[For Seniors] Fun Snake Craft Ideas
Snakes, which are also one of the zodiac animals.
When the zodiac sign for the year is the snake, you often have chances to make snake-themed crafts during recreational activities.
This time, we’re sharing ideas for crafts that use recycled materials like milk cartons and empty containers, as well as materials you can easily find at 100-yen shops, such as felt and clay.
Seasonal crafts like New Year’s cards, zodiac decorations, and ema plaques let you enjoy both the fun of making them and the pleasure of displaying them.
Some involve fine motor work with your fingers, which can stimulate the brain and may help prevent dementia.
Have fun crafting while chatting together!
- [For Seniors] Easy Snake Origami Ideas
- For Seniors: Auspicious Handmade Zodiac Ornament Craft Ideas
- [For Seniors] Craft Ideas Recommended for New Year’s and the New Year
- [For Seniors] Liven Up Setsubun Crafts! Handmade Ideas Using a Variety of Materials
- For Seniors: Simple and Lovely Crafts – A Collection of Take-Home Project Ideas for Day Service
- [For Seniors] January Craft Ideas for Day Service Activities
- [For Seniors] Let’s Start a Fun Craft Activity
- [For Seniors] Recommended for Craft Activities! Cute Paper Clay Projects
- [For seniors] Horse craft ideas: simple projects made with everyday materials
- [For Seniors] Next Year is the Year of the Horse! Handcraft a Heartfelt New Year’s Card with a Horse Motif
- [For Seniors] Practical Crafts to Make in Day-Service Recreation: Idea Roundup
- [For Seniors] January Craft Ideas: Boost Your Luck with New Year Decorations and Good-Luck Charms
- [For Seniors] Let’s Make New Year Decorations by Hand! A Collection of Easy Ideas Using Everyday Materials
[For Seniors] Fun Snake Craft Ideas (1–10)
Simple and cute New Year’s card
These days, many people use email and social media to send New Year’s greetings, and it seems fewer are sending traditional New Year’s postcards.
However, there may still be seniors who keep the habit of writing New Year’s cards to welcome the new year.
So let’s make a lovely snake-themed New Year’s card.
The key is to round one end so it looks like the snake’s head.
Cut construction paper or free paper into strips and fold them in a zigzag pattern to form the snake’s shape.
You can express a coiled snake or one slithering along with curves—either is fine.
This might lead to unique, personal New Year’s cards from seniors.
If you glue the snake onto a backing sheet and hang it on the wall, it can also serve as a New Year wall decoration.
A snake illustration with a cotton swab
Let’s create a cute polka-dot snake illustration.
Draw a snake in the center of a sheet of paper, then cut along the lines you drew.
Place the paper with the snake shape cut out on top of another sheet to make a double layer.
If you use a different color for the drawing paper than the one you layer it with, the next steps will be easier.
If you use the same color paper, make sure you can tell the two sheets apart.
Using a cotton swab, add polka dots to the cutout snake-shaped area of the two stacked sheets.
You can make it colorful with many colors, or finish it with a single color to create a lovely piece.
Please make it according to the preferences of the elderly participants.
Why not also use it for New Year’s cards or calendar projects?
Bouncy! Milk Carton Snake
Here’s a snake craft you can enjoy even after making it.
Divide a milk carton into four equal pieces and cut a slit in each one.
Hook rubber bands into the slits.
The rubber bands act as a little mechanism for the craft.
Connect the four milk carton pieces with clear tape, then fold them up compactly.
When you let go, they’ll spring and hop! Attach eyes and a tongue made from construction paper to finish.
It’s a project that seniors can enjoy both while making it and after it’s done.
You can even have fun competing to see whose jumps the highest.
[For Seniors] Fun Snake Craft Ideas (11–20)
A cute snake made with tsumami-zaiku
There are many works made by pinching and folding small pieces of fabric into shapes like flowers and animals.
You might even see tsumami-zaiku incorporated into day services or senior facilities.
Let’s try making a zodiac snake using tsumami-zaiku.
In tsumami-zaiku, you fold chirimen crepe fabric and attach it using wood glue, craft glue, or fabric adhesive.
Since no needles are used, there’s little need for fine tasks like threading a needle.
It seems like something older adults who find detailed work difficult can also enjoy.
It’s also recommended to attach hardware to the finished piece and turn it into a keychain.
Wiggly snake made from a toilet paper roll
Let’s use toilet paper rolls to make a snake craft.
Since you’ll be using recycled materials, you can easily make it as long as you collect the rolls.
Prepare three toilet paper rolls and cut them in half.
Take just one of the halves, cut it open, and fold it into a rectangle.
Trim off the corners of the rectangle to create a template, then wrap this template around the remaining toilet paper roll halves.
Cut the rolls at the same positions as the template.
The key is to cut only one side for the head and tail sections.
Punch holes in the rolls, attach pipe cleaners to connect the segments, add color, and you’re done.
This wiggly, bendable snake craft is something older adults can enjoy too.
Snake made of felt
Let’s try making a cute snake out of felt.
Felt is a light, soft material that’s easy for older adults to handle.
Take several small felt squares, punch a hole in each, and add a slit.
Line up the holes and slits to link the pieces together, then shape them into a snake.
For the head, use two small pieces of felt.
Using different colors of felt is recommended—you can make a colorful snake.
Felt crafting is sometimes included in recreational craft activities, too.
You can even make this with leftover felt scraps, so give it a try!
Simple Twisty Snake
When you picture a snake, some of you might imagine it coiled up.
We also say it’s “coiling,” and we’re going to make a piece that shows a snake like that.
On a single sheet of paper, draw a spiral-shaped snake and color it in.
Coloring uses fine finger movements.
Besides training dexterity, it’s said to boost blood flow throughout the brain and help activate it.
After coloring, cut along the lines and attach a string to the back of the head with cellophane tape.
Hang it by the string, and you’ll have a snake that gently sways while spiraling—finished! It’s a fun craft, so it would likely make a delightful gift for a young grandchild.