[For Seniors] Easy Snake Origami Ideas
At New Year’s craft sessions, it’s common to make the animal of the zodiac for that year.
This time, here are some origami snake ideas.
Some people may feel a bit uneasy about snakes.
For those people, we’re also sharing a cute snake folding method!
It can be fun to have each senior draw a face on their snake to create a variety of unique characters.
There are also many unique folding styles, like three-dimensional snakes, or snakes that move or pretend to bite.
Some steps are a bit detailed, but please enjoy making them while staff provide support as needed.
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[For Seniors] Simple Snake Origami Ideas (1–10)
biting snake
When you think of snakes, many people probably picture them biting, right? In fact, the reason snakes bite humans is because they’re scared of us.
Surprisingly, some types of snakes are quite timid.
Of course, being bitten by a snake is something we want to avoid, but in origami it can be turned into a fun project.
Here’s a 3D snake origami model with a mouth you can put your finger into.
Start by creasing the paper so it forms small squares, then fold it to create a pattern.
Open up the part that will become the head and keep folding while adjusting the shape.
Some steps are a bit complex, so please have people around help support older adults as needed.
The more intricate the folding, the greater the joy when it’s finished.
Give it a try and make one yourself!
Simple snake and display stand
There are many kinds of snakes, and their patterns are very diverse, aren’t they? Snakes come in a variety of patterns, and there’s an origami folding method that lets you express those patterns, too.
First, fold the origami paper into a narrow strip shape and unfold it to create crease lines.
Fold the tip’s corners, then accordion-fold along the creases, and you can make a snake with patterns.
Even older adults may find it fun to fold this cute origami snake.
You can create lovely works by adding the finished snake to a calendar or a wreath.
And if you also make a stand for the snake out of origami, you’ll have a wonderful New Year’s decoration.
Please try folding a snake using the origami paper that the older person likes.
Simple colorful snake
Snakes have a distinctive long, string-like shape, and many older adults may feel uneasy because of their appearance.
But if you make snake origami using various colors, they might find them cute and enjoy them.
Bring the tip’s corner toward the center and fold, then fold it in half and continue folding.
Rotate it 180 degrees and fold the same way, flip it over, and fold in half again.
Adjust the head and body, and your snake is complete.
With origami, you can even create snakes that don’t exist in real life, so try making them in the colors older adults like.
Origami lets you move your fingers for brain training while creating wonderful pieces.
[For Seniors] Easy Snake Origami Ideas (11–20)
It moves! A realistic snake
Let’s try making a snake that feels like it’s really moving, just like a real snake.
Snakes sway their bodies side to side and glide smoothly, and we’ll express that motion with origami.
First, fold the parts that will become the body.
On a single sheet of origami paper, make crease lines so that a grid of small squares is formed.
Then fold it further so it becomes two square units, and make several of these.
Change the folding method for one piece so that one end becomes the head and another becomes the tail.
Once you’ve made several parts, unfold them and refold while combining them so they can interlock.
When connecting the parts, the key is to start with the head piece and finish with the tail.
It’s a complex model with higher difficulty and many steps, but when it’s completed, it should give older adults a strong sense of accomplishment.
A snake made from a single sheet of origami paper
Here’s how to fold a simple snake decoration using a single sheet of origami paper.
First, turn the paper over and place a corner toward you, then fold it into a triangle.
Fold both the top and bottom corners toward the center line three times, and unfold.
Accordion-fold the front corner toward the center.
Repeat the same on the opposite side.
On one side, make a vertical fold along the second crease, then crease it back along the third line and perform a squash fold along that line.
Squash-fold the tip as well to form the head.
Inside-reverse-fold the tip of the head to refine the shape.
Finally, align the opposite tip with the head and accordion-fold to shape the body, then attach mouth and eye parts to finish!
white snake
In Japan, white snakes have long been considered lucky creatures.
Snakes in general are regarded as messengers of Benzaiten or as household guardian deities.
White snakes in particular are said to bestow overall good fortune, increased financial luck, and prosperity for the family.
We’d love for older adults to receive such wonderful fortune as well.
However, real white snakes are rare and very uncommon.
So why not make a white snake out of origami and display it? The folding method involves making crease lines and folding along them while shaping the figure.
Since there are some delicate folds, please have those around provide support tailored to the needs of older adults.
This origami white snake is an auspicious decoration perfect for the New Year.
three-dimensional snake
Here’s an introduction to a three-dimensional origami snake that lies with its belly on the ground and its head raised.
Start by folding a single sheet of origami paper into a triangle, then fold it into strips to create crease lines.
Open it once, then fold from the edges so that the center forms a square.
When you have two long, narrow sections, fold them to form a cross.
Shape the tips to become the head and tail as you fold.
Adjust the head and tail so the figure looks three-dimensional.
You can also make a base out of construction paper and display the 3D snake as a lovely decoration.
For older adults, a snake ornament can be a way to recognize the zodiac and feel the New Year season.