[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)
Shimenawa made of paper
For New Year’s, let’s try making a shimenawa decoration—often displayed at the front door—using only construction paper.
You’ll make the shimenawa base, camellias, plum blossoms, shide (paper streamers), and a fan.
Since templates are available for download, you can cut the listed parts from construction paper and assemble them by following the steps.
It’s best to place the template on the construction paper, staple it in place, and cut them together.
Add slits, fold along the creases in an accordion style, and enjoy the paper crafting process as you create it.
[For Seniors] January Craft Ideas to Make at Day Service (51–60)
Making Kadomatsu out of construction paper
This craft project is appealing for its simplicity—you can make it almost entirely with construction paper.
Without any special materials, just by cutting, rolling, layering, and gluing colored paper, you can create a surprisingly authentic kadomatsu.
Preparation is easy, so it’s perfect for recreational activities or at-home craft time, and anyone can try it casually, which is a big plus.
The making process is fun and hands-on, and once you display the finished piece, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment and growing excitement for the New Year.
It’s a highly recommended seasonal craft.
Origami kadomatsu you can display standing up
The balance between ease of decorating and ease of making is really appealing.
It features the gentle texture unique to origami and a design that can stand up as a 3D decoration, making it perfect for tables, entryways, or desks.
Simply changing the color combinations or patterns gives you a kadomatsu full of originality.
The handmade process brings the joy of the season and a sense of accomplishment, and displaying the finished kadomatsu instantly elevates the New Year’s mood.
Why not incorporate it casually as a heartwarming item to brighten the New Year?
Original kadomatsu from the 100-yen shop
@pasta8787 I made my own original kadomatsu using items from a 100-yen shop.#2023Kadomatsu 100-yen shopI tried making it #100-yen store remake New Year #Flower Life with flowers
‘Sorry for Being Cute (feat. Kopi)’ – HoneyWorks
These days, 100-yen shops all seem to have an abundant selection.
In addition to New Year’s decorations, they sell items and decorations for seasonal events throughout the year.
Many also carry DIY and crafting supplies to support those who want to make things themselves.
Make good use of these and try customizing a ready-made kadomatsu to your taste.
If you paint the green bamboo white and choose a white base, you’ll end up with a kadomatsu that has a different vibe from the usual.
A kadomatsu that stands out indoors like an interior accent may feel fresh even to older adults.
Try enjoying the process of arranging a store-bought kadomatsu to make it even more luxurious or lively in style.
Japanese-style ema plaque with 100-yen origami
Let’s make an ema (a wooden plaque used to write wishes for the gods) using patterned origami paper and colored construction paper.
First, fold the origami paper in half by matching the top and bottom edges, then place it back down with the crease at the top.
Next, fold the bottom-right corner up into a triangle so that it meets the center of the top edge.
Then fold that triangle again so its base aligns with the vertical center line of the origami.
Unfold the paper back to the half-folded state, and cut along the leftmost diagonal crease with scissors—the left side of the origami will now be in the shape of an ema.
Glue this onto the colored construction paper and cut around it, leaving a 5 mm border.
After that, attach a white piece of paper for writing your wish, and glue on a string and knot made from the leftover origami.
Add decorations, and it’s complete.
Origami kadomatsu (New Year’s pine decoration)
Kadomatsu made by folding origami can be used in various ways, such as attaching them to wreaths or calendars you’ve crafted.
Let’s use our fingers and hands a lot as we make them.
Not only does it help train fine motor skills, but it can also be expected to have brain-training benefits.
Many people probably create kadomatsu pieces toward the end of the year.
If you make them while chatting with older adults about how they used to spend New Year’s, the conversation will likely liven up.
Seniors may enjoy reminiscing and share many stories.
It’s also recommended to mount them on backing paper to make cards or to display them on the wall.
New Year’s decoration with a crane and a folding fan
Here are some New Year’s decoration ideas using cranes and fans.
Make the crane by folding origami.
For the fan, accordion-fold a sheet of origami paper, bring the two ends together, fold it in half, and glue the inside to hold its shape.
For the ornament with the characters “Geshun” (Welcoming Spring), fold a strip of construction paper in half, then fold both ends slightly, overlap those folded sections, and glue them together.
Once it forms a signboard shape, attach a piece of paper with “Geshun” written on it to the front.
After you’ve attached the crane, fan, and “Geshun” ornament to the base, punch out some small round pieces and scatter them around to finish with a festive touch.