[For Day Service Centers] February Craft Ideas: Decorations for Setsubun, Valentine’s Day, and the Feeling of Spring
February is a month when you can feel the arrival of spring even amid the cold.
For crafts at the day service, let’s choose activities that engage the hands while reflecting the changing seasons.
Seasonal crafts may make you look forward to spring and spark lively conversations.
February’s unique motifs—Setsubun ogres and ehomaki rolls, camellias and daffodils that bloom beautifully despite the cold, and Valentine’s heart decorations—are all heartwarming.
Crafts made with familiar materials like origami paper, Yakult containers, and felt are easy for anyone to try and bring great joy when completed.
Shall we enjoy creating warm pieces together that help us forget the winter chill?
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[For Day Service] February Craft Ideas: Decorations that feel like Setsubun, Valentine’s Day, and Spring (81–90)
Fluffy, fuzzy snowman
When you think of winter, you think of snow.
Some seniors may have memories of living in snowy regions, and some may even come from snowy hometowns.
How about chatting about that while giving them a cute snowman wall decoration as a present? Since the snowman is made with cotton, it feels nice to the touch and you’ll find yourself wanting to reach out and touch it.
If you’re going to stick it on the wall, it’s best to shape paper into a circle and pack it with cotton.
Use pipe cleaners and beads to make the snowman’s face.
If you have time, it’s fun to make them together with everyone!
Simple Setsubun decorations made with felt
Oni are an essential presence for Setsubun.
On Setsubun, there’s a custom of throwing beans at oni to drive bad things out of the house.
Let’s make those oni out of warm, cozy felt.
Felt fabric gives off a wintry vibe that feels comforting, doesn’t it? First, use felt to create each part.
It’s a fun craft with the simple appeal of just cutting and gluing.
Simply displaying an oni by your entrance might even serve as protection from misfortune.
Let’s wish for the physical and mental health of our families and ourselves, and get through February!
A demon made by winding yarn
Here’s an easy craft idea for making an oni (demon) decoration.
Cut a piece of cardboard into a square and create the oni’s face.
Wrap the cut cardboard with yarn in colors like blue or red, whichever you prefer.
Attach the facial features to complete the oni.
You can display it on a fan-shaped backing for a festive look, or paste it onto construction paper or colored paper for a lovely finish.
To give it a Setsubun feel, arrange holly leaves or plum blossoms around the oni for a lively atmosphere.
It’s also fun to make several Setsubun-themed parts together with older adults.
You can prepare the parts in advance, let them choose the pieces, and have them finish the design in the style they like.
cute demon
Let’s make a “cute ogre” using colored construction paper! Cut the colored paper into the shapes of the ogre’s face and facial features like the eyes and nose, then glue them on.
The steps are simple, so it should be easy for older adults to try.
With a little creativity when making the face, you can create a cute, three-dimensional ogre face.
The steps of cutting along the shapes with scissors and attaching the facial parts with glue require dexterity with the fingertips.
Using the fingertips is said to help activate the brain.
Display the finished piece on the wall to help older adults feel the seasonal spirit of Setsubun.
chopstick sleeve
These are cute chopstick sleeves that use the color difference between the front and back of the paper to reveal a heart pattern.
It’s important to clearly picture the finished look and carefully choose the origami’s color and design.
As you create the tube that snugly wraps the chopsticks, add a small extra fold at the edge to form the heart shape.
Since there’s a step where you pull out overlapping layers, be careful to avoid creases.
Folding down the pointed tips to make them rounder is also key to clearly conveying the heart shape.
Fluffy Heart
Let me introduce fluffy hearts you can make with cardboard and yarn.
All you have to do is wrap yarn around a heart-shaped piece of cardboard, and you’ll have an adorable fluffy heart decoration in no time! You can also try adding artificial flowers or wrapping a ribbon to enjoy a different vibe.
Since the cardboard heart is flat, wrapping plenty of yarn will give it a plump, cushioned look.
To get a nicely shaped heart, use a heart-shaped template to cut the cardboard, or draw the heart first and then cut it out.
[For Day-Service Facilities] February Craft Ideas: Decorations for Setsubun, Valentine’s Day, and the Feeling of Spring (91–100)
Cat accessories
When we think of cats in winter, many of us picture them curled up inside a heated kotatsu, spending time with people in a warm room.
Cats seeking out cozy spots also make the perfect motif for winter crafts, don’t you think? By using a cat as the motif and shaping it into a small container, you can imagine many uses—like holding beans for Setsubun or chocolates for Valentine’s Day.
Key points for achieving a cute look include firmly layering the creases so there’s a gap or a base to hold items, and using the reverse side of the paper for the ear color.