[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)
Snow globe suncatcher
A sun catcher that sparkles like a rainbow when it bathes in sunlight.
Sun catchers are usually made with crystal glass.
This time, however, I’ll show you an easy version using transparent origami paper and other simple materials.
We’ll make a snow globe using two paper plates with circular centers cut out.
The key is to attach a clear film over the circular cutout in the paper plates.
Decorate the transparent film with embellishments and small pieces of transparent origami paper.
Then, when sunlight passes through the transparent origami, it will glitter like a sun catcher.
Hanging it by a window to catch the light may give older adults a wonderfully dreamy, magical feeling.
uchiwa (Japanese hand fan)
A hand fan that comes in handy on hot days.
It would be fun if your own drawing turned into a fan, right? You can easily make a fan featuring your artwork using a paper plate and a fork.
Have older adults draw a picture, then insert a fork to serve as the handle.
The key is to insert the fork firmly into the paper plate and secure it with tape so it doesn’t come off easily.
You can use it as an actual fan, and it also makes a nice decoration.
Of course, besides drawings, you can also use stickers, torn-paper collages, or lettering to create a lovely piece.
The steps are simple, so many older adults should be able to make it.
Enjoy making it!
flower(s)
With a bit of creativity, you can make three-dimensional flowers out of paper plates.
Cut out a circle from the center of a paper plate to make a donut shape.
Add evenly spaced slits around the donut-shaped plate and paint it all over.
The painted portion will become the petals, so color it according to the flower you have in mind.
Wrap the paper plate around a stem made from a wooden chopstick, and your flower is complete.
By changing the color of the center or the width of the slits, you can create a variety of flowers.
Making seasonal flowers can help older adults feel the changing seasons.
These make wonderful items for their own enjoyment, and they’re sure to delight family members or grandchildren as gifts.
[For Seniors] Craft Ideas Using Paper Plates (11–20)
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.
yo-yo
Many older adults likely played with yo-yos as children or have played with them with their children or grandchildren.
This nostalgic toy can be easily made with paper plates.
Place a marble inside a plastic bottle cap, then sandwich it between two paper plates to create a yo-yo.
It’s recommended to draw pictures on the plates or use ones with patterns.
By adjusting the length of the string, you can even play while seated in a chair.
Hosting a yo-yo-making and playing event as a recreational activity for seniors could be a lot of fun.
It can also spark conversations and help foster social connection.
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.