A roundup of handmade Daruma ideas: making Daruma with various materials
The traditional Japanese daruma has long been cherished as a good-luck charm.
For that reason, it’s used as a New Year’s decoration, carried as a talisman for guaranteed victory, and is also a popular charm for entrance exams.
In this article, we’ll introduce a whole range of ideas for making your own daruma by hand! We’ve picked out a wide variety, from easy ones made by crumpling newspaper into a ball, to sewing and knitting projects, and craft-style versions using paper plates and paper cups.
Find ideas that fit your needs—who will make it, how long it will take, and more—and create a wonderful daruma of your own.
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Compilation of handmade daruma ideas: Daruma made with various materials (11–20)
Made with balloon art
When you hear “balloon art,” you might picture twisting and bending long balloons, but this idea is very simple.
You just take a red, round balloon, blow it up, and stick on parts for the eyes, whiskers, and mouth to finish it.
No difficult techniques are required, so even small children can have fun making it.
And the result is super cute.
Since it’s a balloon, you won’t be stuck figuring out where to put it in the end, either.
That said, there is something a little bit lonely about that, too.
Made with newspaper
For those who want to make one as easily as possible, we recommend the method using newspaper.
First, for the body that forms the base, just crumple up some newspaper and shape it.
Then simply stick origami paper on it and draw the face, and you’re done.
This way, even people who aren’t good at crafts or who don’t have much time can give it a try.
By the way, each color of daruma is said to have its own meaning.
Red is for family safety, black is for warding off bad luck, and so on.
Try changing the color of the origami to match your wish.
Make it by pasting and cutting construction paper
Why not try making Shichifuku Daruma by cutting and pasting construction paper? As the name suggests, it’s a craft where you build three-dimensional daruma figures out of paper.
It’s similar to papercraft in terms of content.
The biggest feature of this project is making seven daruma modeled after the Seven Lucky Gods.
That means you’ll need to think about how to distinguish each one.
For example, give Daikokuten a magic mallet, make Bishamonten black, and so on—come up with your own ideas.
Display all seven, and your room—and your mood—are sure to brighten up.
Made with paper plates
This is a cute daruma that gently rocks from side to side.
It’s easy to make, so it’s great to try with children in a childcare setting.
First, glue the face and decorative parts onto a circular piece of construction paper.
Next, draw the facial expression, then attach it to a paper plate folded in half to finish.
Kids can also enjoy freely drawing the face with crayons or pens.
You can draw the daruma’s pattern in advance or change the shapes of the decorations and have fun experimenting.
amigurumi
Let’s make a crocheted daruma doll that stands back up even when you roll it around! Please prepare an egg-shaped piece of Styrofoam, yarn, and some nuts (metal weights).
First, start crocheting bit by bit from the bottom of the body.
Make two parts by crocheting in circles, as if spiraling around, and the body is complete.
Place the yarn cover over the Styrofoam with the nut attached, and your self-righting doll is finished! Add a face and patterns to the daruma to create a soft, gentle-looking amigurumi.