[For Seniors] Recommended Origami for January
Origami involves fine hand movements and is expected to stimulate the brain, so it’s a recreational activity that’s great to include for dementia prevention.
Another nice thing about origami is that it’s easy to enjoy and can be done together with grandchildren and family.
Here, we’ll introduce ways to fold and make origami—especially ideas you can enjoy in January.
Create items perfect for January events with origami, and enjoy them together while feeling the season.
There are plenty of ideas you can also apply to January wall decorations.
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- Lucky Daruma: Craft ideas for decorating January wall displays for seniors
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- For Seniors: Auspicious Handmade Zodiac Ornament Craft Ideas
- For seniors: Snowman crafts to brighten January wall displays—fun ideas using origami, paper plates, and papercutting.
- [For Seniors] Craft Ideas Recommended for New Year’s and the New Year
- Recommended Origami for Seniors: Fun December Theme
- [Recreation] Summary of Recommended Origami Ideas for Seniors
- [For Seniors] Heartwarming and Cozy: Perfect Wall Decoration Ideas for Winter in Care Facilities
[For Seniors] Recommended Origami for January (21–30)
Seven Lucky Gods origami
The Seven Lucky Gods are said to be a group formed by deities from various religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto, and Taoism.
They’re like the Avengers of the gods.
In fact, there are countries and regions where they’re considered the Eight Lucky Gods.
Wouldn’t it be lovely to fold the Seven Lucky Gods in origami? If you’re enjoying this at a senior facility, it might be nice to divide them among seven people so each person makes a different deity.
These days, there’s plenty of knowledge and information about origami available, from professional origami websites to hobbyist videos.
Find something that matches your skill level and give it a try!
Plum blossoms on a folding fan
Here’s how to make a festive decoration featuring a vibrant fan adorned with plum blossoms, perfect for the New Year.
For the origami fan, start by folding the paper in half to create a guide, open it, then fold toward the crease, and fold in half again—continuing to make fine creases for an accordion fold.
Fold along the creases in alternating directions to form two accordion-folded pieces, stack them together, and bind them about 4 cm up from the bottom with gold wire.
Trim the corners at both the top and bottom to round them off—the extra touch really elevates the look.
Add mizuhiki cords and plum blossoms in your own style.
Try using two colors of origami, and choose hues that feel right for the New Year.
New Year decorations made with origami and paper flowers
We’d like to introduce a New Year’s decoration you can make with origami and tissue paper—perfect for cozy winter days at home or for recreation at day service centers! It’s appealing because you can make it with familiar materials like origami and tissue paper.
Arrange a tissue paper flower, a fan made by accordion-folding origami, and mizuhiki cords in a well-balanced way.
The key is to attach the mizuhiki to the fan and then secure the paper flower last! Changing the color or pattern of the origami for the fan and the color of the mizuhiki will dramatically change the overall look, so give it a try.
Origami crane card stand
This is an origami crane card stand that can be used in various settings, such as interior decor or place cards.
How about making this festive origami as a January craft idea? Origami is also effective for seniors’ finger rehabilitation and dementia prevention.
The folds aren’t very difficult, so anyone can enjoy giving it a try.
The design lets you tuck a card into the crane’s back.
Changing the paper pattern will give it a different look, so be sure to experiment! It also makes a great small gift, return present, or New Year’s greeting.
Plum blossom decoration
Let’s make some stylish, pop-inspired plum blossom decorations! They’re perfect for January wall displays or hanging ornaments.
Why not enjoy a seasonal craft activity with older adults? You can create two types: simple plum blossoms made by rolling paper strips and stapling them, and 3D plum blossoms made by interlocking two flower-shaped paper cutouts.
Combine both types and string them together for a hanging decoration, or display a single piece like an objet d’art to instantly brighten the room.
You can also have fun customizing them by changing the origami patterns or sizes—feel free to use this as a reference!
New Year’s Crane
How about making a New Year’s crane with a fan out of origami? Just displaying it in your entryway or a room will instantly enhance the festive New Year atmosphere! It’s also perfect for a New Year’s craft activity at day service centers, so why not give it a try? The key to this origami is to crease firmly as you fold.
There are a few finer steps, but they’re just right for finger dexterity training for older adults! Opening the fan at the end makes it suddenly more dazzling.
Using double-sided origami with a plain color on one side and a pattern on the other will make it even more beautiful, so be sure to try it!
Origami for Fukuwarai
Did you know that the “Okame” used in fukuwarai is actually a deity who brings good fortune? Let’s try folding this auspicious Okame with origami.
First, make the creases, then fold along them again.
Some steps are a bit tricky, so please offer support if it seems difficult.
If you also make facial parts for the finished Okame, you can play fukuwarai.
You could glue the parts on and enjoy it as a decoration, too.
Origami has a long history, so it’s a familiar pastime for older adults.
Through origami, some people may even recall memories from their childhood.
