Lovely senior life

[For Seniors] Enjoy the Cold Winter! Simple, Recommended Crafts

Social worker / Care workermoko
My name is Moko, a mother of three who admired my mother and worked in the care industry as a care worker and as a medical social worker (MSW) in a hospital. I will be drawing on my previous experience to write mainly about caregiving. Thank you in advance.
Care Worker Initial Training Certification ObtainedNakajima Junko
Leveraging my experience working as a care worker at a day service, I am currently active as a writer in the caregiving and welfare fields. Beyond writing, I hope to expand my work into web design and illustration. I am a mother of three who has begun studying to become a certified social worker.

Here are some recommended winter craft ideas that are perfect for seniors!

Winter brings lots of fun events and occasions, such as Christmas and New Year’s.

You might also think of seasonal foods, games, weather, and the cold.

So this time, we’ve gathered many craft ideas that help seniors feel the winter season.

Why not enjoy some craft activities in a warm indoor setting?

Using your fingers and brain can also provide cognitive training benefits.

If the crafts are practical, you can take them home to use or display and enjoy.

Please make use of these ideas in your daily recreation activities.

[For Seniors] Enjoy the Cold Winter! Simple, Recommended Crafts (141–150)

Christmas tree made with construction paper

[Construction paper Christmas tree] Sakura's Craft Room 46. Super fun! A tree made with colored construction paper and paper cups! First Christmas craft project. Christmas tree

Christmas tree made with construction paper

Let’s make an adorable palm-sized “Christmas tree” using construction paper and a paper cup! Represent the fir tree’s fluffy needles with small, strip-shaped pieces of green and white construction paper.

To make it easier for older adults to participate, consider preparing the strips in advance and making other small adjustments.

You can enjoy decorating it with craft “pom-poms,” ribbons, and other embellishments available at 100-yen shops and similar stores.

Since the project uses lots of fine finger movements and requires thinking through the steps, it can also help stimulate the brain during the creative process.

You’ll make a sturdy trunk from thick paperboard, but a toilet paper roll can be used as a substitute.

If you do substitute, make sure it fits into the paper cup “flowerpot” that serves as the tree’s base.

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Fukuwarai (a traditional Japanese “lucky laugh” face-making game)

[Old-fashioned fun at home] Let’s make and play Fukuwarai!

Fukuwarai (a traditional Japanese “lucky laugh” face-making game)

For the cold season, crafts that help you focus and have fun are recommended.

Fuku-warai is truly perfect for winter recreation.

Older adults may recall the past—memories of childhood or time with family—when they play.

The fuku-warai we’re introducing here lets you freely draw facial features using paints or pens.

Turning each person’s creativity into form can bring a real sense of accomplishment when it’s finished.

Because fuku-warai also sparks interaction with others, it becomes a time for communication as well.

Handmade fuku-warai is a wonderful recreational activity that offers joy and warmth to older adults.

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3D Christmas candle

How to make an origami 3D Christmas candle | Origami 3D candle instructions

3D Christmas candle

This is a three-dimensional candle motif assembled from origami.

Use an accordion-folded piece of origami as the base, then place a white sheet with the same accordion folds over it.

Next, fold in the diagonal creases you made on the top sheet, attach the flame piece there, and it’s complete.

Its simple appearance makes it easy to add decorations, and your choice of colors can really show your personality.

It might also be fun to connect several pieces of origami to make a large candle.

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[For Seniors] Enjoy the Cold Winter! Simple Recommended Crafts (151–160)

Three-dimensional kagami mochi

How to make a 3D Kagami Mochi with origami! Perfect as a New Year’s decoration or a small display for January and winter—great for facilities or a little spot in your room. Why not give it a try? [Tsukuru-mon]

Three-dimensional kagami mochi

This three-dimensional kagami mochi is perfect for decorating small spaces in care facilities or rooms.

It’s also a great option for a winter craft activity at day-service centers, so why not give it a try? The main tasks are cutting and gluing origami, making it ideal for fine motor training for seniors.

The two-tiered mochi and the daidai (bitter orange) create a three-dimensional look.

Also, since the decorations for kagami mochi vary by region, be sure to decorate it in a way that suits your local area!

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three-dimensional snowflake

[Origami] 3D Snowflake — It looks very beautiful and seems difficult, but it’s easy to make! Perfect for Christmas, wall displays, and winter decorations!

three-dimensional snowflake

February still holds a lingering chill.

In some regions, you might even see snowflakes dancing in the air.

Let’s decorate the facility walls with snowflakes so the seniors can feel the winter season! This time’s “three-dimensional snowflake” is a piece that looks intricate and delicate.

Some of you may think, “That seems hard to make.” But despite its appearance, the process is simple and very rewarding.

Fold origami paper into a triangle, cut slits, and make a series of folds.

Create several pieces by gluing the folded tips in place, then assemble them into a snowflake shape.

Depending on the color of the origami paper, you can add a touch of brightness.

They work well as hanging ornaments or as charming parts of a garland.

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Simple Santa Claus

[Christmas Origami] Santa Claus – Origami Christmas/Santa Claus [With Voice Commentary] / Grandma’s Origami

Simple Santa Claus

This is a cute Santa Claus you can make with a single sheet of origami paper.

First, with the white side facing up, fold it into a triangle vertically and horizontally, then unfold.

Fold the top corner toward the center, then fold the tip upward.

Next, fold the bottom corner up toward the top crease, and fold it halfway back down.

Turn it over, fold back the top right and top left corners by about 1 cm, then fold the top right and top left down toward the center.

Adjust and fold the right and left sides once more, and your Santa Claus is complete.

The final adjustment step involves a bit of fine work, but carefully folding together makes for good exercise for your hands and fingers!

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Paper poinsettia

[Christmas] Easy paper poinsettia decoration you can make right away (with voice commentary) – Easy paper Christmas Poinsettia decoration

Paper poinsettia

When it comes to Christmas flowers, poinsettias come to mind.

Their bright red leaves are beautiful, and you see them everywhere during the Christmas season.

So why not try making a paper poinsettia as a Christmas decoration? It’s easy for anyone to make: fold a square sheet of colored construction paper or origami paper in half twice to make a smaller square, then use scissors to make cuts and trim along the pattern.

If you glue two red leaf layers in a crisscross, it will look even more like a poinsettia.

If you want to get more elaborate, make slightly larger green leaves using the same method and attach them at the very bottom.

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