[Childcare] Fun Craft Ideas for Hinamatsuri (Girls' Day)
When you think of Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day), many people probably picture hina dolls.
Some kindergartens and nurseries make hina dolls together with the children in the lead-up to the festival.
This time, we’ve gathered ideas for making hina dolls.
Many can be made with familiar materials like paper cups and origami, so be sure to try them at school or at home.
Customize the colors and designs to create a one-of-a-kind, original hina doll!
Make lots and enjoy a bright and festive Hinamatsuri.
Because children’s creations are treated as works, we use the term “制作” (production/creation) in the text.
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[Childcare] Fun Hinamatsuri craft ideas (31–40)
patterned drawing paper
Let’s try making a hanging Hina decoration out of construction paper.
First, cut and paste construction paper and patterned paper to create your motifs.
Try using the patterned paper for parts like the Hina dolls’ kimonos.
Next, once you have all your motifs ready, stretch a thread taut and lay it on your work surface, then layer the motifs along the thread.
At this stage, decide what goes where.
After that, simply tape the string and motifs together to finish.
You could probably make an origami version of the hanging Hina in the same way, too.
Rabbit Hina Doll (Princess)
Let’s make a cute rabbit Hina doll! First, fold the origami paper into a triangle twice, then open the pocket to form a square.
Fold the flappy layer all the way up to make a crease, then unfold it, and fold the tip up again to the crease.
Fold both left and right corners toward the center crease, then fold along the center line on the back starting from the top corners on both sides—you’ll start to see rabbit-like ears appear! Flip it over, fold the flappy layer up, and fold the tip down so it lines up with the center line.
Fold both sides in a triangle toward the center line, then fold the flappy parts outward, and you’re done! You can use the same folding method to make the rabbit prince doll too!
paper fan
If you decorate with cute paper fans, your room will be bright and festive.
A paper fan is a decorative item made of paper folded in an accordion shape.
You often see them at party venues.
Let’s adapt this to a Hinamatsuri-themed design and finish it up.
Try using washi patterns that reflect Japanese history or red paper that evokes Hinamatsuri.
By the way, if a hole ends up forming in the center, you can fix it by attaching a backing sheet on the reverse side.
Paper ball ornament
Here’s an idea for paper ball ornaments that are perfect for Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day).
Paper ball ornaments are decorations made by vertically arranging and combining circular pieces of paper, then threading a string through them.
Let’s give them a Hinamatsuri-style twist.
First, consider using soft, pale pink paper to capture the festive feel.
Using traditional Japanese-patterned paper would also be lovely.
Try making and displaying paper ball ornaments to match the atmosphere of your room or venue.
yo-yo quilt
How about incorporating yo-yo quilting? Yo-yo quilting is a patchwork technique where you combine circular pieces of fabric to create a drawstring-pouch-like look.
It’s so beautiful that it’s often compared to flowers, and displaying it can brighten up your room.
Gather fabrics you like—such as traditional Japanese patterns—and give it a try.
Whether your yo-yo quilt turns out well depends on the placement of your stitches.
Refer to videos or books and have a go.
[Childcare] Fun Hina Matsuri Craft Ideas (41–50)
Small temari ornament
If you’re going for a cute look, small temari-style ornaments are perfect.
This project decorates polystyrene foam balls to resemble temari.
If you make several, line them up in a row and thread a string through them.
Once you’ve made one strand, prepare multiple strands in the same way and hang them from a rod to finish.
Having foam balls in various sizes will make the arrangement look even more charming when displayed together.
Also, the choice of colors and patterns is important.
Decide while considering the balance with your other decorations.
Strawberry cake made with paper cups
The strawberries look so realistic and delicious.
Let me show you how to make a strawberry cake using a paper cup.
Get a paper cup, paint, tissue paper (hana-gami), crayons, red and green construction paper, and glue ready.
Use the paper cup as the cake base and paint it.
While the paint is drying, make the strawberries with the construction paper.
When drawing the center of the strawberries with crayons, I recommend coloring with pink first and then layering white crayon on top to add a three-dimensional effect.
Once you’ve glued the tissue paper onto the paper cup to look like whipped cream, stick the strawberries on top and you’re done.
It’s also fun to try different colors of tissue paper and paint.
