[For Seniors] Craft Ideas Using Paper Plates
Paper plates are often used as materials for craft activities.
These days, even 100-yen shops carry a growing variety of colorful and cute paper plates.
In this article, we’ll introduce craft ideas that make use of those paper plates.
Decorations like wreaths and mobiles are fun to take home, and wall hangings are also recommended as seasonal displays at facilities.
Many ideas can be adapted for different seasons and events, so please use them as inspiration.
We hope this serves as a helpful hint for your enjoyable craft activities.
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[For Seniors] Craft Ideas Using Paper Plates (1–10)
tambourine
There are many kinds of paper plate crafts these days, and you can even make instruments.
Here’s a tambourine you can make with a paper plate and plastic bottle caps.
Cut a paper plate in half and sandwich bottle caps filled with rice between the halves.
You can use a patterned paper plate, or one with drawings to give it a nicer finish.
Put rice into one bottle cap and close it with another cap.
If you use beans or larger beads instead of rice, you can enjoy different sounds.
This cute tambourine is a craft that may bring back memories for older adults of when their children were little.
It might also be fun to use the tambourine during your daily exercise routine.
Photo frame
At senior care facilities, there are times when we take photos during events and activities, right? Why not place those fun memories and special-day photos in a lovely photo frame? This time, we’ll introduce an easy-to-make photo frame using a paper plate and yarn.
Cut out a circular hole in the center of the paper plate, then wrap yarn around it.
Try doing the wrapping process together with the seniors—it can help with finger and hand exercise as well as provide cognitive stimulation.
On another paper plate, stick a piece of origami paper in the center to serve as a photo mount, then attach the yarn-wrapped plate on top.
Insert the photo, and it’s complete.
It makes a wonderful piece to take home and display in one’s room.
mobile
Let’s make a paper-plate mobile that spins amusingly in the wind.
Draw a spiral and other pictures on a paper plate.
It’s easier to draw the spiral if you start from the outside and work your way toward the center.
Adding a little twist—like turning the spiral into a snake illustration—makes it even more fun.
Decorating with stickers or washi tape is also recommended if you like.
Cut along the spiral line with scissors, attach a string, and hang it up to finish.
Seeing the mobile you made yourself displayed near a wall or window can give older adults a sense of accomplishment, too.
Since it can be made while seated, it’s a project you can enjoy while chatting with others.
[For Seniors] Craft Ideas Using Paper Plates (11–20)
perpetual calendar
Some older adults may find it difficult to keep track of time or sense the seasons.
It’s said that placing a calendar where it’s easy to see and checking the date every day can help it stick better in their memory.
So, why not make and display a calendar using paper plates? One plate is for the days, and another is for the months, so you can use it all year round.
Planning the finished product and using your fingertips skillfully during the crafting process helps stimulate the brain.
It’s expected to help prevent dementia or slow its progression.
Try decorating it with stickers or masking tape to create a lovely paper-plate calendar.
Hanging Hina Dolls Made with Paper Plates
@chii_1514m Hinamatsuri craft [Hanging Hina made with a paper plate]This time we made Hina dolls you can hang as decorations 🎎🌸When you look up from below, the paper plate’s pattern adds a nice accent and looks cute 💕There are many steps, so it may go more smoothly if you divide roles between the teacher and the children ✂️If there’s anything unclear or anything you’re curious about during the process, please leave a comment 😌🩵I’d be happy if you follow me ☺️#HinamatsuriCraftHina Doll MakingProduction#HinamatsuriHanging ornament
♬ New Sun – Chihei Hatakeyama
This is a paper-plate hanging decoration you’ll want to display in your room.
First, glue torn pieces of pink and white tissue paper onto a paper plate.
Then make a hole in the center of the plate and thread yarn tied to a straw through it.
On the opposite side, add a bead as a stopper and glue it in place.
Thread twine through the straw and attach paper hina dolls made from construction paper to the end.
Punch four holes at the bottom of the paper plate, thread yarn decorated with paper peach blossoms and circular ornaments through them, and tie to finish.
Simply changing the colors of the tissue paper and construction paper will give it a different feel.
Hina dolls made with origami and paper plates
An origami and paper-plate Hina doll activity is especially appealing because you can enjoy it easily with everyday materials.
Cut a paper plate in half, then roll it into a cone so there’s a small hole at the top.
Layer and glue two half-circle pieces of origami paper on top to represent the doll’s kimono.
Next, prepare white drawing paper and cut out a shape consisting of an oval on top of an overlapping rectangle.
Draw the doll’s face on the oval, then attach hair and ornaments made from origami.
Roll the rectangle into a tube, insert it into the hole in the paper plate, spread it open inside the plate, and secure it with tape.
Finally, give the doll a fan to hold, and it’s complete! Make the male doll as well and be sure to display them side by side.
mask
Many senior care facilities hold seasonal events and celebrations, such as Setsubun and Halloween.
For these occasions, rooms are often decorated to create a lovely atmosphere that brings enjoyment to the residents.
Why not make it even more exciting by creating paper-plate masks? Since you can draw event-related designs directly on paper plates, even busy staff can make them easily.
The masks can be hung on the wall as decorations or used for costumes, making them a fun, versatile item.
Seasonal crafts like these can also help residents feel the passage of time and the change of seasons.