[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 Service! Simple and Cute Small Craft Ideas (231–240)
Paper fans and garlands
Super stylish paper fans and garlands.
Surprisingly, you can make both at once—and using envelopes! Cut off the flap of the envelope, clip it in place, then glue the cut-off piece and the center in a T shape.
Punch two holes near the bottom.
Thread a string through the holes, avoid the glued area, and cut the bottom into a triangle to finish the garland! Open up the remaining envelope and glue it to create a three-dimensional paper fan.
Two decorations in one go—it’s a crafty, cost-effective idea.
ball ornament
Here’s an introduction to making a cute spherical ornament out of felt.
First, create a circular template and use it to cut out circles from felt.
Cut five pieces each in two colors, such as red and green, then cut them in half and glue them together with a hot glue gun.
Be careful not to burn yourself, as the glue gun gets very hot.
After making two half-spheres, attach a bell with a thread to the bottom, and a ribbon with a pearl bead to the top.
That’s it! Simply by changing the colors, you can create ornaments with either a Western or Japanese feel—aren’t they lovely?
For Seniors: Recommended for Day Services! Easy and Cute Small Craft Ideas (241–250)
poinsettia
Why not make a poinsettia using felt, which you can easily find at 100-yen shops and the like? Cut the pattern a size larger, layer it over the felt, and cut through both the pattern and the felt together—this makes cutting easier.
Then use wood glue to create the fold lines.
Make two red pieces and one green piece, layer them, poke a hole in the center, and thread through a bundle of three cotton swabs wrapped together with floral tape to finish.
You can display it in your entryway, or wear it as a corsage on your chest, or attach it to a bag—it’s adorable either way.
Pom-pom flower ball
How about making a pom-pom flower ball with a bright and cute look? The process takes a bit of effort, but it’s not as difficult as it looks.
Cut a cone shape out of paper and snip off the tip, then make jagged cuts to create petal-like edges.
Next, use a toothpick to curl the petals.
It’s a steady, repetitive task, but this is the key to making it cute and giving it that round, pom-pom look! Finally, gather the curled colored paper and glue it together with wood glue or similar.
It also looks adorable if you stick on just half of it to the wall.
Tulips at the mall
Here’s how to make an easy and cute tulip using chenille stems (pipe cleaners).
Prepare two chenille stems in your favorite color for the petals and two green ones for the leaves.
Fold each stem in half, stack the folded points together, twist them, then align the ends with the knot at the top.
Twist the aligned part to secure it—this completes the leaf.
For the flower, twist once at the center while the stems are still aligned, then fold up again and twist to secure.
Round the shapes, and curl the extended ends to form the petals.
Make three identical petal pieces and glue them together to complete the flower.
Attach the flower and leaves to a plastic stick to finish your chenille-stem tulip.
Wrapping it or bundling several together into a bouquet makes it even more decorative.
A small rack that can also hold the remote control.
Let’s try making a small rack that’s handy for keeping a remote control or glasses.
We’ll use two milk cartons.
The inner divider will also serve as a handle, so cut one side to about 15 cm and the other three sides to 8 cm.
Make a hole for the handle, tape the long sides together with double-sided tape, and then apply fabric to the sides, bottom, and inside.
Leave about a 1.5 cm seam allowance for the fabric, and trim the corners so they adhere neatly.
If handling fabric is difficult, you can decorate it with origami or chiyogami paper instead.
A pouch that can manage medication for four doses a day
Some older adults need to take medication as many as four times a day—morning, noon, evening, and before bed.
Here’s a handy item for them.
Attach a laundry bag or a soft plastic sheet to a fabric in your favorite pattern or color, and create divided pockets for about four doses × one month.
Adding decorations like lace or appliqués not only makes it cute, but also helps distinguish it from others—highly recommended.
Add a button and make it like a notebook for easy carrying.
If you use a lovely pattern, you’ll want to pick it up and open it, which helps prevent forgetting to take your medicine.
