[For Seniors] January Craft Ideas for Day Service Activities

red-and-white folding fan

How to Make a Red-and-White Fan by Kimie Gangi

How about making red-and-white fan decorations that are perfect for a festive New Year? Prepare red and white construction paper and accordion-fold each one finely.

Leaving a small margin at the ends, twist on gold or silver pipe cleaners with wire to secure the shape.

Spread out both the top and bottom of the pipe cleaner and adjust it into a fan shape to finish.

Make some in different sizes to create a lively, auspicious atmosphere! It also looks great combined with other New Year decorations.

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Fabric osechi cuisine made from a jubako (stacked bento box)

How to Make a Fabric Osechi from a Jubako (Datemaki, Kombu Rolls, Burdock, and Shiitake)

The beautifully colorful osechi dishes are so pretty you might want to keep them on display forever, but of course, you have to eat them.

How about making them out of felt or terry cloth so you can enjoy their colors for as long as you like? For the stacked jubako boxes, red or black felt is recommended.

Insert cardboard inside to help them keep their shape.

Once the boxes are done, start making your favorite dishes: craft shrimp with red felt, roll yellow and brown felt to make datemaki, stuff yellow felt with cotton to make herring roe (kazunoko), and so on.

Pack in lots of your favorite foods to create a lively, festive osechi!

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Blue poinsettia

Kimie Gangi: “Blue Poinsettia” made with tissue paper #easy #beautiful #Christmas #winterWallDecor #activitiesForSeniors #3D #diycrafts #storage #utilityModelPending

Poinsettias bloom during the cold season.

Red poinsettias are often associated with Christmas, aren’t they? So, after Christmas in January, how about making a unique blue poinsettia? Prepare two sheets each of dark blue and light blue tissue paper, and accordion-fold each one into large pleats.

Fold each in half and staple the center, then trim the ends into triangular points.

Cut the dark blue ends a bit larger to make that layer slightly smaller overall.

Open them up and layer them together, then glue foam beads or small balls made by tightly rolling tissue paper in the center—and you’re done! Try making lots by changing the sizes and color combinations.

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amulet

[100-Yen Store DIY!] No-Sew! How to Make a Charm

Many families go to their first shrine visit of the New Year (hatsumode) and receive protective charms (omamori).

However, some people can’t go for various reasons.

For those people, we recommend DIY omamori craft ideas.

If you search for how to make omamori, you’ll find many methods: making them with origami, using chirimen crepe fabric, or even no-sew options.

Why not try whichever method seems easiest for you? These days, you can even find chirimen fabric with adhesive backing at 100-yen shops, so be sure to make use of that as well.

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perpetual calendar

Perpetual milk carton calendar you can make once and use forever♪

You might say, “It’s the New Year already and I’ve got a calendar!” But make this and you can use it next year, the year after, and forever—a handy perpetual calendar.

Using a milk carton, you can easily make cube-shaped blocks like dice.

Make four identical cube boxes: one for the months, one for the days of the week, and two for the date numbers.

By rotating the cubes to change the months and days, you create a perpetual calendar with just four cubes! Making it a daily habit to set the date each morning might even help stimulate your brain.

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Let’s make and display! Octopus

[Papercraft] How to Make a Miniature Kite

In recent years, kites have been somewhat overshadowed by digital toys.

Still, until not so long ago, kite flying was one of the classic New Year’s traditions, wasn’t it? Kites are said to have originated in China, and apparently were first made for military purposes.

How about making a kite like that and displaying it in your room? It will instantly boost the New Year’s mood.

As long as you have paper, bamboo skewers, and string, it’s not that hard to make.

First, write your favorite kanji on the paper—“dragon” is a popular choice.

Then attach the bamboo skewers in a rectangle to match the paper, tie on the string, and you’re done.

The smaller ones look especially cute.

Why not have fun making them in various sizes?

Challenge: Making papier-mâché zodiac animals

Let's make a papier-mâché ox!

The papier-mâché technique that came from the continent developed into unique cultures across Japan.

Its ease of making and light weight seem to have been highly valued.

There are folk crafts like daruma and akabeko, as well as practical items like lanterns and masks.

So, why not try making a zodiac-themed papier-mâché piece? All you need are a balloon, liquid starch or glue, washi paper, and newspaper.

The simple process is just to paste layers of newspaper and washi onto an inflated balloon.

Once the glue dries, pop the balloon and remove it.

Then simply paint the zodiac animal onto the papier-mâché form.

You can also add ears or a tail with thick paper.

With a little creativity—like putting a small bell inside—you can make a wonderful piece.