Lucky Daruma: Craft ideas for decorating January wall displays for seniors
Daruma dolls are popular as lucky charms that bring good fortune throughout the year.
They are often displayed to ward off illness and misfortune and to pray for household safety.
In this article, we’ll introduce crafting ideas for daruma decorations that are perfect for January wall displays!
We’ve gathered a wide range of motifs, from items used in New Year’s decorations to classic themes for wall art.
Many of the ideas can be made slowly while seated, making them great for recreational activities for seniors.
Try creating a wall display of daruma that you’ll feel attached to by drawing your own original patterns or adding messages.
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[Good Luck Daruma] For Seniors! Craft Ideas to Decorate January Wall Displays (41–50)
roly-poly toy
A daruma’s characteristic movement is that it gets back up even when it falls.
Because it looks like it rises and faces difficulties, it’s considered a good-luck charm.
Let’s make a realistic daruma like a traditional roly-poly toy.
Inflate a balloon and paste torn pieces of newspaper onto it.
Then paste tissue paper on top of the newspaper.
Keep pasting until you can’t see the newspaper anymore.
Once it’s thoroughly dry, pop the balloon and remove it, then seal the opening.
When the sealed spot is dry, it’s finished.
Since this involves lots of tearing and pasting newspaper and tissue paper, it engages the fingers and may also provide a brain-training effect.
Lucky Daruma: Craft Ideas for Decorating January Wall Displays for Seniors (51–60)
Kagami mochi and daruma
How about making a simple daruma out of two sheets of origami paper? As you fold slowly and carefully, the outline takes shape, the face begins to appear… that process is really fun, isn’t it? It’s also exciting to finish folding and draw the face with its distinctive thick eyebrows.
If you stick it onto a piece of colored construction paper cut into a battledore shape, you’ll have a daruma wall decoration full of New Year’s flair!
Lucky Daruma
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a wall decoration you can make easily in a short spare moment? In fact, there’s a way to fold a daruma using just a single sheet of origami paper! What’s more, the steps are simple, so once you get the hang of it, you can finish in about five minutes.
The face of the daruma is expressed with the white reverse side of the paper, so you can add stickers there or draw the face yourself.
You could also leave the eyes blank to pray for your wish to come true.
Feel free to change the way you draw the face to your liking.
It’s also fun to make several in different colors.
mizuhiki (traditional Japanese decorative cord made from washi paper)
Mizuhiki are red-and-white decorative cords used for celebratory occasions.
A daruma made with mizuhiki has a unique look, so it’s recommended for anyone seeking an idea that stands out.
All you need are six white 45 cm mizuhiki cords and four red 45 cm cords.
If you want to make the eyes and mouth with mizuhiki as well, prepare some black cords too.
First, take six red cords to form the base of the body, tie them together, and shape them so that multiple circles overlap.
Next, bundle four white cords for the face, making this section slightly smaller than the red body.
Finally, glue the two parts together and draw the face to finish.
It’s a very easy way to make a daruma decoration!
Zodiac Daruma
If you want to make a cute wall decoration, why not try creating zodiac daruma? This is a craft that uses origami.
As the name suggests, it’s a daruma themed on the twelve zodiac animals, so it ends up looking like a friendly mascot.
There are various folding patterns: you can make designs where an animal appears to be wearing a daruma, or where the animal itself is shaped like a daruma.
First, look for a zodiac daruma design you like.
Then make all twelve and display them together.
In conclusion
We’ve introduced a variety of wall decorations, from those that incorporate traditional ideas to modern designs.
Older adults may find some of them nostalgic.
As you draw or create your favorite illustrations, conversations with fellow residents, friends, and family will naturally grow.
You can take your time and finish slowly, or try challenging yourself with various projects in a short period—both are recommended.
Create vibrant wall decorations that will make you look forward to the year ahead.