[For Seniors] Enjoy at Day Service: A Roundup of May Craft Ideas

Hanging decorations for Children’s Day

[Felt] How to Make a Children’s Day Hanging Decoration (No Sewing) — Just Cut and Glue! Perfect with Koinobori 🎏✨

Speaking of May, it’s Children’s Day.

Let’s make a hanging decoration to boost the festive mood! This idea uses felt, but since you assemble it by gluing instead of sewing, it’s easy for seniors to try as well.

First, make a template—thick paper or cardstock works fine.

Trace the template onto the felt and cut it out.

Carefully finish each piece by gluing it together.

Try making lots of Children’s Day–themed motifs like carp streamers (koinobori), oak leaf rice cakes (kashiwa mochi), samurai helmets (kabuto), and festival banners.

They’re so cute that your grandchildren would love receiving them as a gift!

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Azaleas and butterflies

[Craft Idea] Azaleas and Butterflies (May Wall Decoration) (Elderly Recreation, Occupational Therapy OT, Day Service, Childcare) (Origami, Flowers, 3D, Easy Craft, Origami DIY) Azalea and Butterfly Wall Decoration

Azaleas, which bloom in vivid pinks and purples, are at their best from mid-April to mid-May.

As a May wall decoration idea, how about making azaleas and butterflies? Let’s fold azaleas using red and pink origami.

First, make crease lines and use them as guides as you fold.

While the paper is still folded, cut it with scissors into the shape of petals.

Then use the scissors to round and shape the cut petals.

For the butterflies, using washi-patterned origami will really make them stand out.

Butterflies fluttering over a brightly colored field of azaleas is sure to lift the spirits of anyone who sees it.

Please use this as a reference!

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Three-dimensional helmet

Wall decoration for Boys’ Day in May made with colored construction paper: “Samurai Helmet”

Some households display May dolls and helmets for Children’s Day, don’t they? The kabuto helmets and armor of May dolls carry the wish that “they will protect our child.” Let’s make a kabuto that’s perfect for a May wall display and celebrate Children’s Day.

You can download the template in this video, so please have it ready.

Place the template on construction paper, cut along it, and make the parts.

A key tip is to score along the template in advance so it will fold easily later—you can do this easily with scissors.

Assemble the pieces so each one becomes three-dimensional.

Some steps are a bit challenging, so when making this with older adults, please have staff members work together with them to complete it.

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Iris flowers swaying in the wind

[Mural] Japanese Iris Video #day_service #day_care #outpatient_rehab #nursing_care #elderly #craft #rec #recreation

How about a wall decoration of Japanese irises that sway beautifully in the breeze? These irises are made using the pinwheel-making method.

Use blue, light blue, and purple origami or construction paper to create the pinwheels.

If you attach small pieces to represent the inner petals, they’ll look even more like iris flowers.

Since irises bloom along watersides such as marshes and ponds, a light blue background works well.

Make leaves from green construction paper and place the flowers at the tips.

At this time, we recommend fastening them with clear push pins.

On nice days, let in some fresh air and enjoy watching the irises gently sway.

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caterpillar

[Craft Idea] Caterpillar Craft (April/May Spring) (Wall Decoration) (Tabletop Decoration) (Activities for Seniors) (Childcare/Educational) (Easy) (Creative OT) (DIY)

May, with its warm climate, is a season when beautiful flowers bloom and caterpillars become active.

The pleasant weather makes you want to go out for a walk, doesn’t it? In this article, we’ll introduce a wall decoration idea featuring caterpillars that will make you feel like you’re taking a stroll outside, even while indoors.

Roll thin, long strips of construction paper into coils to make the caterpillar’s body.

You can also make the eyes and antennae from construction paper.

It’s a fun project where personality shines through depending on the shape of the eyes and where you attach the antennae! How about making and displaying dandelions and other plants alongside it? It’s sure to be an enjoyable crafting time!

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Carp streamers and irises

[Craft Idea] Koinobori and Iris Flowers (May, Spring) (Wall Decorations) (Senior Recreation / OT / Day Service) (Early Childhood Education) (Origami) (Japanese Traditions)

Speaking of May, it’s all about carp streamers (koinobori) for Children’s Day.

Those koinobori swimming gracefully in the wide sky are a familiar seasonal sight in Japan, and are likely nostalgic for seniors as well.

This time, we’re introducing wall decorations featuring koinobori and irises.

Irises bloom around mid-May, and they pair beautifully when displayed alongside koinobori.

Make the koinobori in any colors you like—the scales really pop when they’re colorful.

Attach the scales to the koinobori, draw the eyes, and it’s done.

For the irises, cut a sheet of origami paper into six equal pieces and make each petal one by one.

Combine the petals, then add the stem and leaves to finish.

Brighten up your senior care facility with these wall decorations that are perfect for clear May skies.

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Honeybees and a flower field

[Craft Idea] Honeybees and Flower Garden (April/May Spring) (Wall Decorations) (Senior Recreation/OT/Day Service) (Early Childhood Education) (3D) (DIY/Papercraft)

When you see bees buzzing around a flower field, it really feels like spring has arrived, doesn’t it? May is a wonderful season for walks, but some older adults may find going out difficult.

To help everyone feel the arrival of spring even indoors, let’s make a flower-field and bee wall decoration.

You can download the templates, so it’s a good idea to prepare them in advance.

After placing the template on yellow origami paper and cutting it out, use a black colored pencil to draw the stripes, eyes, and mouth.

Make a small slit at the tail, glue it to create a three-dimensional shape, and attach the wings and antennae to complete the bee.

Then make flowers using pink, light blue, purple, and other origami papers, and decorate to finish.

Work together to create a colorful flower field!

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