Handmade ideas to create and play the traditional Japanese game “Daruma Otoshi”!
Daruma-otoshi, a traditional Japanese game that has long been loved.
There’s a theory that it’s considered lucky because, unlike the classic roly-poly daruma that rises when it falls, in this game you try to keep the daruma from toppling.
It helps build concentration and fine motor skills, and the more you practice, the better you get—making it fun for both children and adults.
We’ve gathered ideas for making your own daruma-otoshi using familiar materials.
Try making it with your kids and enjoy playing together!
Handmade Ideas Collection (1–10): Make and Play with the Traditional Japanese Game “Daruma-otoshi”!
Daruma-otoshi with plastic bottle caps
We’re going to make a mini-sized Daruma Otoshi using plastic bottle caps.
Some of you might think, “Aren’t bottle caps too light, so they won’t slide out when struck?” If you pack clay inside the caps, they gain weight and become easier to knock out.
Attach a base piece to the bottom of each cap, and wrap the sides with construction paper cut into rectangles, or construction paper with stickers in your favorite patterns.
You can get almost all the materials at a 100-yen shop, so give it a try easily.
Daruma-otoshi made with origami
A handy daruma-otoshi that also doubles as a pencil holder for your desk.
Fold five colors of origami into strips and join each into a ring.
You’ll make each ring from two strip pieces; the key is to overlap them enough at the center for strength.
Stack the rings by color.
You can play with it as a daruma-otoshi, or stand pencils and pens in the center hole.
Using patterned origami paper will make it look even nicer.
It’s an easy fold, so even small children should be able to make it.
Daruma-otoshi with a bottle cap
Here’s a fun daruma-otoshi craft to make once you’ve collected enough plastic bottle caps.
Prepare several caps of the same color and make a hole in the center of each.
Thread twine through the holes to connect the caps into a ring.
The daruma body is made from two of these cap rings.
Make four rings in total, varying the sizes and colors, and attach circular felt pieces to the top and bottom.
Add the daruma’s face and make a small mallet to strike it, and you’re done.
It’s a great activity to make and play with as a family.
Daruma-otoshi that can also be used as a small item holder
Here’s an introduction to making a Daruma Otoshi game using empty lactic acid drink containers.
The small, round containers are perfect for this craft.
Cut off the top of the containers and use five of the bottom parts.
Cover the sides with origami paper and reinforce the edges with masking tape.
You can use patterned or decorative origami.
Make the top “Daruma” piece, and craft a wooden mallet using a toilet paper roll.
When you play, put candies or cheese inside the containers.
They add weight and can also be prizes for anyone who completes the game without knocking everything over.
Daruma-otoshi ornament with a rabbit motif
https://www.tiktok.com/@minuxu/video/7176998706045062401How about a cute rabbit-themed Daruma-otoshi as a wall decoration? Use construction paper to make a ring for the Daruma to sit on and a rabbit Daruma.
Finish by drawing the rabbit’s face and the Daruma’s patterns with crayons.
You can hang it on the wall as is, but let’s add a small twist.
Put it in a frame or photo frame you can find at a 100-yen shop, or mount it on thick paper as a backing and stick it on.
It should be fun to make with your child.
Also, it seems that opportunities to play Daruma-otoshi have been decreasing lately.
Through creating this Daruma-otoshi decoration, it would be nice if it becomes a chance to learn about this traditional game that has been around for a long time.
Stacking paper-cup daruma otoshi
New Year excitement! Here’s a daruma-otoshi-style game you can make with paper cups.
You’ll need six paper cups, your favorite stickers, and some colorful balls.
To make it, stick your favorite stickers on the cups and stack them into a pyramid—that’s it! The way to play is to see if you can knock off the top cup within 10 seconds.
Using stickers of favorite characters makes it even more fun.
You can also adjust the number of cups depending on the players’ ages.
Try coming up with different rules and have fun!
Daruma Otoshi made with toilet paper rolls
Let’s try making a daruma that could also be used for a daruma-otoshi game using scrap materials.
The material we’ll use is a toilet paper roll.
Gently flatten the toilet paper roll, then cut it a little below the halfway point.
To give the daruma a nice rounded shape, the key is to round off the corners when you cut.
Wrap the body section with red origami paper and use white origami paper to make the face.
If you want to use it for daruma-otoshi, put some kind of weight inside the body and attach backing pieces to the top and bottom of the daruma.
Also, try making several parts by changing the size you cut the toilet paper roll to, and by using different colors of origami for the body.
You’ll end up with a charming daruma-otoshi made from recycled materials.
A daruma toy that also lets you enjoy daruma-otoshi
https://www.tiktok.com/@niconico_mama/video/7324669623733931265Make and play with paper cup Daruma dolls! They’re super cute and great for Setsubun, too.
First, cover a paper cup with origami paper in your favorite color, then draw the body with a pen.
Next, take a cup in a different color, cut it about in half with scissors, decorate it with round stickers, and draw the face with a pen.
Stack the body and head together.
Finally, put a marble inside a toy capsule, tape it shut with cellophane tape, and place it under the cup—your wobbling toy, like a roly-poly, is complete! It’s also fun to play a game to see how many Daruma you can knock down.
Daruma-otoshi made with origami and toilet paper rolls
Perfect for New Year decorations! Here’s how to make a good-luck Daruma to ward off misfortune using a toilet paper roll.
Materials: one 8×15 cm sheet of origami paper, three sheets of origami cut into eighths, a small amount of white or silver origami cut into quarters, glue, a black pen, and one toilet paper roll core.
First, flatten the toilet paper core, mark it, and cut it leaving about 0.5 mm.
Apply glue to the core and attach the narrow origami strips side by side from the outside.
Shape it back into a cylinder, then press the top front and back to add a rounded form—this completes the body.
Next, make the face.
Draw the face and patterns on white origami, then stack the blocks made from the core in a staggered way and place the head on top to finish!
Cardboard Daruma-otoshi
https://www.tiktok.com/@user8130951832133/video/7425396782504381703Have fun while boosting your motor skills! Here’s a Daruma Otoshi-style game you can make with cardboard for a fun New Year’s activity.
What you’ll need: as many pieces of cardboard as necessary and packing tape.
Choose cardboard sizes appropriate for the player’s age.
The method is simple: just assemble the cardboard by taping the pieces together.
How to play: stack the assembled cardboard to a height suitable for the player’s age, then have them knock it down with their hands or feet.
If playing while seated, build a low stack using shallow cardboard pieces.
Decorating the cardboard like a daruma with colored paper is also recommended.