[For Seniors] Liven Up Setsubun Crafts! Handmade Ideas Using a Variety of Materials
As Setsubun approaches, memories of childhood filled with bean-throwing and ogre masks come flooding back.
If you enjoy crafts together with older adults, nostalgic stories will blossom and smiles will naturally appear.
Using familiar materials like paper plates, origami paper, and Yakult containers, why not handcraft Setsubun-themed items such as ogre masks, ehomaki, and bean-throwing cups? With a little creativity, the ways to enjoy it are endless.
Spending time savoring the seasonal tradition while working with your hands will warm everyone’s hearts.
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[For Seniors] Get Excited with Setsubun Crafts! Handmade Ideas Using Various Materials (61–70)
horn headband
Get into the Setsubun spirit with a demon-themed headband! Prepare two strips of thick paper—such as construction paper or cardboard from an empty tissue box—each 30 cm long and 2 cm wide.
Glue the two strips together, then curve them into a rounded shape, clip with clothespins, and leave them for a day to set.
Once it holds a headband shape, cover it with black paper and attach the horn pieces to finish.
Swap the horns for a hat or animal ears, and you can adapt it for all kinds of events!
An ogre ornament made from a paper tube core
The cardboard tubes from toilet paper rolls are something you’ll find in any household.
We tend to throw them away, but they actually have some unexpected uses.
So here’s an idea: a little oni (demon) figurine made from a tube.
First, cut a piece of thick paper to the same diameter as the tube to make a lid.
Then treat the whole tube as the oni’s body: create horns and hair for the top, and add facial features below using yarn and felt.
Finally, wrap yarn around the lower part of the tube to make pants, and you’re done.
Handmade pachinko oni-slaying game
Defeat the ogre with a handmade slingshot made from chopsticks and rubber bands! Cross the colored chopsticks and secure them with rubber bands.
Next, thread a rubber band through a small, hole-punched piece cut from a milk carton and connect it to the chopsticks to complete the slingshot part.
For the target, make an ogre using a toilet paper roll.
Even after Setsubun, you can swap out the target and enjoy the game year-round.
Since you can’t predict where the ball will fly, be sure to use safe, soft projectiles like kneaded erasers or ping-pong balls!
Ehomaki made of paper
Speaking of Setsubun, it’s all about ehomaki! Making real ones can be difficult due to hygiene concerns, but paper ehomaki are great fun to make as a recreational activity.
Cut yellow, green, red, and other origami papers (for the fillings) in half, and roll each one so it gets crinkled.
Do the same with a sheet of kitchen paper to represent the vinegared rice.
Open one piece of the filling origami, roll it up tightly, and tape the edge to secure it.
Then open the kitchen paper, wrap it around the rolled fillings, and finally roll everything with black paper to look like seaweed—done!
bean-throwing box
Before you start throwing beans, why not try making a handmade bean holder too? Prepare a milk carton, leave one side to serve as a lid, and cut the rest to a depth that makes it easy to take the beans out.
Attach hook-and-loop tape (Velcro) to the part you left so the lid closes securely.
Thread a plastic string through holes punched on both sides so it can hang from the neck, then make and paste paper parts for the ogre’s face, hair, and horns—and you’re done! Having a special case just for bean-throwing will make Setsubun even more fun.
ogre mask
Setsubun, which is said to fall on the day before the first day of spring (Risshun), is a traditional event for driving away evil spirits and inviting good fortune as we head into spring.
The bean-throwing we enjoyed in kindergarten or with our families as children feels nostalgic, doesn’t it? Speaking of Setsubun, nothing beats the ogre (oni) mask.
Let’s make a cool mask to liven up the bean-throwing event! Masks made from paper plates are easy and can be produced in large numbers—perfect for anyone who needs many for gatherings.
For a simple eye-reveal type, just cut holes for the eyes and then add horns and hair.
If you use a large plate to make an extra-large oni mask, you might become the star of the show.
Illustration of an oni
Let’s learn an easy way to draw a cute oni (Japanese ogre)! First, draw a long, cloud-like shape, then attach a face outline below it.
Draw the eyes and nose side by side in the center of the face, and make the mouth a little frown shape to give a pouty expression.
After that, add fangs and horns and you’re done! Once you’ve got the face down, raise the difficulty a bit and try drawing the body too.
The key to making it cute is to place the eyes and nose next to each other.
Even if you’re not good at drawing, this will definitely work, so give it a try!