Handmade Shikishi Ideas: Let’s Make Them with Seniors!
This article is for those looking for handmade craft ideas using colored paper, especially for seniors.
We’ll introduce projects that require fewer folding steps and have easy-to-understand instructions.
Some seniors may have difficulty seeing clearly or may find it hard to apply strength with their fingertips.
For those individuals, how about trying torn-paper collage or paper pasting, where you tear and glue colored paper?
Please look for ideas that are easy to get started with!
[Handmade Shikishi Ideas] Let’s Make Them with Seniors! (1–10)
Torn-paper collage
Chigiri-e, a collage art that uses torn pieces of origami or washi, has a unique charm different from drawings made with colored pencils or paints.
Each piece made by tearing and arranging paper onto a preliminary sketch conveys a sense of individuality.
The act of tearing paper engages the hands and can be expected to have rehabilitative effects, while also stimulating the brain.
It’s also said to help improve visuospatial cognition—the ability to imagine and grasp the overall layout of space.
Because it can be done while seated and made while chatting with others, it also helps promote communication.
You can enjoy creating while broadening your interactions with many different people.
We hope you’ll spend an enjoyable time with chigiri-e.
Mouse-shaped accessory case
Let us introduce a cute mouse-shaped trinket holder you can make from a single sheet of origami paper.
Many places, such as senior care facilities, incorporate origami into their craft recreation activities.
Origami uses the fingertips a lot and stimulates the brain.
It can also be expected to help train the fingers and hands.
However, have you ever heard seniors say things like, “I can’t remember the folding steps,” or “I can’t see the paper well enough to fold”? This mouse-shaped trinket holder involves few folds and no complicated techniques.
The finished piece is sturdy, making it easier for seniors to work on.
It’s also a lovely project that you can adapt—for example, by adding a string to hang it as a decoration.
Collage made with washi (Japanese paper)
Because the fingertips are dense with nerves that connect to the brain, they are sometimes called the “second brain.” Moving your fingers and hands is said to help activate the brain.
So this time, we’re introducing a finger-focused craft: collage using washi paper.
Let’s train our brains while creating beautiful works.
You can trace a sketch onto colored paper, or prepare the sketch in advance—that’s fine too.
Since drawings or lines can be hard to see, please adjust to suit the needs of older adults.
Then, paste your choice of washi paper onto the sketch.
Besides tearing by hand, you can also cut the washi into small pieces with scissors—think creatively and try different approaches.
It looks like each older adult will complete a piece that showcases their unique personality.
Infinitely openable card
Introducing a colorful, four-sided endlessly opening card made from origami or construction paper.
It’s a never-ending card in four colors—you open it again and again and it never stops.
It’s great for yourself, and it would also make a delightful gift for family or grandchildren.
Although it looks complicated, there aren’t many folds, so it should be approachable for older adults as well.
You assemble several identical parts by gluing them together.
The key is to pay attention to where you apply the glue.
Please offer support to seniors who find it difficult.
Once it’s finished, you can draw your favorite illustrations or write messages.
It’s a project that’s fun both to make and to enjoy after it’s completed.
Plum Blossoms and Bush Warblers
Here’s an introduction to a cute, plump, three-dimensional “Plum Blossoms and Japanese Bush Warbler.” We’ll cut construction paper to make the plum flowers and the bush warbler.
To create roundness, use something without sharp edges—like cooking chopsticks—to gently curve the paper.
This gives the tips of the petals and the bird’s wings a curve, creating a three-dimensional look.
It works well as a spring wall decoration or as parts for a wreath.
Seasonal projects are recommended for older adults who may find it difficult to sense time and seasons.
Both the making process and viewing the finished piece help them stay aware of the “present.” Please give it a try!
a twisted-shaped ornament
These are spiral decorations that hang indoors and sway gently.
You can make them with just a few easy-to-prepare items like origami paper, scissors, glue, and string.
We’ll make two types of decorations: a “droplet” shape and a “leaf” shape, and all it takes is changing the folding method and applying glue.
The steps aren’t complicated, so it’s easy for older adults to make as well.
The process of twisting thin, strip-like pieces of origami paper can also serve as good finger exercise.
Attach a string to the finished pieces and hang them up.
Seeing their own creations brighten up the facility can give people a sense of joy and accomplishment.
Endless Card
As you unfold the origami, illustrations appear one after another.
It’s a perfect piece to gift your grandchild—draw a face or write a message on it.
Although it looks intricate, it actually uses just a single sheet of origami paper.
By cleverly choosing where to cut with scissors and where to apply glue, you create four panels.
It’s also recommended to draw seasonal motifs like plants that evoke the time of year, such as sunflowers or morning glories, or season-related items like Santa Claus or Christmas trees.
By looking at the making process and the finished piece, older adults can also get a sense of the season.