For Seniors: Wishing for Good Health — Handmade Setsubun Decoration Ideas
This time, we’re sharing handmade Setsubun decoration ideas for older adults.
Since Setsubun is a traditional event passed down through the ages, many of you have probably celebrated it before.
Setsubun marks the division between winter and spring.
People pray to “stay healthy for the year,” eat ehomaki to ward off misfortune, and throw beans to drive away evil.
When making Setsubun crafts, put your heart into wishing for good health, and have fun creating them together—chatting and laughing—with everyone at the nursing home or day service.
- [For Seniors] Fun and Easy Oni Crafts to Liven Up Setsubun: Simple, Enjoyable Ideas
- Recreation Ideas for Seniors: Perfect for Setsubun and Bean-Throwing Activities
- [For Seniors] Fun February Crafts: Ideas Inspired by Setsubun, Valentine’s Day, and Other Events
- [Day Service] Setsubun decorations that bring smiles. Ideas for enjoying them with a variety of materials.
- [For Seniors] February Wall Decorations: Setsubun-Themed! Fun Ideas with Oni Demons and Ehomaki Sushi Rolls
- [For Seniors] Liven Up Setsubun Crafts! Handmade Ideas Using a Variety of Materials
- [For Day Service Centers] February Craft Ideas: Decorations for Setsubun, Valentine’s Day, and the Feeling of Spring
- [For Seniors] Recommended Wall Decorations and Crafts for January
- [For Seniors] Brighten Up Hinamatsuri: Wall Decoration Ideas
- For Seniors: Simple and Lovely Crafts – A Collection of Take-Home Project Ideas for Day Service
- [Day Service] Excited for Hinamatsuri! Craft ideas to brighten up your room
- For Seniors: Wall Decorations to Brighten Up February — Festive Ideas for Setsubun, Valentine’s Day, Plum Blossoms, and More
- For Seniors: Auspicious Handmade Zodiac Ornament Craft Ideas
[For Seniors] Wishing for Good Health: Handmade Setsubun Decoration Ideas (21–30)
Setsubun origami wreath wall decoration
It’s long been said that displaying holly and fish heads at the entrance wards off evil.
Let’s make a fun, decorative wreath out of origami—perfect for Setsubun.
We’ll create each part in origami: the sardine head, the bone section, holly leaves, an Okame mask, a red oni, and a blue oni.
The key is to carefully fold creases and balance facial expressions to add a sense of depth.
For the wreath base, using washi-patterned origami paper will enhance the seasonal feel of Setsubun.
Give this seasonal Setsubun wreath a try!
Cute hanging decorations for Setsubun
Hanging decorations that you make and display while enjoying the Setsubun festivities add an original touch and can create a lovely space.
Use an awl to make a hole through the center of a round polystyrene foam ball, then wrap thread around the ball.
Make slits and cut the ball in half, and start attaching fabric to the halves.
Carefully adhere the fabric, aligning it with the slits.
Glue two strands of yarn over the slit area and tie them like a ribbon.
Thread on pom-pom balls or flowers, and your hanging decoration is complete.
Prepare a variety of colors and try making bright, cheerful hanging ornaments.
[For Seniors] Wishing for Good Health: Handmade Setsubun Decoration Ideas (31–40)
Oni Origami Calendar
Let’s fold motifs related to February with origami and make a February calendar! Speaking of February, there’s Setsubun.
You can’t leave out ogres, their striped pants, and a club.
It’s also the coldest time of year, but the plum blossoms are just beginning to bloom.
While looking forward to the arrival of warm spring, it’s fun to fold plum blossoms in both large and small sizes.
Once you’re done folding, paste them onto a backing sheet, write in the dates, and you’re finished.
We see calendars every day, but when it’s a handmade calendar filled with warmth, you can’t help but stop and take a long look at it.
Oni roly-poly doll
Here’s an idea for making a papier-mâché roly-poly oni (Japanese ogre).
It’s a recommended project that’s fun both as a decoration and as a toy.
First, inflate a small balloon and brush on glue diluted with water.
Then stick small torn pieces of tissue/flower paper all over to create the oni’s skin and pants.
Once dry, pop the balloon and remove it, then use glue to fix a marble to the bottom.
Seal the opening with a circle of construction paper, and finish by attaching yarn hair, paper horns, and the facial features.
Crepe-paper Ehomaki
Handling real food can be tricky from a hygiene standpoint, but you still want kids to experience making ehomaki! In that case, we recommend making ehomaki using tissue paper.
It’s super easy—just roll and glue.
On a sheet of paper standing in for the nori, arrange crumpled tissue paper in colors that match the fillings, like white for vinegared rice and yellow for egg.
Once everything’s on, roll it up tightly to encase the fillings and glue the end to seal.
Cut it so the cross-section looks neat, arrange the pieces on a plate, and you’re done!
Oni made of chirimen fabric
Just by cutting and sticking chirimen fabric, you can make an adorable little oni ornament! Pre-cut pieces of chirimen for the oni’s body, hair, and shorts.
Then use double-sided tape to attach the cut fabric to an egg-shaped Styrofoam ball, smoothing to avoid wrinkles, trim any excess, and finish by adding small decorations like the eyes, mouth, and patterns on the shorts.
No sewing or risky cutting required! If you use leftover fabric scraps, you can create a colorful, stylish oni with a different vibe from the traditional Japanese chirimen look.
Wall Decoration: Bean-Throwing (Setsubun)
Do you know why beans are placed in a masu box? Masu have long been considered auspicious, sacred vessels used to hold offerings to the gods, which is why they also came to be used for Setsubun to ward off evil spirits.
A wall decoration featuring beans in a masu is perfect for Setsubun, when we drive away demons and invite good fortune! Make the side and top parts of the masu for holding the beans and glue them together, then attach construction paper cut into bean shapes so they mound up as if overflowing from the box.
Finally, add the character “福” (good fortune) to the side, and you’re done! Let’s all make one and get into the Setsubun spirit.