For Seniors: Simple and Lovely Crafts – A Collection of Take-Home Project Ideas for Day Service
If you can take home the pieces made at day service centers and other senior facilities, you can display or use them at home, adding a little extra enjoyment to everyday life.
Many older adults also enjoy focusing on the act of making things.
So this time, we’ve gathered ideas for projects you can take home.
We’ve included practical items you can use at home, like small organizers and photo frames, as well as pieces you can simply display and enjoy!
The materials are easy to prepare, and we also make use of recyclables like empty jars.
Crafting involves using your fingertips, which can stimulate the brain and help prevent cognitive decline, while also providing a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment from creating something.
Please have fun making these projects!
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[For Seniors] Simple and Lovely Crafts: A Collection of Take-Home Project Ideas for Daycare (401–410)
Momotaro
The story of “Momotaro” has long been loved as a tale in which Momotaro sets out to defeat demons with millet dumplings made by his grandmother hanging at his waist, accompanied by a dog, a monkey, and a pheasant.
This time, let’s make the main character, Momotaro.
Cutting out small parts with scissors involves fine hand movements and thinking about “How should I cut this?”, which provides good stimulation for the brain and is expected to help prevent dementia.
If you’re doing this in a senior care facility, it’s safer to pre-cut the parts and have participants do the pasting.
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.
Sakura hanging ornaments
We’d like to introduce a hanging cherry blossom decoration that will fill your room with the feeling of spring.
First, cut felt into a long, thin strip, make small slits, roll it up, and create the flower center (stamens).
Next, cut felt into a circle and make five evenly spaced cuts toward the center.
Round off the corners and trim the tips of the petals.
Add color with pastels or chalk, then glue the flower center to the middle.
While folding the petals, attach them around the center.
Your flower is complete.
Make six of these.
Cut another felt circle and glue the flowers you made along the circle.
It’s nice to place the best-shaped one in the center.
Sandwich the string and a flower between pieces of felt and glue them together to finish your hanging decoration.
The overall look can change dramatically depending on the flower colors and how you cut the petals, so have fun finding your own unique combination.
Give it a try!
Sakura haiku decoration
When you think of spring, cherry blossoms are surely one of the first things that come to mind.
Here’s a simple video showing how to make cherry blossoms.
It’s perfect for day-service activities and other recreations! Combining them with other flowers can give an even more stylish look.
You’ll need items like cardstock, craft bands, and colored paper.
Preparation is easy, so you can start right away.
If everyone divides the tasks and makes these blossoms together, you’ll quickly produce lots of them.
Give it a try!
[For Seniors] Simple and Lovely Crafts: Day Service Take-Home Project Idea Collection (411–420)
Cherry blossom wall hanging
Let us introduce a cherry blossom wall decoration that brings a touch of spring into your room.
Flatten a toilet paper roll and cut it in half; decorate one half with washi paper or colored paper to make the base.
Cut the other half into long, thin strips and shape them into cherry blossom petals.
Create a petal-shaped template from construction paper, then cut pink origami to match.
Sandwich and glue the toilet paper roll petals between the origami petals—the roll’s natural curve adds a nice accent to each petal.
Attach the petals to the decorated base, add any embellishments you like, and it’s done.
You can stick it directly on the wall or punch a hole and thread a string to hang it.
Try decorating your room in spring colors!
Sakura Necklace
Let’s make a cute cherry blossom necklace using straws and origami.
First, divide a sheet of origami paper into four equal squares, then fold each one into five sections to create cherry blossoms.
Once you learn this method, it’s handy for easily making stars and flowers too.
Next, add leaves made from origami, punch a hole in the center, prepare some thread, and string them in the order of a short piece of straw, a flower, a straw, and a flower.
Threading straws onto the string is also great for fine motor rehabilitation, so I highly recommend it.
It also makes a lovely room decoration.
cherry blossom wreath
Here is a cherry blossom wreath made from felt.
This one is finished by sewing and gathering with a needle and thread.
If you add a bit of blush to the center of the white flowers, it turns out super cute, so give it a try.
We’ll assemble this into a wreath by alternating flowers and pink pom-poms to form a circle.
You can make the pom-poms yourself or buy them at a 100-yen shop.
Make a ring out of wire, coat the ring with yarn, attach the decorations, and it’s done.
It’s really adorable.