Craft ideas with a maple-leaf theme. Fun craft activities for seniors.
In many day service centers and other nursing care facilities, crafts are often incorporated as part of recreational activities.
Using one’s hands and thinking through the steps serves as brain training, and above all, enjoying crafts can be refreshing for the mind.
Since craft recreation often features seasonal themes, this article introduces craft ideas for autumn—perfect for creating maple leaves.
Please enjoy trying these colorful maple leaf-themed crafts.
- [For Seniors] Simple Craft Ideas to Feel the Autumn Season with Fall Foliage
- [For Seniors] Fall Wall Decoration Ideas
- Recommended November craft ideas for day service centers
- [For Seniors] Simple crafts that feel like autumn: a fun creative activity
- [For Seniors] Day-service activities also recommended! Craft ideas for November
- [Theme: Persimmons] Recommended for seniors! Simple and fun autumn craft ideas
- Easy for seniors to make! Colorful autumn origami
- [For Seniors] Perfect Finger Exercises! Seasonal Flower Origami
- [For Senior Care Facilities] Feel the Autumn! Collection of Maple Leaf Wall Decoration Ideas
- Recommended for seniors! Origami maple leaf ideas that capture the feeling of autumn
- [For Seniors] Let’s Start a Fun Craft Activity
- Simple, Recommended Autumn Crafts for Seniors
- [For Senior Care Facilities] Easy! September Craft Ideas to Feel the Autumn Season
Craft ideas with an autumn leaves (momiji) theme: fun craft activities for seniors (21–30)
Wreath of maple and ginkgo leaves
Let’s fold maple and ginkgo leaves with origami and make a wreath! Both the maple and the ginkgo use the same base up to a certain point, and then the folding steps differ, so it’s a good idea to prepare that basic form first.
The folds for both are a bit intricate—some involve offset folding—so they may feel challenging, but take your time and fold the details carefully.
Make three of each leaf, connect them together into a ring, and your wreath is complete.
Try making it with origami paper in your favorite colors!
Maple Leaves and Showa-Era Children
When a Showa-era scene unfolds, many older people surely feel nostalgic, warmed, and eager to reminisce.
How about making maple leaves and Showa-era children out of origami to decorate the wall? These days there are plenty of cute origami papers with many patterns.
Using patterned origami to fold the children’s kimonos would turn out adorable, too! A wall decoration of children looking up at the maple leaves is charming—staff can certainly make it, but it’s also nice for everyone to fold the pieces together, enjoy the process, and then display them.
How to fold a maple leaf (origami)
At first glance, the maple leaf looks complicated and difficult, but it’s actually very easy to make.
Prepare small origami paper and start folding.
Since you only fold along straight lines, it’s very simple.
Make five identical pieces and glue them together to form the shape of a maple leaf.
Create a stem and glue it into the gaps between the leaves.
You can use classic maple colors like red, yellow, and orange, or try patterned papers like chiyogami, or beautiful gradient origami—highly recommended!
Maple leaf wall
How about creating a wall decoration covered entirely with maple leaves? Let’s express an autumn scene that even seniors who find it difficult to go out for fall foliage viewing can enjoy! Use any method you like—maple leaves made with paper-cutting techniques or folded origami leaves—and stretch large branches across the wall, layering the leaves on top.
Attach them while checking the balance of overlapping leaves and colors.
In addition to maple leaves, try adding fallen leaves, insects, or color-changing mountains.
Real and simple maple leaf
Here’s an idea for maple leaves you can easily make with origami and display in lots of places.
First, fold the paper into a triangle with the side you want to show—the colored side—on the inside.
Fold it in half again, then open it.
Fold both sides toward the crease you just made, and open it again.
After adding radial crease lines to the triangular origami, begin folding by gathering those creases toward the edges.
The key is to offset each fold slightly.
Then, freehand draw the leaf shape, cut along the line, and open it up to reveal a maple leaf.
You can use this basic method for many different purposes.
It can be a piece of art! Maple leaf wall decoration
This decoration combines drawing paper and origami, featuring a soft look and striking, layered three-dimensionality.
You use a sheet of drawing paper with a lattice of cuts as the base, then layer maple leaf pieces on top.
By considering the base’s uneven surface as you add the pieces, you can effectively create depth and a realistic sense of dimension in the foliage.
It may also be important to choose a background color that highlights the maple leaf colors.
A rod and string are attached to the top of the base, making it easy to hang and display in a variety of locations.
Cute maple leaves
When it comes to plants that symbolize autumn, brilliantly colored red and yellow autumn leaves come to mind.
Let’s make those evocative fall leaves with origami.
This project combines parts to create a three-dimensional finish, resulting in sturdy origami that works not only as part of a decoration but also stands on its own.
Cut small pieces of origami paper with scissors, fold them into diamond shapes, and assemble them to form a maple leaf.
By paying attention to the seam in the center, you’ll achieve a lifelike three-dimensional shape.
You can even aim for a more realistic look by intentionally combining parts of slightly different sizes instead of using pieces that are all the same.