[For Seniors] Liven Up Setsubun Crafts! Handmade Ideas Using a Variety of Materials

Oni’s hat

[Craft Play] Let's make a cute oni (demon) hat out of construction paper and wear it for Setsubun!

This is an easy-to-make ogre hat from construction paper that you can comfortably wear over your head.

Fold the paper like a samurai helmet, then fold the center downward and turn it inside out to create the ogre shape! Punch holes on both sides to thread elastic, and quickly finish it off by attaching parts like hair, eyes, and a mouth.

As adults, we don’t often get the chance to wear costumes, do we? Everyone might feel a bit shy at first, but once you put it on and celebrate Setsubun, you’re sure to get excited and have fun.

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Oni’s Ring

Setsubun craft! We made little Oni (ogre) rings out of origami.

Even an ogre in a villain’s role starts to look a bit cute when you turn it into a ring! Fold a quarter-sized piece of origami paper into a triangle, then fold both ends up to meet at the top.

Fold the corners back diagonally to make a helmet-like shape, and fold the pointed center section downward.

Take the remaining strip of origami paper, fold it into a narrow band, thread it through the back of the ogre, and secure it with double-sided tape to form the ring—done! It’s a good idea to draw the ogre’s face before making it into a ring.

It’s a small craft, so the work is a bit delicate, but slipping something you made yourself onto your finger is sure to feel great! Give it a try during craft time.

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Demon-Slaying Bowling Game

Make demon bowling to ward off evil!

“Just throwing beans at the oni is a bit boring.” In that case, let’s turn the oni into bowling pins and make a bowling game! Stick a different colored or patterned piece of origami paper below the center of the main sheet so it looks like the oni is wearing pants, and draw a face in the middle.

Wrap the origami around a paper towel tube (or similar), attach hair parts, and your oni bowling pin is ready! Use a ball made by crumpling newspaper and securing it with tape, and have fun playing.

How about enjoying Setsubun in a slightly different way this year?

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Japanese pilchard on holly leaves

[Craft Idea] Setsubun Crafts: Holly-Iwashi, Oni, and Plum Blossoms — Japanese Event Crafting (February) (Senior Recreation) (Early Childhood Learning) (Wall Decorations) (Creative) (Origami) (ogre) (origami) (paper straws)

Displaying holly and grilled sardines at the entrance is one of the customs for Setsubun.

The holly leaves are said to poke the demons’ eyes, and the smoke from grilling sardines is believed to keep demons away.

It seems the name “holly-sardine” varies by region.

What was it called in your hometown? If you give an elder a holly-sardine made of origami, I’m sure they’ll be delighted.

Holly is easy to make because of its distinctive spiky leaves, and a small fish will do for the sardine.

If you look at an illustration of a holly-sardine, you can picture the finished piece, so first try to find a cute illustration.

Setsubun decorations

[Craft Idea] Setsubun Crafts - Oni (Demon) Paper Crafts (February) (Recreation for Seniors) (Early Childhood/Educational) (Wall Decorations) (Creative) (Fine Motor Skills) (Oni/Winter)

This is a wall decoration of an ogre with uniquely curly hair.

Cut construction paper into thin strips and wrap each one around a toothpick to make small spirals.

Apply glue to a piece of construction paper cut into an ogre face shape, then attach the spiraled pieces to create hair that looks like a tight perm! You can draw the eyebrows, eyes, and mouth directly, but using rolled paper for them as well is recommended, since it gives a three-dimensional finish like the hair.

It’s a simple task, but it helps you focus with your hands and can stimulate brain activity!

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Mini shikishi decorations for Setsubun from the 100-yen shop

[100-Yen Store DIY] I tried making Setsubun decorations of a red ogre and a blue ogre on a mini shikishi board♪

This is a wall decoration themed around the oni (ogres) that appear in Setsubun, a traditional Japanese seasonal event.

Why not make a seasonal decoration using items you can buy at a 100-yen shop? Create the oni’s facial parts from construction paper and attach a soft string to both sides of the assembled face.

Represent the beans using Lezac paper or colored paper, adhere them to mini square boards, then use double-sided tape to add the oni parts as decorations.

Scatter beans and other elements used in oni-chasing scenes across the boards, attach a ribbon at the top, and it’s complete.

Working on these detailed steps also helps train fine motor skills by engaging your fingertips.

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Beans for Setsubun bean-throwing (mamemaki)

Since it’s Setsubun, we’re throwing balls of crumpled newspaper instead of beans.

Bean-throwing is fun, but cleaning up afterward can be quite a hassle, right? In places like day service centers, beans left on the floor can even lead to injuries.

If you want to banish the oni safely, using crumpled newspaper is recommended! It doesn’t hurt much even if it hits someone, and even if it scatters, it’s much easier to clean up than beans.

If you want it to feel more like real beans, tear the paper into suitable pieces, dampen them with water, squeeze them tightly into balls, and let them dry; they’ll hold their shape and look bean-like without falling apart!

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