[For Seniors] Recommended for day services! Simple and cute small craft ideas
Craft time at the day service is an important activity that enriches both mind and body.
Each piece—like adorable pipe-cleaner bouquets and handy little organizers—shines with its own personality.
They’re lovely to use yourself, and they’d surely delight someone special as a gift!
None of the projects are very complicated, so you can take your time and work at your own pace.
Making them while chatting with other participants also helps expand your circle of communication.
Why not choose your favorite materials and colors to create a one-of-a-kind handmade piece in the whole world?
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For Seniors: Recommended for Day Services! Simple and Cute Craft Ideas (161–170)
amigurumi
Some seniors may be good at knitting, don’t you think? Some of you might even have knitted scarves or sweaters for your family.
Here’s a cute amigurumi kit that might bring back those memories.
Amigurumi are stuffed toys made by crocheting yarn.
There seem to be many varieties, including anime characters, animals, and seasonal themes.
The kit includes yarn and stuffing, so it’s easy to get started.
Once finished, it would likely make a delightful gift for your grandchildren.
Give it a try and create something adorable!
Strawberry wreath
Here’s a spring-like strawberry wreath you can make with supplies from a 100-yen shop.
First, prepare the wreath base.
Apply glue and wrap yarn around it so there are no gaps.
For the strawberries, use red felt—you can also use red gingham fabric.
Cut the felt into circles, then fold each circle in half and cut.
Stitch small seed patterns with thread.
Fold each half-circle in half again, sew along the top edge, open it once to stuff with filling, then close it up.
Make the calyx from green felt and glue it on to finish the strawberry.
Use more green felt for leaves and white felt for flowers, then glue them onto the wreath to complete it.
The arrangement can create many different looks, so you’ll end up with a unique wreath of your own.
Give it a try!
[For Seniors] Recommended for Day Services! Simple and Cute Small Craft Ideas (171–180)
Strawberry Milk Candy Strap
We’ll show you how to make a cute strap by reusing the wrapper from Sakuma’s “Ichigo Milk” candy.
First, take out the candy and wash and dry the wrapper.
Using air-dry clay, shape it into a triangle like the candy, then let it dry for a while.
Once dry, wrap it with the candy wrapper and make a hole for attaching the hardware.
Attach the hardware and secure it with glue, then add a strap or a ball chain to finish.
It’s safe and easy to make, so why not try it after enjoying your snack?
Rabbit ema (a wooden Shinto votive tablet featuring a rabbit)
Let’s try making an ema plaque featuring the zodiac using a kit.
Many facilities probably create New Year’s crafts around the year-end and New Year holidays.
Using a kit makes preparation easy and allows you to create lovely pieces.
Cut out the parts with scissors and attach them to the ema plaque that serves as the base.
The process of applying glue to the small parts and sticking them onto the plaque seems like something you can really focus on.
There are reports suggesting that, for dementia prevention, concentrating on new tasks is more beneficial than doing familiar ones.
By using a kit to create a beautiful piece, you can also expect brain-training benefits.
Stylish ribbon tray
A stylish and cute ribbon tray is perfect for keeping track of tiny items that are easy to lose.
This ribbon tray is made using the bottom of a milk carton.
Decide the height, cut off everything except the bottom section, and snip the corners as well.
Then simply cover it with fabric, but since the corners will be tied with ribbons, attach ribbons to the milk carton at the corners.
The key is to glue over them once more from the top so they won’t come loose.
The bottom is softly padded with quilt batting.
Ohina-dama
Here’s a recommendation for March’s Hinamatsuri: beanbag-shaped hina dolls.
You can make them with items from a 100-yen shop.
Prepare chirimen crepe fabric, insert a backing sheet, stuff it with cotton, and sew a small beanbag.
Then attach the faces and small accessories of the Emperor and Empress made from construction paper or cardstock, and you’re done.
Create a small platform for the beanbag hina dolls to sit on and display them—it will look lovely.
They’re great to place on a table at home for older adults, too.
As they make them, some seniors might recall the Hinamatsuri celebrations they shared with their families in the past.
amulet
Here’s a charm you can make using printed fabric tape from a 100-yen shop.
Draw 1 cm-wide lines at both ends of the fabric tape to use as guides.
Attach a piece of paper cut to the size of the tape in the center and secure it firmly.
Fold the fabric tape to shape it into a charm, then finish by tying a double kanō-musubi (double “wish-fulfilling” knot).
This knot is said to carry the meaning “wishes come true,” making it perfect for a charm.
Since no needles are used, it’s safe and easy for older adults as well.
Choose fabric tape with patterns you like to create a one-of-a-kind charm.
It’s a heartfelt craft that makes a great gift for someone special.
