[For Seniors] Wall Decorations to Enhance the Tanabata Atmosphere: Ideas Compilation
For craft activities in senior care facilities, we recommend making seasonal projects that let everyone feel the changes of the four seasons.
Among these, wall decorations are especially useful: they help with fine-motor rehabilitation and can also spark deeper communication with those around them.
This time, we’re sharing wall decoration ideas for Tanabata, the major event in July.
We’ve gathered many ideas featuring classic Tanabata motifs such as Hikoboshi and Orihime, bamboo decorations, and the Milky Way.
Use this article as a guide to create lovely wall decorations together with the seniors.
- Simple Crafts for the Elderly Recommended for Tanabata
- [For Seniors] Early-summer-themed wall decorations: Recommended ideas for July
- For seniors: Year-round ideas for wall decorations
- [For Seniors] Making a July Calendar: A Collection of Summer-Themed Motif Ideas
- [For Seniors] Fireworks wall art: Let’s make it with a variety of materials
- [For Seniors] Handmade Tanabata Decorations: Easy Recreation Activity
- [For Care Facilities] Let’s Enjoy the Summer! A Collection of Wall Decoration Ideas
- [For Seniors] Summer Wall Decorations: A Collection of Fun, Eye-Catching Motifs
- [For Seniors] August Wall Decoration Idea Collection
- [For Seniors] Ideas for Wall Decorations to Enhance the Festive Atmosphere of a Sports Day
- [For Seniors] Recommended Wall Decorations for December: Ideas Collection
- [For Seniors] Exciting Summer Wall Decoration Ideas
- [For Seniors] Brighten Up December Walls! Christmas Decoration Ideas
[For Seniors] Wall Decorations to Enhance the Tanabata Atmosphere: Ideas (1–10)
Easy! Tanabata decorations with a cheese box
Fermented foods are said to be good for the body, especially the digestive system—what kinds do you like? Natto, sweet miso, yogurt… and there are probably some people who aren’t fond of fermented foods at all.
Cheese is also a type of fermented food, and you can actually make a lovely Tanabata decoration using the round box from 6P cheese.
First, remove the bottom part of the box, then decorate the outside with colored paper or stickers.
Hang Tanabata-related items inside, and it’s complete.
Round shapes are hard to make from scratch, so the 6P cheese box is a real treasure.
If you use the lid as well, you can make two.
Share with someone close to you and enjoy!
Frame decoration of Orihime and Hikoboshi
Here’s a cute framed decoration of Orihime and Hikoboshi you can make with items from 100-yen shops.
Using aurora-colored origami paper will give the characters a sparkly look.
First, use a template to make the faces and cut them out.
Fold the bodies along the template’s crease lines and trim off any excess.
Attach the faces and bodies with double-sided tape.
For the background, star-patterned origami paper works well.
To finish it like a frame, fold the edges of the origami paper narrowly inward and secure them with stickers or similar, and you’re done.
Transparent three-dimensional star tanzaku
Tanabata is said to be an event based on Chinese mythology, but it seems there were similar customs in the West as well, though their exact origins aren’t clear.
It’s like the song “When You Wish Upon a Star”—gazing up at the shining stars in the night sky and letting your thoughts wander is something common to all humanity.
Speaking of Tanabata, it’s all about “stars.” Let’s try making a lovely three-dimensional Tanabata ornament using transparent chiyogami paper.
There are plenty of videos that teach you how to fold them, so look for one that suits your style.
And when you write your wish on the tanzaku strip, make sure it’s something you don’t mind others seeing!
[For Seniors] Wall Decorations to Enhance the Tanabata Atmosphere: Idea Collection (11–20)
3D star wall decoration
Decorate with three-dimensional stars and brighten up Tanabata! Use origami or construction paper to make 3D stars.
Thread string through the stars to create a garland that can be used as a wall decoration.
You can also hang them from the ceiling like sports day flags—highly recommended.
Make lots in various colors and you’ll have a galaxy of stars just like the Milky Way.
It might be nice to create them in different sizes, too.
Make them while sending your wishes to the stars.
Orihime and Hikoboshi
These are Orihime and Hikoboshi made with three sheets of origami paper.
You fold them in three separate parts and then assemble them.
The head uses black origami paper, and the face is made from the white reverse side.
The other two parts are the upper garment and the lower garment.
Since the folds are the same as the balloon model up to a certain step, it shouldn’t be too confusing.
Insert the lower garment from underneath the upper garment.
Finally, glue on the face piece to finish.
Feel free to draw the facial expressions however you like.
Your very own original Orihime and Hikoboshi will surely turn out adorable.
Flower kusudama with streamers decoration
Would you like to handcraft a “flower kusudama with streamers” out of origami—perfect for the Tanabata season? Make multiple flowers from colorful origami paper, assemble them into a sphere to create a kusudama, and then attach long, slender origami streamers to complete a vibrant decoration that sways in the breeze.
The delicate, finger-intensive work stimulates the brain simply by doing it, making it potentially effective as rehabilitation.
Once finished, you can enjoy it as a Tanabata ornament by displaying it on the wall at a facility or at home.
Spend a moment feeling the season through origami.
Swaying and sparkling, Orihime and Hikoboshi
Here’s how to make a gently swaying, sparkling Orihime and Hikoboshi.
Get ready a paper cup, construction paper, color markers, scissors, an awl, origami paper, and curling ribbon.
Draw Orihime and Hikoboshi on construction paper, make crowns with origami paper, cut them out, and paste them together.
Use the awl to make a hole in the center of the paper cup’s bottom, thread the curling ribbon through, and create a hanging loop.
Sketch sleeve shapes on the paper cup, then cut along the lines with scissors to form a three-dimensional kimono shape.
Attach the faces to the finished kimono.
Stick star shapes onto the cut curling ribbon, then adhere the ribbon to the inside of the paper cup.
Your Tanabata decoration—perfect for hot summer days—is complete!
