Perfect for January bulletin boards! A collection of Daruma craft ideas kids will love in childcare settings
Many teachers are probably thinking about what kinds of daruma crafts they can enjoy making with the children to brighten up the nursery room in January.
Here, we’ve gathered ideas you can also use for classroom wall displays, from stamp play and wobbling mechanisms made with paper plates to growth records that use handprints and footprints.
Let the children enjoy the feel of paint, freely express themselves with glue and crayons, and try daruma crafts that bring out their “I want to try!” spirit.
Use these ideas as a reference for creating a warm wall display that’s perfect for starting the new year.
子どもたちの作品は芸術作品として扱われるため、本文では「制作（seisaku）」という用語を用います。
I want to decorate the January wall! A collection of Daruma craft ideas to enjoy in childcare (1–10)
Easy! How to Make a New Year Daruma
https://www.tiktok.com/@lucky_seisaku_hoiku/video/7452218375251545351Making a daruma with balloons is unique and fun for children.
Prepare balloons, paint, construction paper, templates for the daruma’s body and face, eyebrows, mustache, scissors, and round stickers.
Dip the inflated balloon in paint and gently stamp it onto the construction paper.
Kids can enjoy the springy bounce of the balloon and the changes in color intensity as it varies from dark to light.
Place the daruma body template on the painted paper and cut along it with scissors.
For the face, cut white construction paper into a plump half-moon shape and glue on each facial part.
Try creating your original daruma by adding patterns with square-cut origami pieces and round stickers.
A cute Daruma threader
https://www.tiktok.com/@haruharo_made/video/7309799399104859399The round daruma made with yarn has a warm, cozy feel.
Let’s prepare a paper plate, a hole punch, yarn, construction paper, round stickers, and glue, and get started.
Cut out the center of the paper plate, then use the hole punch to make holes all the way around the edge for threading the yarn.
Thread the yarn through a hole, tie it, and continue threading so that the holes are connected with the yarn.
Attach eyes and patterns made from construction paper, and add New Year’s decorations like plum blossoms or pine to finish.
Sparkly stickers might also be perfect for the New Year.
A Daruma mask made from a paper plate
https://www.tiktok.com/@haruharo_made/video/7308685834033646855Paper plate Daruma dolls and zodiac masks that you can easily make with kids are sure to liven up New Year’s celebrations.
Get a paper plate, paint, chopsticks, and scissors ready, and let’s start.
Cut out the eye holes in the paper plate with scissors.
For the handle, glue a pair of chopsticks together.
Paint the entire paper plate, then add patterns and decorations to the body or face area, and you’re done.
Try poking your eyes through the cutouts and taking photos for fun.
It might also be fun to make them using pipe cleaners or yarn.
Papercut Rabbits and Daruma Mochi
The set of a kagami-mochi, a rabbit, and a daruma—especially the plump, rounded daruma mochi rabbit—is just so cute, isn’t it? Get your scissors, origami paper, and a pencil ready, and let’s make it.
Fold the origami paper in half, and on one half, draw the shape of a daruma with a pencil.
The key is to make it like a rice ball (triangle) shape.
For the rabbit mochi, fold another sheet of origami paper in half and, keeping the shape of kagami-mochi in mind, draw the rabbit’s body.
Draw the eyes and mouth, then cut along the lines with scissors.
Finally, paste the finished daruma and rabbit mochi onto a sheet of construction paper as a base, and enjoy displaying your creation.
Various daruma decorations!
Let’s make some Daruma crafts.
For the first-drawing Daruma that you paint on an ema plaque, use paints to boldly capture a powerful expression.
On the back of the ema, try writing your resolutions for the year.
For the misfortune-shedding Daruma, cut slits into a toilet paper roll and attach pieces of origami paper.
Offset the slits and stack them, then display it like a Daruma-otoshi.
For the Seven-Fortune Daruma, switch up the colors of construction paper, make slits, and create plump Daruma figures.
Making them in different colors will look vibrant when displayed together.
Before starting the crafts, sharing the origins of the Daruma may add depth to the activity.
Daruma doll made from a toilet paper roll core
The Daruma doll, which gets back up no matter how many times it falls, is displayed at New Year’s to pray for a year of health, safety, and good fortune.
This Daruma, perfect for the New Year, can be easily made from a toilet paper roll.
Cut the roll in half, then trim the four corners with scissors to round the shape.
Cover it with origami paper from the top, and snip the corners to fold them inward as you go.
Make the eyes, mouth, and patterns with origami paper and stick them on—using round stickers is also recommended.
Display your finished Daruma and welcome a wonderful New Year!
On the wall too! Good-luck-cleansing daruma
Let’s make a lucky, misfortune-warding Daruma.
Cut slits into a toilet paper roll core as close as possible, then attach several kinds of thinly cut origami or colored tape.
Create the Daruma’s face at the top.
You can change the expression and the Daruma’s color as you like.
Once it’s shaped into a cylinder, round off the corners to form the Daruma’s silhouette.
Finally, stagger the slit sections to create a stepped effect, and it’s done.
It’s perfect for New Year’s—give making a Daruma a try!
A 3D Daruma you can make with a single sheet of origami!
Let’s make a daruma that’s perfect for decorating your entryway for the New Year.
Prepare origami paper, felt-tip pens, round stickers, and scissors.
Take one sheet of origami paper, fold it into a triangle to make a center crease, then open it and fold both sides toward the center line.
As you firmly crease each fold, carefully adjust the balance of the daruma’s face.
By folding the corners, you’ll create a rounded shape for the daruma’s body.
Use felt-tip pens and round stickers to make the eyes and eyebrows, and it’s complete.
You can also make a small cushion (zabuton).
Enjoy displaying your daruma to kick off the New Year!
3D origami Daruma doll
Let’s make a daruma doll—an auspicious charm—using origami.
Prepare origami paper, round stickers, a felt pen, and glue.
Open the origami paper and make firm creases into squares and triangles.
As you fold, tuck the paper in while creating rounded volume overall.
When folding the layers in, straighten the tips and shift them slightly as you make careful folds; this will help you create a nicely rounded daruma shape.
Fold the eyes from a separate piece of origami paper, then use black-colored round stickers to represent the eyes and eyebrows.
Attach them to the body to finish.
Try changing the color of the origami paper to make daruma dolls in various colors!
New Year decorations of rabbit Daruma
When it comes to New Year’s good-luck charms, daruma dolls are a classic.
Let’s make a craft that combines the zodiac animal with a daruma.
Prepare construction paper, origami paper, glue, and scissors.
First, create the base for the daruma and decide on its size.
Then cut out the parts to fit the base and glue them together.
It might be nice to change the color of the origami paper for the daruma, too.
Make the favorite food of the zodiac animal, and combine it with a gold fan for a New Year’s touch to finish.
Finally, glue the daruma and the food onto the construction paper base, and you’re done.
Give it a try!