[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
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- [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 (51–60)
Tabletop kadomatsu
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♪ Original song – Yuumaaama – Yuumaaama
Let’s make a tabletop kadomatsu (traditional New Year’s pine decoration) using a milk carton.
We’ll place decorative elements that form the kadomatsu inside pieces cut from the carton.
There are detailed steps such as folding origami or construction paper and cutting short lengths of plastic ribbon.
Because it uses fine motor skills extensively, it can stimulate the brain and may offer brain-training benefits.
It’s also a project that can help improve concentration.
Starting from a simple milk carton and building it up into a splendid kadomatsu is likely to delight older adults as well.
Kadomatsu wall decoration
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When kadomatsu decorations are displayed on the indoor walls, even older adults can feel the arrival of the New Year.
With paper-plate kadomatsu, each person’s creation can easily be hung on the wall.
Create a kadomatsu by attaching construction-paper bamboo, ribbons, and other elements onto a paper plate.
We recommend using a New Year–themed paper plate with a lace doily attached as the backing.
It will result in a festive piece suitable for the New Year.
Since you’re using a paper plate, it can also look like a kadomatsu wreath.
New Year’s decoration made with 100-yen shop materials: Hagoita (battledore)
New Year’s decorations made using materials from 100-yen shops are a fun idea that result in lively pieces through free-form creativity and color choices.
Start by creating the shape of a battledore (hagoita) with construction paper, then apply your favorite chiyogami (decorative Japanese paper) to make it festive.
Layer and glue on various elements—large and small flowers, patterned blossoms, fans, and mizuhiki ornaments—to bring together traditional New Year motifs in a cohesive design.
The overall impression changes greatly depending on the placement of each part and the balance of colors, so it’s also enjoyable to craft while savoring a sense of nostalgia.
This is a recommended idea for older adults to help enhance the New Year spirit.
[Paper-cutting] Snowman Santa
![[Paper-cutting] Snowman Santa](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UcOAp2fIxsY/sddefault.jpg)
A snowman Santa made with papercutting that captivates with the beauty of its silhouette and playful use of color.
Using a template, cut out the shape of the snowman Santa, then apply torn red paper for the hat and outfit to give it a Santa-like look.
The key is the contrast between the clean outline and the rough texture of the torn-paper collage, which creates a warm expression.
Adding the hat’s trim or a snowy background will enhance the wintry feel even more.
The mood changes with your color choices and the size of the torn pieces, making it perfect for a brain workout.
A winter craft idea that sparks creativity.
[For Seniors] January Craft Ideas to Make at Day Service (61–70)
[No-Sew] Handmade Kadomatsu Decoration with Felt
![[No-Sew] Handmade Kadomatsu Decoration with Felt](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/M1N7WajLPm8/sddefault.jpg)
Creations made from felt convey warmth through the nature of the material.
Even a New Year’s decoration like a kadomatsu, which is often associated with the chill of the season, can feel cozy when made from felt.
You might think felt crafts require sewing with needles or a sewing machine, but you can make them without sewing.
Instead of stitching, you attach the felt using a hot glue gun.
While handling a glue gun does require care, it seems accessible for many older adults to participate in making these.
The result is an adorable kadomatsu that would be perfect to display at home, and it would surely be appreciated as a gift for family as well.
New Year’s decoration of Mount Fuji
A festive New Year’s Mount Fuji decoration that features auspicious motifs rendered in a variety of materials.
Cut cardboard into a mountain shape and apply Japanese-patterned origami to create the background.
Use gold and silver origami to make a rabbit and the moon, and represent Mount Fuji with washi paper or blue-toned origami.
Make flowers from thick paper, and attach cotton swabs dyed yellow to the centers to give the decoration a three-dimensional look.
By being creative with material combinations and color schemes, you can achieve a luxurious finish that’s perfect for seniors to display on their walls at the start of the year.
It’s an idea that lets you enjoy the splendor of Mount Fuji, a symbol of Japan’s natural beauty.
Shimenawa decoration made with origami
A shimenawa decoration made from origami—perfect for seniors as a simple way to enjoy the New Year atmosphere.
Twist origami paper into a ring to form the base, then attach three-dimensional flowers, cords, mizuhiki, and more to complete a vivid, auspicious ornament.
By changing color combinations or experimenting with flower shapes, each participant can express their individuality.
Handling origami also exercises the fingers, and once finished, it becomes a cheerful interior piece you can enjoy by displaying it on a wall or at the entrance—an elegant idea brimming with seasonal charm.