[For Seniors] Recommended Handmade Activities! Simple Ideas
Many day-service and care facilities hold recreational activities that involve crafts and other handmade projects.
Here are some handmade recreation ideas that are perfect for seniors.
Handicrafts stimulate the brain by engaging the fingertips through creative activities, making them effective for dementia prevention as well.
This time, we’ll introduce a few easy, beginner-friendly DIY ideas.
You can use everyday items or materials from 100-yen shops—no problem!
Give them a try casually and add more enjoyment to everyday life.
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[For Seniors] Recommended Handmade Activities! Easy Ideas (21–30)
a flower wreath
Let’s try arranging flowers made with paper quilling into a wreath! You don’t need any special tools, so it’s easy for seniors to try as well.
Make the wreath base by cutting thick paper (cardboard) into a donut shape.
For the petals, wrap thin strips of paper around a ruler.
Make four petals and glue them together.
Adding a rhinestone or pearl sticker in the center gives it a luxurious look! Create lots of petal pieces, lay them out on the wreath base, and you’re done.
It’s perfect for crafting at home or for day-service activity sessions, so be sure to give it a try.
Maple leaf string art
Incorporating activities that people can’t usually experience into day-service craft sessions is highly recommended because it stimulates older adults! While it may not be very common in Japan, let’s try making a maple leaf with string art, which uses nails and thread to create motifs.
After hammering nails into a board in the shape of a maple leaf, you loop the thread around the tips of the leaf.
You can add your own flair depending on how you string the thread and the colors you choose, so have fun making it! It would also make a stylish interior piece and a gift that’s sure to please.
Mask
How about handmaking a still-essential mask using soft, skin-friendly yarn? It’s easy to breathe through, you’ll grow attached to it when you make it yourself, and the simple, stylish look is a plus.
You’ll need a size 5 crochet hook, a tapestry needle, scissors, and about 30 g of basic cotton yarn, among other things.
The work of continuously connecting chain stitches is simple, but it also helps stimulate the brain, making it perfect for older adults.
Above all, the sense of accomplishment and joy when you finish is exceptional, so give it a try and enjoy a fulfilling time.
Handmade rain mobile
Crafts for seniors using construction paper are easy and a lot of fun.
In particular, the handmade “rain mobile” can be created quickly using only materials from a 100-yen shop, so seniors can work on it with confidence.
By using thicker construction paper, it becomes sturdier and more three-dimensional than regular paper, resulting in a very striking piece.
The stylish mobile represents raindrops with colored paper, and it’s complete.
It also looks lovely as an indoor wall decoration, making rainy days more enjoyable.
This is definitely one of the construction paper craft activities we recommend for seniors.
star
As a method to foster creativity in recreational activities at senior care facilities, making origami stars is recommended.
Here’s a star you can make from a single sheet of origami paper without using glue.
First, fold the paper and make a cut with scissors to create a pentagon.
From there, add crease lines, fold along those lines to bring it together, and finish by shaping it—done! Some steps may be a bit challenging at first, but you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment when you finish.
It’s also effective for finger rehabilitation, so give it a try.
Peach Blossom Wreath
Here’s an introduction to a cute peach blossom wreath made with origami.
Both the wreath base and the peach blossoms are created by combining individual parts.
Since many of the steps are simple, it should be suitable for a large number of older adults to try.
Origami involves thinking ahead to the next steps and the finished piece, so it’s said to have brain-training benefits.
What’s more, the fingers are so closely connected to the brain that they’re often called the “second brain.” Using your fingertips is said to stimulate and activate the brain.
Please consider using this peach blossom wreath activity for recreation.
Simple flowers
Let’s combine paper and beads to make a simple flower! Even without special tools, seniors can easily give it a try using a toothpick.
Take a long, narrow strip of your favorite colored paper, roll it around a toothpick, shape it into a teardrop, then wrap another long strip around the outside to secure it.
Make five of these, glue them together in a flower shape, and finish by placing a bead in the center.
Changing the color combinations creates a different, lovely look.
Once you make one, you’ll definitely want to make another—it’s irresistible!