Lovely senior life

[For Seniors] Recommended for day-service centers. A collection of craft ideas for April

Social worker / Care workermoko
My name is Moko, a mother of three who admired my mother and worked in the care industry as a care worker and as a medical social worker (MSW) in a hospital. I will be drawing on my previous experience to write mainly about caregiving. Thank you in advance.
Care Worker Initial Training Certification ObtainedNakajima Junko
Leveraging my experience working as a care worker at a day service, I am currently active as a writer in the caregiving and welfare fields. Beyond writing, I hope to expand my work into web design and illustration. I am a mother of three who has begun studying to become a certified social worker.

April brings warmer weather and a lighter mood.

How about incorporating seasonal flowers like cherry blossoms and hyacinths, as well as spring-themed motifs, into your craft recreation activities? Participants can take their finished pieces home, so they can enjoy the feeling of spring there as well.

Craft activities that use the fingertips allow for focused engagement, which many older adults particularly enjoy.

We’ve gathered a wide range of projects—from simple to more elaborate—so please choose the ones that best suit each individual and give them a try.

Let’s all enjoy them together while communicating and connecting!

For Seniors: Recommended for Day Services. April Craft Ideas Collection (91–100)

Chinese milk vetch

April Wall Decorations: “Chinese Milk Vetch” — Cute Spring Bulletin Board Made from Paper

Chinese milk vetch

A wall decoration featuring bright pink Chinese milk vetch blossoms.

Since it requires precise hand movements, it’s recommended for seniors who want to try more advanced origami.

Cut the petal pieces according to the template and lightly score the fold lines.

For the stem, make all the fold lines valley folds, then overlap both edges and glue them securely in place.

For the flower pieces, alternate valley and mountain folds starting from the lower fold line to create a three-dimensional shape.

Where the fold lines split into three, make mountain folds from both sides and push the center line inward into a valley fold.

By pressing down the lightly made mountain folds and creasing them more deeply, the flower shape will hold firmly.

Finally, glue together the petals, stem, and leaves to complete the piece.

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Cactus and flowers

[Origami] How to fold a cute cactus and flower – easy origami flower

Cactus and flowers

A cactus characterized by prickly spines.

Cacti also bloom in a variety of colors, such as red, yellow, and white.

It varies by species, but they mainly flower from early spring to around summer.

Some older adults may also be growing cacti at home.

Let’s make a potted, flowering cactus out of origami that you can display at home.

Fold along the creases you’ve made to create the pot.

Use accordion folds to add creases, shape, and form the cactus.

Fold a triangle three times, cut off the excess, and make the cactus flower.

Put all the parts together to finish.

Real cacti have flowers in many different colors.

With your origami piece, try making the flowers in whatever colors you like.

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For Seniors: Recommended for Day Service. April Craft Idea Collection (101–110)

Bee

[Origami] Easy and Cute Bee Folding Tutorial / Origami Bee Honeybee Insect Spring Origami

Bee

April, when we can feel the warmth, is also the time when insects become active.

It’s a season when many flowers bloom, so you’ll often see bees flying around fields and meadows.

Bees can seem scary because they sting, but how about cute honeybees? Some older adults might enjoy folding them with origami.

We’ll fold the face and body using separate sheets of paper.

Giving the overall shape a round look will make the piece feel cuter.

Add antennae and wings, and don’t forget to draw the black stripes that are characteristic of bees.

You can display it on the wall together with flower crafts, or attach it to other pieces like a wreath—both are recommended.

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tricolor dango

[Origami] Dango — Origami English Subtitles

tricolor dango

In spring, many people enjoy hanami, viewing the cherry blossoms in full bloom.

Since it’s also an easy season for older adults to go out, some may enjoy flower viewing as well.

Speaking of hanami, sanshoku dango (three-colored dumplings) are a must-have treat.

Let’s make spring-like sanshoku dango out of origami.

Use three colors of origami paper to make balloon shapes and skewer them with a bamboo stick.

That’s it—finished.

By the way, it’s said that the order of the dango colors corresponds to the order in which cherry blossoms bloom: from the top, pink for the buds, white for full bloom, and green for the leafing stage.

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Spring wildflowers

[Spring] How to Make Spring Flowers and Plants [Wall Decorations]

Spring wildflowers

Let’s create a spring-themed floral mural to bring a touch of spring to your room.

You can easily make it using colored paper sold at 100-yen shops.

Since the sheets are large as-is, cut them into quarter size, and even into quarters again if needed.

For clovers, fold the paper into eighths, draw the lines, and cut along them to finish.

For five-petal flowers like cherry blossoms or pansies, you can fold at about two-thirds of the edge to get a nice shape.

Alternatively, make a six-petal flower first, then cut a slit and overlap the petals to turn it into a five-petal flower for a more three-dimensional look.

Finally, use a large sheet of colored construction paper as the base and attach the flowers and leaves you’ve made to complete your mural.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Cherry Blossoms and Rapeseed Flowers

[For senior care facilities] Easy cherry blossoms and rapeseed flower wall decoration

Cherry Blossoms and Rapeseed Flowers

Spring is the season when flowers of many colors bloom in profusion; not only cherry blossoms but also rapeseed flowers brighten the landscape.

This is a three-dimensional decoration that depicts a spring scene and the uplifting feeling of rapeseed blossoms blooming around cherry trees.

The key is to make each part with tissue paper, carefully adding wrinkles and shaping them like flowers to create a soft, three-dimensional look.

A sturdy cherry tree with soft pink blossoms, arranged with yellow rapeseed flowers around it, completes the piece.

It might also be nice to emphasize spring by adding decorations like fallen petals and butterflies, not just flowers in bloom.

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Hanging decoration of cherry blossoms and leaves

[Senior Recreation] [Crafts] Sakura Hanging Mobile Using Leftover Materials from a Wall Decoration Project

Hanging decoration of cherry blossoms and leaves

Here’s a lovely hanging decoration that pairs beautifully with cherry blossom petals, made with softly textured, colored washi paper.

You’ll create the cherry blossom petals from washi.

Because washi is soft and easy to handle, it may be especially accessible for older adults.

You can also make paper fans by accordion-folding and use them as parts for the hanging decoration.

If you make the hanging structure into a cherry tree and add a Japanese bush warbler, it will evoke an even stronger feeling of spring.

Seeing the finished piece can give older adults a sense of accomplishment and encourage them to share memories and stories about cherry blossoms from their past.

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