[For Seniors] January Craft Ideas: Boost Your Luck with New Year Decorations and Good-Luck Charms

Chinese zodiac (the sexagenary cycle)

[One sheet of origami] Easy Dragon 🐉 How to make a paper dragon #dragon #dragon (Chinese) #the_dragon (Arabic) #DragonBall #Tatsu (zodiac) #ryū #ryō (dragon) #Rồng (Vietnamese) #용 (Korean) #YearOfTheDragon #how_to_fold #origami #paper #paper_folding

Let’s decorate with the zodiac animal that symbolizes the year and celebrate the New Year! Displaying the zodiac, which is familiar to many older adults, helps them enjoy the joy of the new year and the seasonal atmosphere.

You can easily make zodiac animals with origami, so give it a try! The mood also changes depending on how you display them—such as figurines, wall decorations, or hanging ornaments.

In addition to the zodiac, combining them with other New Year–themed items can help older adults feel even more of the New Year spirit.

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miyabi

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Plum blossoms on a folding fan

[Origami New Year Decoration] How to fold a fan with plum blossoms – Origami Fan with Plum Flower Tutorial (NiceNo1)

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.

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utatane

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Origami: Mount Fuji ema (votive plaque)

[New Year Origami] How to Make an Ema of Mt. Fuji

How about making an origami ema plaque with your New Year’s wishes for the New Year? First, fold the origami paper toward the center to halve it, then fold it in half again.

Next, fold the left and right sides diagonally to create angles and form the shape of an ema.

Finally, make a slit in the center so you can thread a string through.

Also, slightly fold each of the four corners of a small red origami paper to make a sun; fold a small green origami paper like a crane at first, then spread the left and right sides to make a pine shape.

For the blue origami paper, if you use the white reverse side to suggest snow, you can create a beautiful Mt.

Fuji.

With the first sunrise from Mt.

Fuji, your auspicious ema is complete!

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hiyori

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Kadomatsu made of origami

[Origami] New Year’s Decoration: How to Make a Kadomatsu | Winter Origami

How about making kadomatsu out of origami as part of your New Year’s decorations? It takes a bit of time, but you don’t need any difficult techniques, so give it a try! The pine, bamboo, and plum motifs, the fan, and even the kadomatsu base—everything is made from origami.

Because there’s lots of detailed work, it’s perfect for finger dexterity training for seniors and for helping prevent cognitive decline.

If smaller origami paper is hard to work with, feel free to adapt the project by using larger sheets.

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miyabi

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Origami Japanese style

New Year Craft: Making an Asymmetrical Fan Decoration♪

Here’s how to make a very festive, New Year’s-style Japanese origami decoration.

Take three sheets of origami paper, accordion-fold each one, then fold them in half to form fan shapes.

Connect the three fans together to create a round ornament.

Using three different colors or mixing in patterned paper will make it even more vibrant.

On top of that, craft sakura or “Greet the New Year” embellishments and decorate the piece.

Adding mizuhiki cords lavishly will make it even more eye-catching.

It also looks beautiful when made larger with construction paper.

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utatane

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origami maneki-neko

[Origami Cat] Lucky Maneki Neko that beckons happiness

How about making a lucky charm as a New Year craft? Let’s fold a beckoning cat (maneki-neko) out of origami and display it! You’ll use two sheets of origami paper to fold the head and the body, but the steps are a bit complex and require fine work.

Please fold slowly and carefully.

Once the head and body are done, attach them together and draw the face and patterns.

Use a small piece of gold origami paper to fold a koban coin and have the cat hold it.

Write characters like “Good Fortune” or “Bring Happiness” on the koban!

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utatane

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Cute ema made with finger stamps

How to Make an Ema Plaque: Easy Craft with Construction Paper! A Nursery Teacher Explains New Year’s Crafting

This activity involves pasting a large illustration of the zodiac in the center of construction paper cut into the shape of an ema plaque, then decorating around it with paint.

By applying the paint with your fingers, you can add softness and a sense of depth.

Consider how to arrange auspicious, New Year–themed elements and decorate your ema with your own design.

Since the unique feel comes from not using a brush, if you’re uncomfortable getting paint on your fingers, try using familiar tools instead.

It’s also fun to observe how the paint looks different depending on the method you use.

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kappamaki

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