Handmade ideas for summer decorations. Perfect for interior decor and craft activities!
When summer comes, you start wanting to decorate your rooms with cool, refreshing interiors.
In this article, we’ll introduce handmade ideas for summer decorations.
From authentic summer decor you’ll want to display at home to projects that can be used in childcare and eldercare settings—and ideas that will delight at events like Tanabata—we’ve got you covered.
There are many types of decorations, such as garlands, hanging ornaments, and wreaths, so try finding ideas that perfectly suit where you want to display them.
Let’s make summer a bit more comfortable with cool-looking decorations.
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Handmade ideas for summer decorations. Perfect for interior decor and craft activities! (71–80)
tassel garland
Let’s prepare a tassel garland, a party good widely loved in the United States.
The “tassel” in a tassel garland refers to an ornament made from bands of fabric or strands of thread bundled together.
Many people also associate it with the cords used to tie back curtains.
This time, we’ll recreate that using sheer fabric and hang the tassels from a single string.
It has more presence than a typical garland and adds a sense of movement.
Using seven colors of sheer fabric to create a colorful finish sounds great, too.
Dried flower and fruit garland
If you want to give your room a natural vibe for summer, how about a garland made with dried flowers and dried fruit? Garlands with a natural feel blend easily into your decor, so they’re sure to be useful not only in summer but all year round.
Prepare your favorite materials: glue several pieces of fruit together, make a hole at the top, and thread through some jute twine; for the flowers, bundle a few stems together with jute twine.
To finish, fix wooden clips onto the jute twine and decorate with each material—that’s it! It’s easy to make by hand yet looks very stylish.
For dried fruit, it’s best to use it as an accent rather than hanging a lot of pieces.
Macrame tassel garland
Macrame has firmly established itself as an interior decor staple—you often see stylish homes on social media adorned with macrame tapestries.
Here’s an idea that uses macrame to make tassels and turn them into a garland.
Macrame might sound difficult and make you want to give up, but if you take your time and follow a video, you’ll be fine.
Just tie a few square knots to secure it, then comb out the ends to complete a macrame tassel.
Make it in a single color for a chic look, or go colorful for a fun, summery finish.
Lemon garland
How about a lemon garland to freshen up your room for summer? Not only will it instantly brighten the space, but the zesty lemon vibe might just blow away that sticky summer heat.
First, create templates for the lemons and leaves, then cut felt to match the templates.
For the lemons, cut circles from felt, fold each one in half and glue, then assemble three pieces together to form a lemon.
Make as many lemons and leaves as you’d like to decorate! Finally, attach each piece to jute twine or similar, and you’re done.
You can hang it like a mobile, drape it on curtains or walls—there are so many ways to style it, and it’s perfect for giving your room a fresh new look.
Lantern shade made with orizome (fold-dyeing)
Here we’ll show you how to make a lovely lantern using tie-dyed paper and a milk carton.
It’s handy to illuminate it from inside with a flashlight.
First, make a slit partway down the milk carton and cut it with scissors.
Use the top half and peel off the printed layer from the body.
After peeling, glue the spout closed.
Next, tear the tie-dyed paper into pieces and stick them onto the carton.
Once the paper is attached, brush a layer of diluted glue over the entire carton, and you’re done.
star ornament
Let us introduce a star decoration that’s perfect for Tanabata ornaments! It might look complicated at first glance, but the steps are surprisingly simple.
Fold your origami paper into a triangle three times, then cut along the guidelines.
Open it up, lift the second layer, curl it toward the center, and glue it down to create a 3D effect.
Make one more just like it, then glue the backs together to finish.
Using double-sided origami paper or colored copy paper will make it even prettier, so be sure to give it a try!
A castle made of seashells
Here’s an idea I’d love families with children to try: a seashell castle.
Build up layers of thick paperboard like a tiered cake, then glue shells onto it.
Once you’ve made the base, all that’s left is sticking things on, so it’s an easy project to attempt.
You can collect shells yourself, or buy them online these days—feel free to take advantage of that.
Using a craft punch to make star-shaped or other cutouts in the paperboard will make it even cuter.
Sticking to a blue-and-white color scheme is the key to giving it a summery feel.
Shell decor
How about enjoying seashells as interior decor, by bottling them or displaying them on a windowsill? There’s nothing particularly difficult or unusual about it—just simple, stylish ways to make them look neat.
You could gather small shells and put them in a cute-shaped bottle, or line the bottom of a glass container or your favorite glass with colored sand and arrange a few shells to evoke the seaside or a sandy beach.
You can also pair them with summery fabrics or driftwood for display.
goldfish lantern
Why not add a festive touch with adorable goldfish-shaped lanterns? If you want to make a round, lantern-like goldfish, we recommend using disposable bowl containers sold at 100-yen shops.
Join the rims of two bowls together to form a round goldfish.
Then paint it, make fins from construction paper, and attach them.
Finish by adding a string, and it’s done! Another idea is to draw eyes and a mouth on an inflated balloon, add fins, and hang it like a lantern.
Since these tend to turn out a bit large, try using them as an accent among your other decorations.
Stained glass-style wall decoration
Here’s a stained-glass-style wall decoration that’s fun with coloring-book elements.
First, prepare your favorite coloring page or draw your own outline.
Place a sheet of clear cellophane over it and trace the lines.
Once that’s done, flip the cellophane over and color it in with your favorite colors.
Finally, layer aluminum foil on the back, and it’s complete.
A big appeal is that you can choose themes you like—such as sea creatures or festival items—and work on them.
There are also templates available for download online, so it’s a great idea to practice with those.