[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 Schools & Kindergartens] New Year’s Craft Ideas Special! A Collection of Projects You Can Enjoy Even After Making Them (41–50)
Spins great! A top made from a paper cup
Why not open up a paper cup and make a well-spinning top? You will need a paper cup, markers, origami paper, and so on.
First, mark the rim of the paper cup into eight equal sections.
Cut along the marks, but don’t cut all the way—leave a little uncut.
Once you’ve made the cuts, fold them and spread them out.
Trim off the tips and decorate with markers or similar.
A continuous pattern may look nicer when it spins.
Next, fold the shaft using origami paper.
Fit the shaft into the bottom (underside) of the paper cup, and you’re done.
Make it with straw stamps! Snowman craft
Let’s make a snowman wall art with straw stamps.
First, an adult draws large and small circles on construction paper.
Using a plate as a guide is fun, too.
Then, draw a snowman’s hat on colored construction paper or origami paper.
Have the child cut it out.
Glue the cut-out pieces onto a darker-colored construction paper.
Once they’re glued, draw the snowman’s face with crayons.
For the straw stamp, cut slits into the end of a straw and spread them out so it forms a flower shape.
Dip it in white paint and dab it on—this creates lovely snowflake-like prints.
Cute when lined up! Zodiac Daruma
When Daruma dolls transformed into the twelve zodiac animals are lined up, they make a splendid New Year’s decoration.
Prepare origami paper, colored Posca markers, and construction paper, and let’s get started.
Take one sheet of origami paper and fold it to create the shape of a Daruma, making crease lines as you go.
For each zodiac animal, use construction paper and colored Posca markers to add features like whiskers, ears, and manes.
Writing the name of the zodiac animal on the Daruma’s belly will enhance the festive look.
Once you’ve completed all twelve zodiac animals, display them together at the end.
It will elevate the celebratory atmosphere of the New Year.
Winter origami! Cute kotatsu
Here is an introduction to making a kotatsu out of origami.
First, fold a sheet of origami paper in half in the color you like.
Since it’s a kotatsu, a patterned paper might be cuter.
Then fold back about one-third.
After folding, unfold it, fold it to half that width, and return it.
On the back side, fold back one-third as well.
Next, fold the back diagonally to create the kotatsu’s slope, and the main body is complete.
Now make the tabletop for the kotatsu.
Use a quarter-size sheet of origami paper for this.
Next, make the mandarin orange, which is essential for a kotatsu.
This one is very small, so have an adult help you.
A 3D Daruma you can make with a single sheet of origami!
Let’s make a daruma that’s perfect for decorating your entryway for the New Year.
Prepare origami paper, felt-tip pens, round stickers, and scissors.
Take one sheet of origami paper, fold it into a triangle to make a center crease, then open it and fold both sides toward the center line.
As you firmly crease each fold, carefully adjust the balance of the daruma’s face.
By folding the corners, you’ll create a rounded shape for the daruma’s body.
Use felt-tip pens and round stickers to make the eyes and eyebrows, and it’s complete.
You can also make a small cushion (zabuton).
Enjoy displaying your daruma to kick off the New Year!
Fukuwarai made with origami
Fukuwarai is a game where a blindfolded person places eyes, a nose, and other facial parts onto a picture that only shows the outline of a face.
It used to be a New Year’s pastime, but it seems chances to play it have been decreasing recently.
A Fukuwarai set featuring an Okame face made from origami might be a more casual way to enjoy it.
Use black origami paper, crease it first, and then fold the Okame.
The black side of the origami becomes Okame’s hair, and the white side is the face.
Have the children freely draw the facial features with pens or other tools.
Of course, making separate facial parts and gluing them on will also look great.
3D origami Daruma doll
Let’s make a daruma doll—an auspicious charm—using origami.
Prepare origami paper, round stickers, a felt pen, and glue.
Open the origami paper and make firm creases into squares and triangles.
As you fold, tuck the paper in while creating rounded volume overall.
When folding the layers in, straighten the tips and shift them slightly as you make careful folds; this will help you create a nicely rounded daruma shape.
Fold the eyes from a separate piece of origami paper, then use black-colored round stickers to represent the eyes and eyebrows.
Attach them to the body to finish.
Try changing the color of the origami paper to make daruma dolls in various colors!