[Day Service] Handmade Autumn Crafts: Take-Home Project Ideas
As the weather turns chilly, this time of year is also known as the season of art, and many older adults may feel inspired to make things.
In this article, we’ll introduce craft ideas that are perfect for autumn.
The ideas featured here can be enjoyed as seasonal decorations or home interiors, making them great for recreational activities at day service centers, too.
After you’ve made them, be sure to take them home and enjoy the autumn atmosphere there as well.
They also make wonderful gifts for family and friends.
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[Day Service] Handmade Autumn Crafts: Take-Home Project Ideas (21–30)
Grapes made with torn newspaper (collage)
Let’s make a grape collage using torn paper (chigiri-e).
Chigiri-e uses your fingertips a lot, so it can be effective for fine motor training.
It also helps stimulate the brain.
Through detailed work, it is said to improve concentration as well.
Cut out photos or illustrations from newspapers that match your grape design.
To prepare the parts you’ll tear, trace the shapes on the newspaper with a brush moistened with water.
This makes it easier to tear along the shape you want to use.
Then, create the grapes on a backing sheet using the torn newspaper pieces to complete your work.
It’s also great for making calendars.
Autumn hanging ornament: grapes
Imagine how grapes grow on a vine.
Don’t they hang from the plant as they bear fruit? Let me introduce a hanging decoration that looks just like real grapes.
We’ll make grape berries by rolling up origami paper inspired by grapes.
Glue the berries together in a chain to form a single bunch.
Attach the bunch of grapes to a vine made from origami and string.
Add leaves and hang it up, and you’ll have a creation that looks just like real grapes.
Seeing the grape hanging decoration might remind some seniors of going grape picking, or help them feel the season by looking at autumn’s taste of grapes.
Grapes made with toilet paper rolls
It’s a three-dimensional craft that looks like grapes placed on a plate.
Cut construction paper into a circle to represent a plate, then arrange circular rings made from cut toilet paper rolls into the shape of a grape cluster.
Stuff the circular rings with origami paper in grape colors, and finally attach a stem-shaped piece of construction paper to finish.
Be mindful of how you arrange the rings and choose color combinations that resemble grapes, such as purple and green.
The motion of crumpling the origami paper by hand also helps strengthen fine motor skills.
Grapes in a plastic bottle
Use the rounded shape of plastic bottle caps to draw grape berries, cut them out, and combine them to make grape decorations.
If you use only the cut origami pieces, you’ll have a flat decoration; if you attach them to the caps, you can create a three-dimensional one.
Using caps that match the color of the berries gives a unified look, but if you can’t prepare enough caps, wrapping them with origami or painting them is also recommended.
Encourage attention to fine motor movement by cutting accurately along the lines and creating small, detailed parts step by step.
Handmade pampas grass
Here’s a craft idea featuring pampas grass, which is essential for autumn scenery and moon-viewing.
Make fine cuts into colored construction paper with scissors, roll it tightly from the edge, and secure it with tape to create the pampas grass.
If you want to display the pampas grass upright, try making a stand by wrapping green construction paper around a toilet paper roll and decorating the tube with pipe cleaners.
Since this craft involves using scissors and rolling, it’s also great for finger and hand coordination practice—perfect for autumn craft time.
If you make some dango as well, you’ll have a splendid moon-viewing decoration ready!
Three-Dimensional Cosmos
This is a three-dimensional cosmos flower that you complete by repeatedly folding it down small, using the creases radiating in eight directions from the center as guides.
The process involves stacking triangles to match the number of petals, and as you crease the tips of the triangles, you also form the center of the cosmos.
Precise, crisp refolds are crucial, so pay close attention to the creases and fold accurately.
Along the way, gently twist and open the paper to shape the flower, giving it a soft, rounded form.
grape clip
These stylish grape-themed clips use 100-yen store bead stickers and ribbons.
They’re great for craft activities at day-service centers, and the practical clips will be useful at home even after the craft is done.
Make loops from four ribbons of different lengths, stick them together with double-sided tape, and decorate with bead stickers.
Glue the ribbons onto a wooden clothespin, then place a ribbon shaped like a leaf at the very top to finish.
You can arrange them with various ribbon colors and materials to create a chic, cute piece for adults.
