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] Easy and Fun: Craft Ideas You Can Make with Everyday Items (251–260)

Momotaro

Recommended for senior recreation! The popular craft kit 'Momotaro'

Momotaro

The story of “Momotaro” has long been loved as a tale in which Momotaro sets out to defeat demons with millet dumplings made by his grandmother hanging at his waist, accompanied by a dog, a monkey, and a pheasant.

This time, let’s make the main character, Momotaro.

Cutting out small parts with scissors involves fine hand movements and thinking about “How should I cut this?”, which provides good stimulation for the brain and is expected to help prevent dementia.

If you’re doing this in a senior care facility, it’s safer to pre-cut the parts and have participants do the pasting.

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Sakura hanging ornaments

[No-Sew] Easy to display because it’s a half-sphere! Felt cherry blossom hanging decoration / flower kusudama / cherry blossom flower ball / Hinamatsuri DIY / Hinamatsuri craft / DIY felt cherry blossoms ornament

Sakura hanging ornaments

We’d like to introduce a hanging cherry blossom decoration that will fill your room with the feeling of spring.

First, cut felt into a long, thin strip, make small slits, roll it up, and create the flower center (stamens).

Next, cut felt into a circle and make five evenly spaced cuts toward the center.

Round off the corners and trim the tips of the petals.

Add color with pastels or chalk, then glue the flower center to the middle.

While folding the petals, attach them around the center.

Your flower is complete.

Make six of these.

Cut another felt circle and glue the flowers you made along the circle.

It’s nice to place the best-shaped one in the center.

Sandwich the string and a flower between pieces of felt and glue them together to finish your hanging decoration.

The overall look can change dramatically depending on the flower colors and how you cut the petals, so have fun finding your own unique combination.

Give it a try!

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Pumpkins made of yarn

Just wrap it! Cozy Pumpkin #StayAtHomeFun #AtHomeTime #Handmade #EasyCraft #DIYToy #KidsCraft #PreschoolIdeas

Pumpkins made of yarn

This is a yarn pumpkin craft that’s perfect for October Halloween decorations.

Wrap yarn round and round a toilet paper roll.

The wrapped yarn will become the pumpkin, so adjust the number of wraps to match the size of pumpkin you want to make.

The wrapping step also gives older adults a chance to move their fingers a lot.

Tie around the middle of the wrapped yarn with a single piece of yarn to form a round shape.

Attach a green pipe cleaner on top of the circular yarn to finish.

Make lots of them to use as parts for a garland or hanging decorations.

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Bouquet made of yarn

No knitting!! A bouquet made with yarn 💐 yarn bouquet

Bouquet made of yarn

Here’s a yarn craft that’s perfect for seniors who enjoy delicate, detailed work.

Wrap yarn around a fork to make a flower.

When we think of yarn crafts, we often imagine knitting, but with a fork you can create flowers without knitting.

Make each petal by wrapping yarn around the fork, then use a needle to connect the petals.

Seniors who enjoy handicrafts will likely have fun making these.

If fine motor tasks are challenging, offer support and try making them together.

Attach a stem and a flower center to finish.

Make several and arrange them into a bouquet—it’s a lovely project.

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Inu Hariko (papier-mâché dog figurine)

Recommended for senior recreation! The popular craft kit “Inu Hariko” (papier-mâché dog)

Inu Hariko (papier-mâché dog figurine)

We’d like to introduce a kit for making a piece that, when finished, has the look and feel of papier-mâché.

Papier-mâché is a technique in which paper is applied to a frame made of bamboo or wood, or to a mold made of clay, to shape the object.

Think of papier-mâché daruma dolls.

The kit includes everything you need—fabrics for the piece, a felt base, and more.

Cut the parts and, following the order, apply glue to the felt and attach them.

A special feature of this kit is that you can customize the dog’s facial expression to your liking.

Try creating it with the expression that seniors prefer.

You’ll end up with a unique, one-of-a-kind piece you won’t find anywhere else.

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lily

Recommended for senior recreation! Popular craft kit “Yuri” (Lily)

lily

Lilies come into full bloom from early summer through mid-summer.

Some older adults may also be fond of lilies.

Here is a kit for making a lily-themed piece.

You can create a patchwork-like craft without any sewing.

Cut the included fabric to make parts, apply adhesive, and stick them onto the felt base.

The felt base is designed with a raised center, so the finished piece looks nice and plump.

It’s a work that conveys both the noble beauty of lilies and the gentle feel of felt.

This lovely lily craft is sure to delight older adults as well.

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A scarf on a plate stand

[Easy for anyone!] A new knitting trick: the Plate-Stand Scarf #shorts

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.

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