[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 (41–50)
New Year’s arrangement with 100-yen shop artificial flowers
It’s long been a tradition to tidy up and decorate with fresh flowers for New Year’s to welcome the Toshigami (New Year deity).
You can easily enjoy making a gorgeous New Year’s decoration using artificial flowers from the 100-yen shop.
Arrange your favorite artificial flowers on a base.
The key is to decide placement while considering the size, shape, and color of each flower, creating a balanced composition.
Incorporating red and white or gold may enhance the New Year’s feel.
Filling gaps with small artificial berries or leaves can add volume and make the arrangement look more festive.
New Year wall decoration
First, make the base by diagonally attaching reversible red-and-gold crepe paper onto a rectangular sheet of black construction paper.
Then, decorate by adding paper flowers, a paper fan, and mizuhiki cords on top.
Create each flower by making the individual parts separately and then assembling them into a single bloom.
Arrange the parts for balance and attach them with a hot glue gun.
Adding gold glitter to the flower centers will give an even more glamorous finish.
Besides pine, bamboo, and plum, there are many flowers perfect for New Year’s, such as chrysanthemums, lilies, and ornamental cabbages, so it’s also recommended to arrange and create your favorite flowers.
Preserved flower, hagoita style
Let’s make a preserved-flower hagoita that you can display in your entryway as a festive, auspicious New Year’s decoration.
Cut cardboard into the shape of a hagoita to create the base, adjusting the size to suit where you’ll display it.
Attach the front and back fabrics together, then use glue to add artificial flowers and pom-poms as you like.
It might also be nice to glue on natural items like nuts or seed pods to give it a seasonal feel.
Finally, glue a ribbon around the edge to finish.
Give making your own original hagoita a try!
Mini Hagoita Ornament
Let’s make a handmade hagoita, perfect as a New Year’s decoration.
Cut construction paper into the shape of a hagoita to create the base.
Attach felt to both sides with glue—using different colors may make it look even more festive.
Cut plum blossoms and shuttlecocks from felt, glue them together, and arrange them on the hagoita.
Adding a vivid color to the background of the hagoita can enhance the New Year’s celebratory feel.
Decorating with sparkly beads or rhinestone stickers is also recommended.
Origami Japanese-style Decoration: Crane and Fan
Let’s combine origami and washi paper to make a crane and a folding fan.
First, fold the origami paper in half, then accordion-fold it, keeping the spacing evenly aligned as you go.
When creating a folding screen shape, vary the sizes and adjust where you make the halfway fold to achieve the look.
A key tip is to position the washi pattern on top so it remains visible.
Fold a crane using a quarter-size piece of origami paper, and finish by attaching plum blossoms around it.
Mizuhiki, which enhances a traditional Japanese atmosphere, is perfect for celebrations and festive occasions.
Give it a try!
New Year’s decoration with camellias and mizuhiki
Would you like to make an elegant New Year’s decoration using mizuhiki cords? First, thread your favorite beads onto three mizuhiki cords.
Glue the cords onto the backing paper in an S-shape, then decide where the beads should go and glue them in place as well.
In the remaining blank areas of the backing, arrange and glue felt pieces shaped like pine, bamboo, plum, and camellia, along with squares of washi paper with traditional patterns.
Once your design is set, attach the backing to a gold base, add a cord for hanging, and you’re done.
Using black backing paper will make the mizuhiki stand out beautifully.
About 30 cm! Large kadomatsu (New Year’s pine decoration)
Although it’s a size you can easily make at home, it has an impressive presence that instantly brings a festive New Year feel just by placing it on display! Because it faithfully reproduces traditional elements of a kadomatsu—like the bamboo-inspired sections, pine needles, and plum blossoms—placing it in an entryway or living room will greatly enhance the New Year atmosphere.
The creation process involves many hands-on tasks, which can help exercise your fingers and improve concentration.
Plus, if you make it together with family or friends, the conversation will flow naturally during the activity, making your New Year preparations even more enjoyable.