[For Seniors] Enjoy the Hot Summer to the Fullest! A Collection of Easy Craft Ideas
Summer is the season when we start to sweat more and more.
Even indoors, you may sometimes feel the heat.
However, some older adults seem to have a harder time sensing heat.
This time, we’ll introduce some simple, recommended crafts you can do indoors during the hot season, when outdoor activities tend to decrease.
By creating summer-themed pieces, you can help people feel the season, even if it’s become harder to sense it.
After making them, you can take them home or display them at a facility, which can also give a sense of accomplishment!
Crafting involves fine motor movements of the fingertips and thinking through the steps in your head, stimulating the brain and serving as brain training.
Please enjoy making them at your own pace.
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- [For Seniors] Small craft ideas: for yourself and as gifts!
[For Seniors] Make the Most of the Hot Summer! Simple Craft Ideas (151–160)
SUMMER Garland
This SUMMER garland will instantly brighten up any room with a lively vibe! It’s also great as a wall decoration at home or in senior care facilities, so give it a try.
First, attach a half-cut piece of brown origami paper to the center of a yellow-toned sheet.
Make two identical pieces, accordion-fold each one, and connect them.
While folded, round off both ends with scissors, tie a string at the center, open it into a circle, and secure the two seams with clips or glue—and you’re done! You can also have fun customizing it by adding not only sunflower blooms but also leaves and other summery motifs.
Dear little star
How about a simple star craft you can make with just two straws? When it comes to star decorations, making them with origami might be the most familiar method.
But stars made from straws have a uniquely dreamy look that’s different from origami, and they’re beautiful—highly recommended.
You weave and layer the ends of the straws together, repeating the process over and over; as the corners multiply, it eventually forms a star shape.
For a fun twist, try using two different colored straws to make it look even more vibrant!
Obon decorations: origami Chinese lantern (hozuki)
Hozuki (Chinese lantern plants) serve as lanterns to guide ancestors home during Obon.
Many older adults may display them at home while thinking of their ancestors.
Let’s make hozuki out of origami and decorate the wall.
Prepare orange origami paper and shape it into a plump, balloon-like 3D form to create a realistic hozuki fruit.
Then make a stem with green-toned origami and combine them to finish! It’s also recommended as a brain-training activity to make together with older adults.
shaved ice
When the summer heat sets in, nothing hits the spot quite like shaved ice.
Its vividly colored syrups make it a great choice for summer wall decorations, too! You can create the ice portion, the bowl, spoon, and fruits by cutting construction paper.
For the syrup, you can paint directly with watercolors, or make a stamp using a piece of kitchen paper and a chopstick to dab on the color and achieve a soft, airy look.
If you’re decorating a wall, arranging items like an ice shaver and little flags alongside the shaved ice can help create the fun atmosphere of a shaved-ice stand.
Shaved ice wall decoration
In summer, you can find all kinds of shaved ice—luxurious versions loaded with fruit, Japanese-style varieties, and ones with a fluffy texture! In recent years, stylish cafes and specialty shops offering rich shaved ice have even become a hot topic.
Shaved ice also makes a perfect motif for summer wall decorations.
It brings a cool, refreshing vibe, so try making some together with seniors for a fun activity.
Another plus is that just changing the syrup color can create a vibrant, colorful display.
There aren’t many paper parts to cut out either, so it’s an easy theme to craft.
If a shaved ice alone feels a bit plain, add elements like a traditional “kakigōri” banner or an old-fashioned ice shaver for an extra charming touch!
Jabara watermelon
Here’s a fun accordion-style watermelon craft you can display or play with.
First, prepare a half-circle sheet of paper and draw a watermelon illustration on it.
Next, fold the paper into an accordion and attach the left and right ends to two chopsticks.
At first glance it looks like ordinary chopsticks, but when you open them, the watermelon illustration appears.
You can enjoy the act of opening it, or display it in the open position.
You can also adapt this idea by drawing things other than watermelons.
Sunflower summer wreath
This sunflower summer wreath has a natural feel that lifts your spirits.
It’s great as a wall decoration for your room or as a small accent on a shelf! It also makes a perfect gift for friends, kids, or grandkids, so why not give it a try? Making a template beforehand makes it easier to cut the felt.
There are lots of pieces, so it might take a little time, but it’s a project you can work on steadily and enjoy as a hobby.
The wreath base can be a 100-yen shop item.
Feel free to customize the felt colors, the sunflowers, and the wreath size, or add a ribbon—make it your own!