[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 Small Craft Ideas (171–180)
Carnations made of felt
Mother’s Day is in May.
Some of you may have given carnations on Mother’s Day, or perhaps there are seniors who have received them.
Here is a carnation craft that’s perfect for a May project.
Use a circular template and cut matching pieces from felt.
Make small slits around the edge of the felt circles.
Poke a hole in the center of the felt and thread a wire through it.
Use a hot glue gun to attach the felt to the wire.
Layer several felt circles to form the petals.
Create leaves and tape them to the wire, which will serve as the stem, to finish.
You can make several carnations and arrange them into a bouquet.
Hanging decorations for Children’s Day
This is a hanging decoration for Children’s Day made with items from a 100-yen shop.
We’ll make four kinds of ornaments, and I’ll explain them in order.
First is the carp streamer.
Cut a felt rectangle, snip the tail into a V shape, then attach felt scales and an eye—done.
Next is the kashiwa-mochi.
Just stick a white pom-pom and a leaf-shaped piece of felt together with double-sided tape.
For the iris flower, thread four small pom-poms onto a string and add another pom-pom in the center to finish.
For the May doll, thread two pom-poms and an origami samurai helmet onto a string, attach an origami armor piece, and add decorative stickers for the face to complete it.
The prep and steps are easy, and they look adorable, so they’re fun to make.
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.
Fireworks with a straw
Fireworks art using straws is a fun craft that lets you create simple yet dazzling pieces.
Prepare several straws and snip one end into thin strips, then flare it out.
This will form the fireworks shape.
Set out paints in multiple colors on a palette and dip the cut end of the straw into the paint.
Lightly press it onto black construction paper to create bursts of colorful fireworks.
Layering colors makes the fireworks look more dimensional and vivid.
Using thinner straws produces delicate fireworks, while thicker straws give you bold designs.
It’s a perfect idea for creative activities in day service programs, allowing older adults to enjoy a taste of summer indoors.
Doll-style towel hanger
Here’s a project that turns a hand towel into a cute little doll.
If the hand towel you always use at home looked like a doll, it might lift the spirits of older adults, too.
Use a foam ball to make the doll’s face, then attach craft eyes and yarn for hair.
After fixing the facial parts to a wooden clip, decorate it with ribbons and beads.
Attach a towel folded into a triangle to the wooden clip, and your doll-style towel hanger is complete.
You can make one for yourself, and it would also make a delightful gift for families of older adults.
[For Seniors] Recommended for Day Services! Easy and Cute Small Craft Ideas (181–190)
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.
Three-dimensional hanging scroll of morning glories
We’d like to introduce a morning glory hanging scroll that’s perfect for the season when the rainy season ends and the heat sets in.
Make the morning glories by folding and cutting origami, then attach paper straws to them.
Cut a base into a long rectangular shape like a hanging scroll and punch holes for the straws.
Insert the morning glories with the attached straws into the holes in the base.
If you thread a string through the straws, you can hang it up as a decoration.
Curving the base will give the morning glories a three-dimensional look.
Many older adults associate morning glories with summer, so creating this piece can also help them feel the season.