Take-Home Craft Ideas for Winter: Perfect for Day Services for Seniors
Many people enjoy doing crafts at nursing homes and day service centers, don’t they?
This time, we’re introducing craft ideas for seniors to make in winter that they can take home from day service!
We’ve gathered easy-to-prepare projects, including those that use recycled materials and supplies from 100-yen shops.
When it comes to crafts, aside from large decorations to hang on the wall, most items can be taken home.
More intricate projects that require fine motor skills may take several days to complete, but the sense of accomplishment and joy when they’re finished is exceptional.
Of course, there are also cute crafts that can be made in a single day, so please use these ideas as a reference for craft activities at nursing homes and day service centers.
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- [For Seniors] DIY Strap Craft Ideas. Great as Gifts, Too!
[For Seniors] Take-Home Craft Ideas for Day Service to Make in Winter (151–160)
A scarf on a plate stand
You can knit using a rod-style stand for holding plates upright.
Wrap the yarn around the rods on the plate stand in order.
Place the yarn over the wrapped yarn, then hook the lower yarn over it.
By repeating this, you can make a scarf.
There’s a similar method in finger knitting, so some older adults may have made one with their fingers before.
Plate stands and yarn are available at 100-yen shops, so it’s easy to get started.
Since you use your fingers a lot, it may also have brain-training benefits.
3D Christmas candle
This is a three-dimensional candle motif assembled from origami.
Use an accordion-folded piece of origami as the base, then place a white sheet with the same accordion folds over it.
Next, fold in the diagonal creases you made on the top sheet, attach the flame piece there, and it’s complete.
Its simple appearance makes it easy to add decorations, and your choice of colors can really show your personality.
It might also be fun to connect several pieces of origami to make a large candle.
Easy fluffy mittens
Let’s make simple gloves using yarn.
Many yarn crafts involve knitting needles or crochet hooks, right? Some older adults may feel, “I’m not good at knitting.” Knitting often includes complicated methods.
However, here’s a way to make knitted gloves using just cardboard and wooden sticks like ice cream sticks.
Place your hand on the cardboard and draw an outline about one size larger.
After cutting out the outline, make slits at 1-centimeter intervals along the cut edge.
Wrap yarn around all the slits in the cardboard, then attach yarn to a wooden stick and start weaving.
The key is to pack the woven sections tightly together.
Once you’ve finished weaving, tie off the end of the yarn, remove it from the cardboard, and you’re done.
This easy method for making hand-knit gloves seems like something older adults can enjoy as well.
paper plate spinning top
How about trying a “paper plate spinning top” that’s fun to play with even after you make it? Using a simple, everyday material—a paper plate—you can craft it easily, and after enjoying the making process, older adults are sure to feel like kids again as they get absorbed in spinning it! To make one, fold a paper plate in half and crease it again to form a cross, decorate it freely with markers, then tape a plastic bottle cap to the center.
It’s super easy, so it would be great for a day-service craft activity or to make and play with your grandchildren.
Tatsu Kazari
Let’s make a stylish and cute dragon decoration by simply cutting colored construction paper in a spiral! It’s an easy craft that seniors can enjoy, so feel free to use it for day-service craft activities.
To make it, draw a spiral on a square piece of colored construction paper and cut along the line with scissors—that’s it! You can customize the dragon’s head as you like.
Adding plastic dividers used for lunchboxes (baran) to the dragon’s body will enhance the look.
Attach a string to turn it into a hanging decoration, and display it in your room to enjoy the seasonal atmosphere.
Oni and Otafuku
When it comes to events in February, many people probably think of Setsubun.
Here’s a perfect recreation activity for Setsubun: making an oni (demon) and Otafuku.
First, fold origami to create the outlines of the oni and Otafuku, then attach facial parts cut out from paper.
If you put them up on the wall, you can enjoy a festive Setsubun atmosphere.
By the way, in the context of Setsubun, Otafuku represents the “fuku” in the phrase “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi” (Demons out, good fortune in).
So it’s recommended to display them as a set.
For Seniors: Take-Home Craft Ideas for Day Services to Make in Winter (161–170)
amulet
Why not include amulet-making in your winter crafts activity? We recommend fabric amulets you can make without sewing using materials from the 100-yen shop.
If you use printed fabric tape, it’s easy to make, so anyone can join in.
Enjoy your favorite designs with Japanese patterns or chirimen-style fabric tapes.
You’ll tie a knot in the cord to suit the amulet, but any knot you can make is fine.
The finished amulets can be gifts for family or something you wear yourself.
Since it involves using your fingertips, it can also help stimulate the brain.
It’s a lovely way to create memories while feeling the season.