[For Seniors] Recommended Wall Decorations and Crafts for January
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?
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[For Seniors] Recommended Wall Decorations and Crafts for January (1–10)
Japanese-style simple New Year decoration
It’s said that cranes live a thousand years and turtles ten thousand, and these two are auspicious symbols of longevity.
Let’s incorporate them into a standing New Year’s decoration.
Since it will stand upright, the key is to use a firm backing.
Postcard paper that you can put a stamp on is convenient.
Decorate it with Japanese-pattern origami or chiyogami, which you can also find at 100-yen shops.
Use a craft punch to make plum blossom petals.
Fold a crane and a turtle with your favorite origami, attach them, and you’re done.
Adding brush-written characters of your choice alongside them will look lovely, too.
Try making these distinctive pieces together with older adults.
Japanese-style ema (wooden votive plaque)
Some elderly people may go to temples or shrines for their first visit of the New Year (hatsumode).
During hatsumode, some may also dedicate ema, wooden plaques on which they write their wishes.
Let’s decorate the facility’s walls in January with auspicious ema.
Prepare origami paper with traditional Japanese or floral patterns and cut it into the shape of ema.
Use construction paper in your preferred color as the backing for the ema you cut out.
Attach a plain piece of paper in the center of the ema and add a hanging string to finish.
Even seniors who find it difficult to go out can write their wishes on the ema as if they were visiting for hatsumode.
Kimono made of origami
January is a time when you often see people wearing kimono, such as during New Year’s celebrations and Coming-of-Age Day.
There are many movements and manners unique to kimono that look especially beautiful.
Some older adults may also appreciate the elegance of kimono.
So let’s try making a lovely kimono out of origami.
Considering the overlapping collar and the overall shape, you might think the folding would be difficult.
However, it can be made with just one sheet of origami paper.
If you use double-sided colored paper, the collar will show nicely.
There are a few slightly complex steps, but if you enjoy origami, this could be a rewarding project.
Please provide support as needed to suit older participants.
There are many varieties of origami available at 100-yen shops, which makes them convenient to use.
[For Seniors] Recommended Wall Decorations and Crafts for January (11–20)
Checkered frame
A plaid pattern where vertical and horizontal stripes intersect.
It’s also called a check pattern and is used for clothing, bags, and more.
It’s a design that many older adults are familiar with, isn’t it? If you fold with red, floral, or traditional Japanese-patterned origami, it’s perfect for New Year’s projects.
Origami uses the fingertips a lot, which is said to stimulate and activate the brain, and I believe many senior facilities incorporate it.
Try making a plaid frame and adding items like sea bream, plum blossoms, or kagami mochi.
You’ll end up with a festive, bustling piece that feels just right for the New Year.
Good Luck Hanging Fan Ornament
Fans are often paired with New Year’s and celebratory decorations.
When you open a fan, it spreads out at the end, doesn’t it? From this shape comes the auspicious meaning that good fortune will continue to spread, bringing ongoing success and prosperity.
Works featuring fans are also recommended as projects for January, when we welcome the New Year.
Prepare three types of origami: plain sheets, traditional Japanese patterns, and shiny papers such as gold or silver.
Make two sets by attaching strips of these three types of paper at your preferred widths.
Accordion-fold the two sets together, then overlap the outermost peaks of both sets to form a fan shape.
Attach a string to the back and it’s complete.
This lively fan craft, perfect for the New Year atmosphere, is likely to delight older adults as well.
Pop and cute New Year decorations
As we get older, it becomes harder to see and distinguish colors.
The eye’s lens tends to become cloudy, making our vision look faded.
High-contrast combinations like yellow and black, as well as vivid, saturated colors like red and orange, tend to be easier to see.
When creating New Year’s decorations, let’s make pop-style pieces that emphasize not only color but also design.
New Year’s decorations often feature traditional Japanese patterns.
Try using origami with pink and white polka dots, or making kusudama balls in red and yellow.
You can create pieces that really catch the eyes of older adults.
Mt. Fuji and sunrise
Mount Fuji is Japan’s most iconic and highest mountain.
Because the name “Fuji” can be associated with words like fushi (immortality) and buji (safety), it’s also known as a lucky symbol for wishing for longevity and good health.
This idea turns that auspicious Mount Fuji and the first sunrise of the year into a wall decoration.
It’s very easy to make: simply cut blue and white construction paper into the shape of Mount Fuji, and red paper for the first sunrise, then put them up on the wall.
Adding other New Year–themed decorations around them—like clouds or kites—will make it lively and is highly recommended!
