[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.
- [For Seniors] January Craft Ideas: Boost Your Luck with New Year Decorations and Good-Luck Charms
- [For Seniors] Recommended Wall Decorations and Crafts for January
- For Seniors: Auspicious Handmade Zodiac Ornament Craft Ideas
- [For Seniors] Let’s Make New Year Decorations by Hand! A Collection of Easy Ideas Using Everyday Materials
- [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 (11–20)
Easy, no sewing needed! Fukumamori
The “Fukumamori” charm, which can be made without needles or thread, is a project that seniors can work on with confidence.
Cut felt into a 4×12 cm piece, make slits about 8 mm from the top and bottom, then use double-sided tape to sandwich a pom-pom and a string inside.
Decorate by attaching fabric and buttons, and tie the string to complete the owl shape.
By choosing different eye buttons and color combinations, each piece gains a unique expression, resulting in a simple yet polished protective charm.
It’s an inviting and auspicious idea, perfect for displaying in an entryway or on a wall.
Shimenawa with an ema (votive plaque) attached
When New Year’s comes around, many households put up shimenawa decorations.
It would be lovely to display a handmade shimenawa along with ema plaques.
You can make them using craft paper or origami.
Using items from a 100-yen shop makes it easy to gather supplies.
Roll craft paper into a coil to form a ring and create the shimenawa.
Some older adults may have made shimenawa at home using straw and fruit.
Talking about shimenawa might spark conversation and help people connect.
Make plum blossoms, pine needles, and a folding fan to decorate the shimenawa.
Add a handmade ema, and it’s complete.
perpetual calendar
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.
Let’s make and display! Octopus
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
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.
origami maneki-neko
How about making a lucky charm as a New Year craft? Let’s fold a beckoning cat (maneki-neko) out of origami and display it! You’ll use two sheets of origami paper to fold the head and the body, but the steps are a bit complex and require fine work.
Please fold slowly and carefully.
Once the head and body are done, attach them together and draw the face and patterns.
Use a small piece of gold origami paper to fold a koban coin and have the cat hold it.
Write characters like “Good Fortune” or “Bring Happiness” on the koban!
[For Seniors] January Craft Ideas to Make at Day Service (21–30)
plum blossoms
How about making plum blossoms using tissue paper? Tissue paper is softer than regular paper.
If you make it well, it can look quite similar to real flowers.
Layer red and white tissue paper and fold it accordion-style.
Then secure the center and gently pull the tissue paper apart to fluff it up—this forms the base of the plum blossom.
Next, snip fine cuts into the tip of the white paper in the center and color the edges with a yellow pen.
And there you have it: a cute plum blossom! Hang them on your room’s wall, and the space will instantly feel more vibrant.
