red construction paper to make an impressive-looking torii.
Make a offertory box and a large suzu bell as well, and invite the seniors to offer their prayers.
Just having a torii gate should make the New Year’s party feel like a festive outing!
Pine, bamboo, and plum made from tissue paper
These are decorations of pine, bamboo, and plum made with tissue paper.
Each piece is simple, but arranged together like this, they make the wall look very festive.
The parts aren’t too difficult to make, either.
For the pine, fold the tissue paper in an accordion, fold it in half, cut off two corners, tie the crease with a pipe cleaner to form the branch, then make slits and fan it open to finish.
For the bamboo, fold the tissue paper into a rectangle, fold the left edge up to meet the top edge twice, unfold one layer back, twist the remaining right section, attach it to the folded part, and shape it.
This makes one bamboo leaf; make three and attach them together.
For the plum blossoms, accordion-fold the tissue paper, round both ends, and cut the center (along the folded side) into a triangle.
Then bundle it together with a wire along with the stamen piece made by cutting slits with shredding scissors, and peel apart the tissue layers one by one to shape the plum blossom.
Shichifuku Daruma (Seven Lucky Gods Daruma)
Perfect for New Year party wall decorations! How about making Seven-Lucky Daruma dolls? In this idea, you create the daruma pattern by folding a rectangular sheet of construction paper and making slits along the creases.
The remaining opposite section becomes the daruma’s face—attach a white paper base there and draw the expression with a pen.
The slit sections pop out in 3D, so they really catch the eye when displayed on the wall.
Be sure to make a variety of colorful Seven-Lucky Daruma and decorate them together with New Year-themed elements like plum blossoms.
Wall decoration: extra-large fluffy kagami mochi
At New Year’s, we display kagami mochi as a vessel for the Toshigami deity.
In this idea, we’ll recreate the kagami mochi using fluffy tissue paper.
First, stack several sheets of tissue paper, accordion-fold them, and tie the center with thread.
Then carefully separate the layers one by one, pulling them toward the center.
This will create a half-sphere, flower-like shape.
Make a total of five of these pieces, and create the mikan (mandarin) as well by using orange tissue paper in a slightly smaller size.
Stack these in tiers to form the kagami mochi on the wall.
Cut out the mikan leaves and a sanpō (ceremonial wooden stand) from construction paper to finish it off with a festive touch.
Ema made from an envelope
Let me show you an idea for making an ema (votive plaque) using a brown envelope.
First, place the envelope with the back side facing up, and fold the left corner of the flap toward the center line.
When you do this, make sure to fold it neatly so that the right corner comes to a sharp point.
Next, open the folded section and cut off the left corner along the crease.
Then, fold along the cut line twice, each fold 2 cm wide, and cut off the left side of the remaining envelope to the same width.
Also cut off the glued margin along the bottom, then unfold the parts you folded.
Cut along the crease on the left side where the envelope is still connected and open it up, then shape it into an ema by aligning it with the crease on the flap side.
Decorate it with flowers or Mt.
Fuji made from origami, and your ema decoration is complete! You can also have people write their wishes on it.
New Year wall decoration: kadomatsu
Here’s an idea for a wall decoration made using a 75 cm × 135 cm sheet of nonwoven fabric as the base.
In the center of the base is the kanji for the zodiac animal of the year, flanked on both sides by two festive New Year’s kadomatsu arrangements.
Around them, bamboo and cranes, along with gold and silver origami, add a brilliant touch.
The top and bottom of the base feature a houndstooth pattern, and each square at the top is adorned with red and white plum blossoms.
It’s a very luxurious wall decoration that will surely brighten up any room! Take your time crafting the parts, and consider making it the centerpiece of your New Year’s party décor.