[For Seniors] Fun Crafts Recommended for December
December brings fun events and major occasions like Christmas and New Year’s.
Let’s help older adults feel the season with crafts that capture the spirit of December! We’ve gathered many projects that are easy to prepare and simple to make, using recycled materials and items from 100-yen shops.
Moving the fingers during crafting can also have brain-training benefits.
You can display the finished pieces, or take them home to use if they’re practical items.
Enjoy a wonderful time with crafts that are perfect for wrapping up the year.
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[For Seniors] Fun Crafts Recommended for December (91–100)
Toilet paper roll core ornament
Let us introduce Christmas ornaments made using toilet paper rolls! The key point is that you can make them from recycled materials.
First, attach origami paper to the roll.
For decorations like Santa’s hat or a reindeer’s antlers, using construction paper makes them less likely to bend.
Since it involves delicate work, it’s also a good idea to cut and prepare the pieces in advance.
Apply patterned masking tape, draw the eyes, nose, and mouth with a pen, and you’re done! They look adorable when lined up.
Add a string and they’ll look lovely hanging on your tree, too.
reindeer
How about making an origami reindeer, Santa Claus’s cute sidekick? Origami you can do while chatting with others also helps promote communication.
First, fold the paper in half into a square and a triangle to make crease lines.
Unfold it, then fold the top and bottom corners toward the center, and be sure to fold the left and right corners in so they overlap.
Flip the now-rectangular paper once, and fold the corners toward the center.
Fold back slightly to adjust the shape, and fold back the white parts too—you’ll start to see a cute reindeer appear.
Finally, make the antlers, draw the eyes with a pen, and don’t forget to add a bright red nose!
Snowman made of plastic bags
This is a cute snowman mascot that you can easily make using a plastic bag.
The steps are simple: stuff cotton into a white plastic bag, tie the opening, and shape it into two sections, using yarn as a scarf.
Then, add facial features with stickers or cotton balls, and attach a paper cup as a hat to cover the tied opening, and you’re done.
Packing the cotton firmly while being mindful of the bag’s wrinkles gives the snowman a fuller look.
Choosing different colors for the decorations is also a great way to add originality.
Felt Christmas garland
Why not brighten up your room by handmaking a garland with Christmas-colored felt? All it takes is cutting, rolling, and gluing felt, and you’ll end up with a stylish, cozy piece! First, cut felt into holly shapes in two sizes—large and small—and glue them together.
Next, cut the felt into circles, snip them into a spiral, and create flowers by rolling from the tip while gluing as you go.
The trick is to make flowers in different colors and various sizes! Finally, attach each piece to jute twine, and you’re done.
It’s a craft that uses fine motor skills, so be sure to include it in your day service’s winter craft activity!
Boots & stick candy
When you think of Christmas boots, you probably picture big boots stuffed with lots of fun treats.
You might think, “People in the West come up with such stylish ideas,” but Christmas boots actually originated in Japan.
The story goes that a confectioner in Shiga Prefecture saw the socks and boots hung on Christmas trees and thought, “What if we make them bigger, fill them with sweets, and sell them?”—and that’s how they began.
It’s a bit surprising, isn’t it? Why not try folding a Christmas boot with origami? Matching stick candies in the same color scheme are also recommended.
Plastic bottle snow globe
A snow globe lets you easily enjoy a magical scene like dancing snow.
Let’s make a simple snow globe using a plastic bottle! Prepare a paper cup and decorate it however you like—draw pictures, add stickers, or glue on paper cut into your favorite shapes.
Next, put small colorful felt balls and glittery sparkles into an empty plastic bottle, then fill it to the top with water.
Once both the paper cup and the bottle are ready, insert the bottle’s mouth into the paper cup, and you’re done! When you turn it upside down, the decorations inside swirl around, creating a beautiful display.
For a more floating, drifting effect, try mixing in liquid laundry starch or school glue along with the water.
poinsettia
Let’s add a little extra touch to flower petals made with a craft punch and create poinsettias, a must-have plant for Christmas.
We’ll fold the red and green petal pieces, make cuts with scissors to form sharp, leaf-like shapes, and layer them to finish the poinsettia.
The process involves fine motor actions like folding and cutting, which helps strengthen focus in the fingertips.
After that, simply glue the parts together and attach beads in the center to complete it.
Because the finished piece is small, it’s an easy craft to incorporate into various decorations.