[Nursery/Kindergarten] New Year Craft Ideas: A Collection of Projects You Can Enjoy Even After Making Them
You want to plan New Year’s crafts at a nursery or kindergarten, but you can’t think of ideas that kids will enjoy while incorporating traditional elements… In times like these, decorations and classic toys made from familiar materials are perfect! Here, we introduce New Year-themed craft ideas ranging from lucky charms like akabeko (red cow), kagami mochi, and shimenawa, to playable crafts such as fukuwarai, kendama, and spinning tops.
They all make use of recycled materials like milk cartons, plastic bottles, and paper cups, so why not enjoy preparing for the New Year together with the children? Since the children’s creations are treated as “artworks,” we use the term “seisaku” (制作) in the text.
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[Nursery/Kindergarten] New Year Craft Ideas Special! A Collection of Projects You Can Enjoy Even After Making Them (91–100)
Daruma-chan art with a brush pen
https://www.tiktok.com/@asamin_fude/video/7315727436308663553The appeal of brush pens is, after all, that with a single pen you can create both thick and thin lines and end up with lettering full of character.
They’re tricky to handle until you get used to them, but once you can use them, they’re very handy tools that work in all sorts of situations.
In this idea, the “0” in the year is depicted as a daruma doll.
The daruma’s pattern is done with a colored brush pen, and a finer pen is used for the face.
It’s simple yet results in a highly designed illustration, so feel free to try copying it and drawing your own.
Origami horse you can make with a single sheet
Perfect for the Year of the Horse! Here’s an idea for making a horse’s face out of origami.
New Year’s cards are often associated with illustrations and drawings, but if you create one by attaching an origami piece, it adds depth and turns it into a very special card.
This design uses a simple series of folds along the creases and can be made with just one sheet of origami paper.
You’ll need a craft knife to make the mane, so have it ready before you start.
Use black round stickers for the eyes and draw the nostrils with a pen.
Great for New Year’s cards too! Easy-to-use stamps
This is a New Year’s card featuring Mount Fuji made with construction paper and stamping.
It’s an easy project that kids can enjoy.
First, cut out the base of Mount Fuji from blue construction paper.
Cut it to postcard size, imagining a trapezoid shape.
Once cut, dab white paint onto a sponge dauber and stamp the upper area.
This creates the look of snow-capped Mount Fuji.
After the paint dries, glue it onto the postcard and draw the sun in the blank space to represent the first sunrise of the year.
Finally, write the year in Western numerals, and you’re done!
For New Year’s cards! Cushion sheet printmaking
Here’s an easy way to make beautiful New Year’s postcards using cushion foam sheets.
First, take an A4-size clear file, cut off the edge, then cut it in half twice down the middle.
Trim the pieces into postcard shapes.
Next, cut the cushion foam sheet into zodiac shapes, letters, etc., and sketch your design on the backing paper with a permanent marker.
After sticking on the cushion foam pieces, color them with a water-based pen.
Dampen the postcard with a cloth, stamp it, and you’re done! You can usually stamp about three in a row.
Because cushion foam sheets can be repositioned, give it a try!
Kagami mochi made with origami
Kagami mochi, which are offered as yorishiro (vessels for the visiting Toshigami deity) during New Year’s, make a perfect design for New Year’s cards.
This time, let’s make kagami mochi using origami.
We’ll create two parts: the sanpō (the stand) and the kagami mochi itself.
Since each is made from a different sheet, please prepare two pieces of origami paper.
Because we also want to represent the mandarin orange on top, have an orange sheet ready.
The folding process includes steps like accordion folds and opening and flattening after creasing.
With only a few steps, it’s an easy, fun challenge for kids.
Be sure to make it and use it as part of your New Year’s card design!