Lovely senior life

[For Seniors] Simple and Fun: Craft Ideas You Can Make with Everyday Items

Social worker / Care workermoko
My name is Moko, a mother of three who admired my mother and worked in the care industry as a care worker and as a medical social worker (MSW) in a hospital. I will be drawing on my previous experience to write mainly about caregiving. Thank you in advance.
Worked as a certified care worker for 17 years.Nanaka
I’ve been working as a certified care worker for 17 years. I’m Nanaka, a caregiving web writer. I decided to pursue this profession because I wanted a job that would help people. Having worked in day care for many years, I’ve experienced a wide variety of recreational activities. Exercise set to music, in particular, always created a cheerful atmosphere and was very well received. I’d be delighted to continue delivering writing that resonates with readers through caregiving-related articles. Thank you for your support.

What we introduce here are easy craft ideas for older adults.

They’re all easy to incorporate into recreational activities at senior facilities such as day service centers.

Using familiar, everyday materials, these crafts are simple to make, making it easy for seniors to give them a try.

We hope you’ll use craft-making to help stimulate both mind and body.

Since it involves using the hands, it also serves as brain training and can help prevent dementia.

Be sure to read this article and use it as a reference for craft activities.

[For Seniors] Simple and Fun: Craft Ideas You Can Make with Everyday Items (171–180)

Mini bouquet at the mall

[With Kids] Handmade Gift: Pipe Cleaner Flower Bouquet 💐 Thank You, Teacher • Thank-You Party • Graduation Ceremony • Cute Handmade • Easier Than Origami • Pipe Cleaner Bear • Pipe Cleaner Doll • Elementary School Crafts • Kindergarten • Nursery School • 100-Yen Shop DIY • Craft

Mini bouquet at the mall

Here’s an introduction to making a bouquet using pipe cleaners.

Display it at home to brighten up your room.

Fold craft pipe cleaners to form the flower parts.

Use green pipe cleaners to make the leaves and stems.

The key is to add beads to the stems.

When you attach the flowers and stems, the beads look like pistils.

Make several pipe-cleaner flowers, bundle them together, and wrap them with lace-patterned paper or colored paper.

You’ll have a lovely mini bouquet.

Pipe cleaners are soft, so they should be easy for older adults to handle as well.

It seems like a craft you could enjoy making together while chatting.

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Marble-style accessory tray

Super Easy Marble-Style Trinket Tray #DayService #DayCare #OutpatientRehab #ElderCare #Seniors #Craft #PaperClay

Marble-style accessory tray

Let’s make a small tray that’s handy for holding little items like personal seals or keys.

Prepare three colors of lightweight clay, roll each into a cord, and twist them together.

Gather them into a ball, then flatten it with a rolling pin or the core of a plastic wrap roll to create a marbled look.

Use a small bowl or cup to trace the rim.

Drape the clay over the bottom of the bowl you used for tracing, and shape it to match the contour of the base.

Let it dry as is, then color the rim with a pen to finish.

The marbled pattern will look like marble stone.

It’s a chic piece, perfect for older adults who like a sophisticated vibe.

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Three-dimensional hanging scroll of morning glories

Morning Glory 3D Hanging Scroll Style [Easy Craft] [100-Yen DIY] [Summer Craft] #100yen #diy #daiso #dayservice #elderly #recreation #craft #summervacation

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.

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Rabbit ema (a wooden Shinto votive tablet featuring a rabbit)

Video on how to make the 'Raku-Reku Kit' | Theme: 'Ema Rabbit'. If you're wondering what kind of product the Raku-Reku Kit is, please take a look.

Rabbit ema (a wooden Shinto votive tablet featuring a rabbit)

Let’s try making an ema plaque featuring the zodiac using a kit.

Many facilities probably create New Year’s crafts around the year-end and New Year holidays.

Using a kit makes preparation easy and allows you to create lovely pieces.

Cut out the parts with scissors and attach them to the ema plaque that serves as the base.

The process of applying glue to the small parts and sticking them onto the plaque seems like something you can really focus on.

There are reports suggesting that, for dementia prevention, concentrating on new tasks is more beneficial than doing familiar ones.

By using a kit to create a beautiful piece, you can also expect brain-training benefits.

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kimekomi patchwork

How to Make Kimekomi Patchwork [Common ~Short Version~]

kimekomi patchwork

Using a kit makes it easy to create patchwork projects.

Insert fabric pieces cut to shape into a die-cut foam board.

You can achieve a patchwork-like look without sewing the fabric.

It’s a project that even older adults with little sewing experience may find approachable.

The finished piece can be hung on a wall, so it’s nice to take it home and display it.

There are many types of kits available, and creating seasonally themed pieces can also help older adults feel the seasons through the crafting process.

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Daruma Fukuwarai

Recommended for senior recreation! Popular craft kit “Daruma Fukuwarai”

Daruma Fukuwarai

Some seniors may remember playing fukuwarai with their families during the New Year.

Here’s a craft kit that will bring back those happy times.

Using fabric, you can make a daruma fukuwarai decoration.

Paste fabric pieces cut into each facial part onto felt.

Since it only involves cutting and pasting, it’s recommended even for older men who have never done any sewing.

The most enjoyable part of this kit is placing the facial features.

You can start with the eyes or the nose—either is fine.

Let seniors arrange the pieces however they like.

It’s a fukuwarai kit that makes the crafting process itself a fun time.

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[For Seniors] Simple and Fun: Craft Ideas You Can Make with Everyday Items (181–190)

Long-tailed tit wreath

[Using a Sakura Horikiri kit] Make a shimafenaga (long-tailed tit) oshie decorative wreath

Long-tailed tit wreath

The long-tailed tit, with its white body and tiny black eyes, is adorable.

They say that in the whole world, the long-tailed tit lives only in Hokkaido.

There’s even a morning news program where they do exercises together with a long-tailed tit plush toy, right? Thanks to TV, many seniors may also be familiar with the long-tailed tit.

Let’s use a kit to make a cute long-tailed tit wreath.

Wrap the fabric around boards cut according to the template.

Use glue to attach the parts together into a wreath shape.

You can make the wreath without needles or a sewing machine.

The finished piece would look great as a wall decoration in a facility or in a senior’s own room.

It’s a recommended kit even for seniors who aren’t confident with sewing.

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