[For Seniors] January Craft Ideas for Day Service Activities
In January, we have the longstanding Japanese traditional event, the New Year’s celebration.
Many day service centers and welfare facilities likely put a lot of effort into decorations themed around January, the start of a new year.
So this time, we’ll introduce January crafts recommended for day service programs.
It’s still quite chilly, so let’s enjoy craft activities you can do indoors!
Even after the New Year’s holidays, winter-themed decorations like snow motifs and plum blossoms can stay up and be enjoyed as they are.
In addition to decorations, we’ve assembled many works that are perfect for January.
There are lots of ideas, including auspicious items, practical pieces, and projects that incorporate creative twists in the materials.
By all means, use these January craft ideas as a reference.
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- [For Seniors] Recommended for day services! Simple and cute small craft ideas
- [For Seniors] Recommended Origami for January
- [For Seniors] Enjoy the Cold Winter! Simple, Recommended Crafts
- Lucky Daruma: Craft ideas for decorating January wall displays for seniors
- For seniors: Snowman crafts to brighten January wall displays—fun ideas using origami, paper plates, and papercutting.
- [For Seniors] January Activities and Recreation Games
- [For Seniors] Craft Ideas Recommended for New Year’s and the New Year
- [For Seniors] Perfect for winter events! Easy craft ideas
- [For Seniors] Decorate your January wall with rabbits! Packed with ideas like snowball fights, New Year’s festivities, and rice cake pounding
[For Seniors] January Craft Ideas to Make at Day Service (81–90)
Origami Calendar: Hagoita Paddle and Shuttlecock
Hanetsuki is a traditional New Year’s game that has long been loved in Japan.
The items used for it are the hagoita (paddle) and the shuttlecock.
Here are origami ideas for making a hagoita and a shuttlecock.
The hagoita is made by separating it into the hitting surface and the handle, and the shuttlecock is made by separating it into a weighted base and three feathers.
Each can be made with just a few folds, so even those who aren’t confident with handcrafts should enjoy making them.
However, since these are designed to be a bit large, if you want to use them in a calendar design, it might be better to use slightly smaller origami paper.
Origami Calendar: Kagami Mochi
Kagamimochi, which is offered at New Year as a sacred stand-in for the Toshigami deity.
Believe it or not, you can make it easily with origami! It also works as a January calendar design, so give it a try and enjoy the New Year atmosphere.
In this idea, you’ll use three sheets of origami paper to create the parts—“mochi,” “sanpō” (the offering stand), and “mikan”—and then assemble them into a kagamimochi.
The steps are simple, featuring basic folds like valley-pleat (dan-ori) and cushion fold (zabuton-ori), making it suitable for everyone from children to seniors.
Origami Calendar: Kadomatsu
During the New Year season, kadomatsu decorations are often displayed at the main entrances of large buildings.
Some of you may remember having them at your own homes’ gates when you were little.
Kadomatsu is a perfect motif for a January calendar.
This origami idea not only shows how to fold a kadomatsu, but also includes instructions for a festive fan and plum blossoms.
Why not try making them and using them as the main design for your calendar? Since combining all the parts adds thickness, be sure to adhere them firmly when using them in your design.
Ball-shaped New Year’s decoration
New Year decorations shaped like smooth, cornerless balls are popular as auspicious ornaments perfect for the season.
Prepare 24 circular pieces of construction paper.
Fold each circle in half and glue the halves together, applying glue to one side as you go.
A glue stick is recommended because it helps prevent wrinkling and makes it easier to stick.
Clip the pieces with clothespins to hold them in place, apply glue to the center area, and press firmly to secure.
Use washi paper and ribbon to make decorations and attach them with glue.
Finally, wind thread about 30 times, attach it to the ornament, and you’re done.
Feel free to choose thread in any color you like.
Fluffy snowman made with tissue paper
@hoiku.labo [For December Wall Decor] Fluffy Tissue-Paper Snowman ❄️⛄️#Childcare CraftingNursery teacher / Childcare worker#Drawers of Childcare#NurseryTeacherInTraining#NurseryTeacherThingsWith childrendrawing papertissue paper flowersPaper plate craftSnowman
♪ Original Song – Craft Ideas for Childcare ♪ Hoiku Kyujin Labo – Hoiku Kyujin Labo | Nursery Teacher Job Changes and Helpful Information
Here’s a craft idea for a snowman that could also become a wall decoration if you hang it with a string.
First, cut out the inside of a paper plate so only the rim remains, then glue on crumpled tissue paper.
Next, cut out a circular piece from construction paper for the head and a rectangular piece for the bucket hat.
Draw the face with a pen, attach the bucket, then glue it to the paper plate to finish.
It’s handy to pre-cut the tissue paper into sizes that are easy to crumple, but having the person making it tear the paper themselves can also be good finger exercise.
Shaka-Shaka Snowman
@haruharo_made Christmas craft / Shaker snowman ornament with lace paper. The sequins inside shake and look adorable ♡ You can also color the lace paper and turn it into Santa, a reindeer, etc.—also cute ♡ Materials: • Construction paper • Lace paper doilies • Clear plastic bag • Sequins • Glue • Scissors • String • Clear tapeCrafts for 4-year-olds Crafts for 5-year-olds#3-year-old crafts#2-year-old's craftCrafts for 1-year-oldsCrafts for 0-year-oldsProduction#Nursery schoolWall decoration#StayHomeTime#AtHomePlayProduction ideas#Nursery School CraftWinter Craft#KindergartenKindergarten craftNursery teacher / Childcare workerKindergarten Teacherwall surface #ChristmasTreeProduction for children under age (infants and toddlers) #Snowman Making Snowman#Christmas Santa Lace paperOrnament Ornament making Made in December # January productionMade in February
♬ Do You Want to Build a Snowman? (Frozen) Music Box – Kyoto Music Box Ensemble
Let’s make a shaker snowman that you can use as an ornament for your tree.
For preparation, get two paper doilies and cut out the inside of one so it becomes just a frame.
Put sequins or any small parts you like into a clear bag, fold the corners, tape them down, and shape it into a circle.
Stack and glue them in this order: a full paper doily, the bag, and the doily frame.
Finish by adding a face, hat, scarf made from construction paper, and a string for hanging.
The paper doily part will be the snowman’s body.
[For Seniors] January Craft Ideas to Make at Day Service (91–100)
Paper Plate Snow Globe
@hachimitu_835 The laminate film is the hand-applied laminate from Daiso.Nursery teacher / Childcare worker#Nursery schoolProductionTranslationsnow globe#Wall Creation
♬ Loose and cute “Turkish March”(102686) – KK
Let’s make a paper-plate snow globe that looks beautiful when hung on a window and lit from behind.
First, cut out the inner part of a paper plate and attach a circular piece of laminate film.
Next, from the back, cover the entire opening with tissue paper cut into a circle, and seal the adhesive edge with OPP tape.
Finally, stick a construction-paper snowman onto the front of the laminate film, and you’re done.
In this idea, colorful tissue paper is used for a vibrant finish, but I think it would also look lovely unified in blue tones to evoke snow.