Crafts You Can Make with Pudding Cups for Seniors!
Because pudding cups are easy to obtain, they can be a good choice for recreational activities for seniors.
Making crafts with pudding cups not only provides brain training and finger exercises, but also gives a sense of achievement and satisfaction when the piece is finished.
Completed pieces can be enjoyed by displaying them or giving them as gifts.
All of the projects we’re introducing this time are easy to do.
As a recreational activity for seniors, be sure to try incorporating pudding cup crafts.
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- Crafts with paper cups using familiar materials (for seniors)
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[For Seniors] Crafts You Can Make with Pudding Cups! (1–10)
Hina dolls
How about making hina dolls—the Empress (Ohinasama) and the Emperor (Odairisama)—using two empty pudding cups? For the Empress, prepare pale pink and yellow tissue paper; for the Emperor, prepare light blue and white tissue paper.
Fluff the tissue paper and loosely pack it into the cups.
Turn the cups upside down and tape them onto a red backing sheet with cellophane tape.
Next, prepare two sheets each of two different chiyogami (patterned origami paper), make loops with double-sided tape, and fold them to create the sleeves.
Prepare the faces and accessories as well, and attach them to the cups with double-sided tape to finish.
Enjoy displaying your handmade hina dolls, whose charm is all the greater for being crafted by hand.
Christmas decorations
These are colorful Christmas decorations that make you feel joyful just by looking at them.
First, prepare round stickers in various colors and stick them all over an empty cup.
Next, roll up some metallic origami paper and stuff it into the cup.
Then cut a piece of colored paper to fit the cup’s opening, and tape it on with cellophane tape to make a lid.
Finally, add sparkly stickers, form a chenille stem into a ring, and tape it on—and you’re done.
When you hang them on the Christmas tree, the shimmering origami and stickers catch the light and look wonderfully festive.
Christmas bell
Here’s an introduction to making a Christmas bell using a pudding cup—perfect as a holiday decoration.
Wrap aluminum foil around the cup starting from the bottom, then thread a chenille stem or string through.
Apply wood glue around the bottom so the foil won’t come off.
Stick on round or Christmas-themed stickers to finish.
You can also create your own Christmas drawings to paste on—those look lovely too.
The steps are simple, but since you use your fingertips, it’s great as brain training.
With a bit of creativity, this project can be adapted for uses beyond the Christmas season.
Give it a try!
[For Seniors] Crafts You Can Make with Pudding Cups! (11–20)
Memo stand
Here’s a cute memo stand you can place on a table or shelf.
Put a memo stand with a clip—like the ones sold at 100-yen shops—inside an empty pudding cup.
Secure it with a glue gun so it won’t tip over.
Then stuff in some cotton and insert artificial flowers.
Since the petals on the top part of artificial flowers tend to separate and float, the key is to glue them in place with a glue gun.
Add decorations like ribbons or stickers to make it even cuter.
There are many steps that require fine finger movements, so it can be a good brain-training activity too.
Besides memos, you can also clip in a photo of your grandchild for a lovely touch.
Lantern warmer
Camping has been popular lately, hasn’t it? While there are LED lanterns, I’d like to introduce a recommended lantern warmer for use with kerosene lanterns.
With a lantern warmer, you can use the lantern’s heat to warm food and drinks.
Take a fluorine-coated pudding cup sold at 100-yen shops, heat it, and polish the outside.
The key is not to polish the inside.
By leaving the inside unpolished, the lantern fits better.
Place the modified pudding cup over the top of the lantern and set a small pot on it to warm it up.
Lanterns can be extremely useful during disasters or at evacuation sites where there’s no electricity.
As you make the warmer, it might be a good opportunity to discuss disaster preparedness with older adults.
lampshade
Introducing a lampshade that gently wraps your lamp.
By also using the clear cups that hold fruits and vegetables sold at supermarkets, you can create variations in size.
For the lampshade’s pattern, paste patterned paper napkins to make your design.
In February, hearts; in April, cherry blossoms—these motifs can evoke the season.
For older adults, creating these pieces can also help bring back seasonal memories.
Adding lace around the edge will make it even more charming.
This lampshade style leaves a delicate impression.
If you use items like needles or a hot glue gun to achieve the look, please handle them with care.
potted plant
Let’s make a mini potted planter using an empty pudding cup.
You can wrap the cup with aluminum foil or decorate it with stickers.
If you use specialized paint, you can achieve a rough, tin-can-like texture.
Apply an adhesion-promoting base and a gritty paint to the cup, then sand it after it dries to create a unique, weathered finish.
Try adding letters or patterns with a stencil sheet to complete the look.
Be mindful that some paints have strong odors, so take care when using them.
If you pre-paint the cups, older adults may find the crafting process smoother.
This project is likely to showcase the free, creative ideas of older participants.