[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! Easy and Cute Craft Ideas (11–20)
Cotton Bottle Light
Cotton ball lights are spherical shapes made of thread with hollow centers, lined up with lights shining through them.
First, inflate a balloon to the size you want the sphere to be, wrap thread around it, apply glue, and let it dry.
Once it’s dry, gently remove the balloon from inside to complete the cotton ball; then thread the lights through and connect them.
Choosing which colors of thread to use and the order to arrange them is important to make them look colorful.
rug mat
Even if you feel a bit uneasy about crafts that use needles or scissors, here’s a safe and enjoyable handmade rug idea.
All you need are cardboard toilet paper rolls and yarn.
Wrap yarn around two rolls.
Once it’s fluffy and voluminous, tie the center tightly with another piece of yarn.
Remove the rolls, cut the yarn loops, and shape them.
Make several of these, then tie them onto a non-slip mat to complete a fluffy rug.
Since no needles are used, it’s gentle on your fingers and can be done in a relaxed way.
You can also combine yarn in your favorite colors to enjoy an original design.
It’s easy to make and perfect for your home interior—give this craft a try!
Cherry blossom corsage
Let’s make a small, cute cherry blossom corsage.
This one is made with felt, and since you can assemble it without sewing, it’s great for recreational activities for seniors.
Cut small pieces of felt and make slits to form the cherry blossom petals.
Attach wire to flower stamens (flower peps), then secure them to the petals.
Use a glue gun to shape the flower so it looks three-dimensional.
Make the calyx with green felt and wrap brown floral tape around the wire.
Bundle several cherry blossoms made in the same way to complete the piece.
It’s a perfect motif for the cherry blossom season, as well as entrance and graduation ceremonies.
It would also make a delightful gift for a grandchild.
Try making this piece and give it to someone special.
A bouquet made with pipe cleaners
A pipe-cleaner bouquet that also makes a great gift.
The work mainly involves simple folding and wrapping, even if some steps are a bit fiddly, so it uses few materials and is easy to make.
The flowers, made by folding each piece in half, are cute.
When making the stems, thread a round bead and wrap it onto the flower.
Since this project involves making multiple pieces of the same shape, you may find it becomes more enjoyable as you make more and feel yourself improving.
Using your hands like this is great stimulation and seems good for your body, too.
Try swapping out parts other than the pipe cleaners, or, once you’re used to it, experiment with your own wrapping styles! Enjoy wrapping with your favorite materials—like the lace paper shown in the video.
Spring floral arrangement
Here’s a frame arrangement using materials you can get at a 100-yen shop.
Display it by your front door or in a room to easily bring a sense of spring.
All you need is a frame and artificial flowers.
First, remove the back panel of the frame and check the size.
When attaching the artificial flowers to the back panel, be careful not to let them overlap the edges, or the frame won’t close.
Decide on a layout with a focal flower in the center and surrounding flowers, then trim the stems and attach them slightly inward so the back can close.
If you can close it without crushing the flowers, you’re done.
The steps are simple, making it a great activity for recreation in senior facilities as well.
Flower memo stand
Here’s an introduction to a recreation craft using plastic bottle caps.
First, prepare two plastic bottles.
Put them together and wrap them all around with double-sided tape, except for the bottom.
Wrap brown paper cord around the outside.
At the top, wind a brown pipe cleaner around and stick it on.
If you add double-sided tape at the top and wrap a ribbon around it, it will look cute.
Poke a hole in the pipe cleaner and shape a pink pipe cleaner into a flower.
Attach it to the pipe cleaner that will serve as the stem, and insert it into the hole you made.
Your flower pot is complete! Have fun making it!
For Seniors: Recommended for Day Services! Easy and Cute Small Craft Ideas (21–30)
Fukumamori
Because the Japanese word for owl, fukurou, can be written with homophones meaning “no hardship” (不苦労), owls are regarded as good-luck charms.
Let’s try making a talisman featuring a lucky owl motif.
Use felt for the owl’s body and buttons to create its distinctive eyes.
You can get all the materials at a 100-yen shop, so it’s easy to make.
If you also use Japanese-patterned fabric, it will look even more like a traditional amulet.
The steps are mostly simple, so it should be easy for seniors to make as well.
Since it’s a talisman, you can take it home and display it in your room or attach it to a bag.
By the way, fukurou can also be written as 福老, meaning “to grow old with good fortune,” making it a great gift for older adults.
