[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)
Heart-shaped woven basket
A heart-shaped woven basket made with reversible crepe sheets is both eye-catching and practical.
Prepare two crepe sheets in different colors and cut them to the same size.
Make evenly spaced slits in each sheet, then weave them together alternately to create a lattice pattern.
Once the weaving is finished, cut the whole piece into a heart shape and attach a handle to complete it.
Tight weaving makes it sturdy, so it can hold sweets or small items.
Taking advantage of the reversible material to create a colorful design makes it even more festive.
It’s an easy project that offers a sense of accomplishment and helps with finger dexterity for older adults, making it a great take-home craft for day service programs.
Persimmons made with Suzuran tape
Suzuran tape is colored vinyl tape.
It’s commonly used to bundle things like newspapers.
This time, let’s use suzuran tape to make a persimmon craft.
Cut the suzuran tape into 60 cm lengths and wrap it around a backing sheet cut into the shape of a persimmon.
Wrap six strands per persimmon.
There are also persimmons with different colors, such as fully ripe ones that look different from ordinary persimmons.
It’s recommended to change the color of the suzuran tape to reflect that.
It’s very easy to make, so it’s perfect as an autumn craft for seniors.
[Day Service] Handmade Creations for Autumn: Take-Home Craft Ideas (31–40)
Autumn-colored arrangement with 100-yen store artificial flowers
For those who love handmade crafts, 100-yen shops are indispensable.
Year by year, the variety of artificial and dried flowers has grown, and the way they stock all kinds of seasonal blooms—almost like a real florist—is truly impressive.
Why not try making an arrangement using artificial flowers from a 100-yen shop? It’s very simple: just insert the artificial flowers into floral foam.
For the container, you can also use a vase, ceramic cup, or glass from the same shop.
You don’t have to worry about changing water, so you can display it anywhere—that’s another great perk.
Mural for October
Here’s an idea: fold a sheet of origami paper in half, cut it, and when you unfold it you’ll have a cute maple leaf shape.
Make lots of them and turn them into a wall decoration.
It’s great to have everyone make the same shape and size, but it could also be fun for each person to create a leaf with its own unique character.
If you want them all to match, using a template is recommended—try cutting with a printed template or one you’ve made by cutting a shape out of thick paper.
A wall covered with colorful maple leaves is a spectacular sight and makes for a decoration that really captures the feeling of autumn.
Two-toned cosmos flower folded from a single sheet
Here’s how to make a cosmos flower that shows both sides of the origami paper to create a two-toned bloom.
It’s a delicate process, but you only need origami paper, and the key is making small cuts at the end to create petal-like shapes.
There are many folding steps, but if you go slowly, it’s not too difficult.
It might be nice to fold them together during craft time at a facility and use them as wall decorations.
Using double-sided colored origami paper would also make the flowers colorful and beautiful.
Cosmos in 2 Minutes! Easy Version
Here’s a very easy way to make cosmos flowers using scrap materials.
Fold origami paper three times, then use pinking shears to make cuts on one side.
Snip between the petals with scissors, apply double-sided tape to the bottom, and roll a plastic bottle cap onto it to secure.
Stuff the inside of the bottle cap with crumpled yellow tissue paper, curl the petals, and you’re done.
If you’ve got lots of spare plastic bottle caps, why not take this opportunity to put them to use?
Frame of “Grapes and Cosmos”
Autumn is a season with many delicious fruits, and among them, grapes come in many varieties.
And when it comes to symbolic autumn flowers, cosmos are a classic.
Here’s an idea: frame and display these two together.
For the grapes, to create a three-dimensional look, cut several half-circle pieces of origami paper to the same size and assemble them as if making half of a paper ball.
Stack the origami sheets and trace the template from above, then cut them all at once for efficiency.
For the cosmos, use pink, red, white, and yellow paper; simply cut petal shapes and layer a few together.
Try decorating the basket with grape leaves and tendrils as well.