[For Seniors] January Craft Ideas for Day Service Activities

omikuji (a Japanese fortune slip typically drawn at Shinto shrines or Buddhist temples)

What will you get? Have a fun New Year with an original lucky draw.

For New Year craft activities, projects that let you feel the fresh start of the year are always a hit, aren’t they? Some older adults may have difficulty moving as they wish and can’t go to the first shrine visit of the year.

How about creating a little New Year’s shrine-visit atmosphere by making and playing with your own omikuji (fortune slips)? Take an empty cylindrical snack container, cover it with colored paper, make a hole in the lid, and put homemade fortunes inside using ice cream sticks.

If you don’t have ice cream sticks, disposable chopsticks will work too.

To make it fun for everyone, be sure to include plenty of “Great Luck” fortunes!

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utatane

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Japanese-style hanging decoration for New Year

[Craft Idea] New Year hanging decorations ~ Yakko kite ~ Hanging decorations for the New Year (January) (wall decorations, senior recreation, occupational therapy, day service, crafts) (early childhood education) (origami crane) (DIY, origami)

As a slightly more intricate craft idea, here’s a New Year’s Japanese-style hanging decoration.

This one uses origami to make yakko-dako kites and cranes.

A yakko-dako is a kite shaped like a person in a kimono with arms outstretched—you often see them around New Year’s.

You can also try making other Japanese motifs in origami, such as plum blossoms and folding fans.

If the fine work involved in making the yakko-dako is difficult, prepare the parts in advance and provide support as needed.

Create the pieces with origami, cut small parts with a craft knife, arrange them, and you’re done.

Hang it in your room to enjoy the look of them flying.

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yamamoto

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New Year’s fan decoration

[Craft Idea] New Year Decorations: Fan Wall Hanging (December/January) (Wall Decorations) (Recreation for Seniors, Occupational Therapy OT, Day Service, Early Childhood Education) (Origami DIY) (Creative Activity, Psychiatric Recreation)

This is a festive, auspicious decoration that uses a large fan as the base and arranges various New Year–themed motifs on it.

The fan serving as the base is a simple one made by accordion-folding washi-patterned origami, with the ends secured firmly to accentuate its gently spreading shape.

After that, just place items like cranes, ornamental cabbages, and sasanqua camellias to finish it off.

Aim for an auspicious look while keeping color balance and a sense of depth in mind.

The fun part is choosing the overall colors and motifs and deciding how to arrange them in your own way.

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kappamaki

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shimenawa wreath

[Senior Recreation] Easy New Year’s Shimenawa Wreath Using Newspaper [Craft/DIY] New Year decoration

It’s a shimenawa wreath with a traditional Japanese feel that’s perfect for the start of the New Year—so well made you’d never guess it’s crafted from newspaper.

Crumple up newspaper, open it, roll it up, twist it, then form it into a ring and secure it with craft tape.

Wrap it with a crepe sheet that has a washi-like texture, cut to a suitable width, and the wreath base is complete.

Up to this point, the steps involve simple actions like “crumple” and “twist,” making it easy to try even as an activity at a day service.

Add a folding screen motif and camellias made from origami, and you’ll have a gorgeous, festive wreath!

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yuri

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A snow rabbit made with tsumami-zaiku

Easy: How to Make a Snow Rabbit (Tsumami Zaiku) | DIY Snow Rabbit

Let’s make a snow rabbit that’s perfect for the cold winter season.

You can create a cute item inspired by snow rabbits made with snow, leaves, and berries.

First, cut an egg-shaped piece of styrofoam in half, adhere chirimen crepe fabric to the styrofoam, and trim off the excess.

Next, attach ear pieces made from chirimen to the body.

Finally, add eyes using beads, and you’re done! The simple steps make it great for recreational activities for seniors as well.

How about making a heartwarming little item?

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mutō

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Ema with sponge stamps

[Senior Recreation] Rec Artisan Series Part 220: Ema (Votive Plaque) Making

Ema, the wooden plaques on which people write their wishes and hang them at shrines, are one of the key motifs that evoke the New Year.

Let’s easily make our own ema out of construction paper and decorate them beautifully with sponge stamps.

Even with a simple paper shape, adding brush-pen lettering and a red seal gives it a genuine ema feel.

If carving sponges to make stamps is difficult, another great approach is to prepare a variety of stamp patterns in advance and have people choose the one that best fits their wish.

It might be better to focus more on the writing aspect than on the crafting itself.

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kappamaki

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Paper craft Daruma

[Origami / Papercraft] How to make a daruma → We’ve released an improved version, so please check that one.

This is a three-dimensional Daruma mascot assembled from cut pieces of colored paper.

Although the assembly process might seem difficult, it’s actually a simple craft: you make a box and then attach parts like the facial features to it.

As you build the base, keep a clear image in mind to ensure the left and right sides are symmetrical and that there are no gaps.

The parts you attach include the face outline, expressions, and patterns that decorate the body—this is also where you can add originality.

You can display it as a mascot, and it also works well on a wall, where you can enjoy its three-dimensional feel.

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kappamaki

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