Lovely senior life

[For Seniors] Recommended Wall Decorations and Crafts for January

Social worker / Care workermoko
My name is Moko, a mother of three who admired my mother and worked in the care industry as a care worker and as a medical social worker (MSW) in a hospital. I will be drawing on my previous experience to write mainly about caregiving. Thank you in advance.
Care Worker Initial Training Certification ObtainedNakajima Junko
Leveraging my experience working as a care worker at a day service, I am currently active as a writer in the caregiving and welfare fields. Beyond writing, I hope to expand my work into web design and illustration. I am a mother of three who has begun studying to become a certified social worker.

We’d like to introduce wall decorations that are perfect for January, the month when we welcome a brand-new year!

We’ve gathered auspicious New Year–themed pieces as well as works that let you feel the season of January.

Many January decorations feature vibrant colors that will brighten up your space.

We offer a wide range: items you shape by hand, projects with simple steps, and pieces that require fine finger work.

New Year’s decorations often feature traditional Japanese motifs such as shimenawa and shishimai.

Some older adults may find themselves reminiscing as they create.

Why not enjoy making them while sharing stories and memories?

[For Seniors] Recommended Wall Decorations and Crafts for January (91–100)

Fluffy snow rabbit wall decoration

[Winter Craft] Fluffy Snow Bunny Wall Decoration♪

Fluffy snow rabbit wall decoration

When it snows, you can’t help wanting to make a snow rabbit.

A snow rabbit is also a great motif for winter crafts! Try creating a soft, three-dimensional snow rabbit using tissues.

Crumple a few tissues to form the base of the snow rabbit, then wrap it with one more sheet to give it a fluffy look.

Add red round stickers for the eyes, cut out ears from origami paper and attach them, and it’s done! When displaying it on a wall, you might combine it with construction paper cut into a tray-like shape for the background, or decorate it with plum or camellia flowers and snowflakes for a lovely finish.

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Fluffy chenille wish plaque (ema)

Gen Hoshino says “Let’s dance at home,” and we say “Let’s make it at home♪ Let’s make ema♪ Let’s make them as a family.” (This is a how-to video from Kanone Junior High on making handmade ema craft plaques.)

Fluffy chenille wish plaque (ema)

It’s an ema plaque with a three-dimensional feel, as if the area outside the written wishes is framed by a softly wrapped chenille stem (pipe cleaner).

Cut the panel into the shape of an ema, then make an inner cut and hollow it out.

Wrap the chenille around the outer frame, punch a hole at the top of the inner piece, cover the entire inner piece with construction paper, thread the chenille through the inner hole, tie it, and fit it in place to complete the whole piece.

Have everyone write their wishes on the inner construction paper.

With the frame thoroughly decorated, the wishes written on the inside are nicely emphasized.

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Coffee filter idea ema (votive plaque)

[Origami] New Year’s craft with a former preschool teacher mom: Making Ema plaques — Easy way to fold a tiger (Origami tiger tutorial)

Coffee filter idea ema (votive plaque)

When it comes to ema (votive plaques), the five-sided shape is the most familiar, but there are also versions inspired by auspicious motifs like fans.

Here’s an idea for an ema that evokes a fan shape, using a coffee filter.

The base is made with a simple step—cutting off the edge of a coffee filter—and then adding decorations such as the zodiac animal.

Since the base is thin, even if it’s somewhat soft, layering the decorations well is key to achieving a beautiful finish.

Think about balance as you place the decorations, including where to write your wish.

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Long-tailed tit and red berries

A special piece: a torn-newspaper collage — a long-tailed tit and red berries

Long-tailed tit and red berries

The long-tailed tit, which lives only in Hokkaido, has pure white, fluffy plumage and beady eyes that are irresistibly cute—its fanbase is reportedly growing fast! How about using this adorable bird as a subject for torn-paper collage? Bird motifs can seem tricky, but the long-tailed tit’s round shape makes it easy to tear and approachable for anyone.

You can also draw in the finer details—like the beak, feet, and branches—with a pen.

Adding red berries as an accent color will give your collage a charming, atmospheric finish.

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Felt kadomatsu

[No-sew] New Year Decoration Made of Felt / Felt Kadomatsu / DIY: How to Make a Felt Japanese New Year Decoration

Felt kadomatsu

Let’s try making a kadomatsu using warm, cozy felt fabric! You can make it without sewing, and since you’ll be using your fingers a lot, it’s perfect for finger dexterity training for seniors.

Cut out each part—pine, bamboo, and plum—from felt, then attach them with a glue gun or similar adhesive.

A good tip is to make the bamboo first as the base, then arrange the other plants while checking the balance.

Watching it gradually take on the look of a kadomatsu will likely be exciting for seniors, too.

You can also enjoy customizing it, such as by changing the decoration colors!

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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)

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.

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Origami: Mount Fuji ema (votive plaque)

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

Origami: Mount Fuji ema (votive plaque)

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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