RAG MusicRecreation
Lovely senior life

[For Seniors] Enjoy and Beat the Summer Heat! July Craft Ideas

With the end of the rainy season, July brings the heat and the full feeling of summer.

It becomes difficult to do outdoor activities like taking walks.

This time, we’re introducing craft ideas perfect for summer that you can enjoy indoors.

We’ve gathered many projects that add vibrant summer colors or create a cool, refreshing atmosphere.

Craft activities are very popular among older adults, and using the fingers provides brain-training benefits.

Displaying the finished pieces at home or in a facility also gives a sense of accomplishment.

Let’s help older adults enjoy summer with wonderful creations.

[For Seniors] Enjoy and Beat the Summer Heat! July Craft Ideas (111–120)

Sunflower pop-up card

[Sunflower] Flower Pop-up Card – Summer Birthday | Made with 100-yen colored paper – how to make a Sunflower Pop-up Message Card
Sunflower pop-up card

Here’s an idea for a popup card that blooms into a three-dimensional sunflower when opened.

The sunflower’s yellow color gives a bright, cheerful impression and lifts the viewer’s spirits.

The mechanism that makes the flower gently rise the moment the card is opened adds a great element of surprise, making it perfect for birthdays, thank-you notes, and summer greetings.

By playing with the card’s color and the shape of the petals, and decorating with items like washi (masking) tape, you can enjoy creating your own original design.

Why not make a special, handmade card that conveys warmth?

[For Seniors] Enjoy and Beat the Summer Heat! July Craft Ideas

Easy! Tanabata decorations with a cheese box

Easy! Make Tanabata decorations with a cheese box 🌟 #SimpleCraftsAtHome #TanabataDecorations #Tanabata #CheeseBox #EasyCrafts
Easy! Tanabata decorations with a cheese box

For Seniors: Enjoy and Beat the Summer Heat! July Craft Ideas (121–130)

Frame decoration of Orihime and Hikoboshi

Orihime and Hikoboshi Frame Decoration / Tanabata Craft
Frame decoration of Orihime and Hikoboshi

Here’s a cute framed decoration of Orihime and Hikoboshi you can make with items from 100-yen shops.

Using aurora-colored origami paper will give the characters a sparkly look.

First, use a template to make the faces and cut them out.

Fold the bodies along the template’s crease lines and trim off any excess.

Attach the faces and bodies with double-sided tape.

For the background, star-patterned origami paper works well.

To finish it like a frame, fold the edges of the origami paper narrowly inward and secure them with stickers or similar, and you’re done.

[For Seniors] Enjoy and Beat the Summer Heat! July Craft Ideas

Transparent three-dimensional star tanzaku

For Seniors: Enjoy and Beat the Summer Heat! July Craft Ideas (121–130)

Calendar with straws and paint

@safran5069

We started making the August calendar 🎆 Dabbing with paint and straws!Minami Ward, Nagoya CityCommunity-based day service#SafranSakuramotomachiTranslationCaregiving#WelfareCalendarAugustfireworks

♬ ai no hana (Instrumental) – aimyon

Here’s a simple fireworks calendar you can make using a straw.

Cut several small slits into the tip of the straw.

Dip the slit end in paint, then dab it onto the calendar’s backing sheet.

This creates a burst like a firework.

Because the steps are simple, many older adults may find it easy to try.

You can change the color of the straw’s center and the tips of the slits, or make fireworks in multiple colors—there are lots of ways to arrange it to create different colorful fireworks.

Fireworks calendar with cotton swabs

Fireworks that beautifully color the night sky are also a hallmark of summer.

Are there facilities that host fireworks viewing events? I imagine some older adults once went to see fireworks displays as well.

Let’s make a calendar that expresses fireworks—perfect for the summer mood—using cotton swabs.

Put paint on the tips of the cotton swabs and prepare pieces with only the very ends cut off.

On a circular sheet of drawing paper or origami paper, arrange the painted tips so they look like fireworks.

This fun method should be enjoyable for older adults to try, too.

Besides cotton-swab fireworks, we also recommend adding origami items like fans or shaved ice to the calendar.

yukata (summer cotton kimono)

Let’s make a yukata and an obi out of origami—perfect for July festivals.

Prepare one sheet of origami paper to make the yukata.

Make firm creases as you fold.

The key is to puff it out slightly as you fold so the top and bottom of the yukata connect smoothly.

Carefully make each crease one at a time.

For the obi, men should fold a long, narrow strip of origami paper as if tying it; women should fold it into a ribbon shape.

Adjust the proportions of the yukata and obi as you craft them.

Using patterned origami paper is recommended for a summery look.