[For Seniors] Enjoy at Day Service: A Roundup of May Craft Ideas
May is a lovely season of fresh green leaves, isn’t it?
Here are some easy craft ideas perfect for day-service activities in May.
May is full of events like Children’s Day and Mother’s Day.We’ve gathered craft ideas that tie in with those occasions.
Many of the projects introduced here can be taken home and displayed, so you can enjoy looking at them at home.
They also make great gifts for your grandchildren.
Some can even be used for a garden tea party or a stroll, so be sure to give them a try.
- [For Seniors] Enjoy May: A Collection of Seasonal Craft and Wall Decoration Ideas
- [For Seniors] May-Themed Wall Decoration Ideas Full of Seasonal Flair
- [For Seniors] Easy Koinobori Crafting: A Collection of Fun Ideas Using Various Materials
- For Seniors: Simple and Lovely Crafts – A Collection of Take-Home Project Ideas for Day Service
- [For Seniors] Recommended Events for May: A Roundup of Ideas That Get Everyone Engaged
- [For Seniors] May Calendar Craft: Motifs that color May, such as Children's Day (Tango no Sekku), Mother's Day, and seasonal flowers
- [For Seniors] Recommended for day services! Simple and cute small craft ideas
- [For Seniors] Introducing May-themed Origami!
- [For Seniors] Brimming with June’s seasonal charm: A roundup of fun craft ideas
- [For Seniors] Introducing Fun Crafts Made with Plastic Bottle Caps
- [For Seniors] A Collection of Craft Ideas Using Paper Cups
- [For Seniors] Handmade gifts they’ll love: a roundup of simple ideas
- [For Seniors] Enjoy May! Recommended Recreational Activities and Games
[For Seniors] Enjoy at Day Service: Summary of May Craft Ideas (41–50)
Transparent Koinobori
@utatan_simple_crafts [Easy and fun♪ Adorable translucent Koinobori] We had lots of clear round stickers (sealing stickers) at home, so we used them as fish scales and made a koinobori windsock 🎏 Designing the scale patterns yourself and sticking them on one by one is perfect for developing creativity, concentration, and fine motor skills ☺️ My 5-year-old daughter said, “I want to color neatly!” and filled in all the scales without leaving any gaps 🖋 (How they draw really shows each child’s personality, which is fun to see.) She also wanted to draw the koinobori outline herself, and when she did, it turned into a cute-shaped koinobori again! (Kids 4 and up might be able to do this part too ✨) If you don’t have clear round stickers, I think semi-transparent round stickers like washi tape-style ones would also look cute ☺️ Give it a try as a Children’s Day craft♪ ★Materials★ ✳︎ Clear file folder ✳︎ Gold origami paper (for the pinwheel parts) ✳︎ White round stickers ✳︎ Clear round stickers (sealing stickers) ✳︎ 1 wooden chopstick ★Tools★ ✳︎ Water-based pens ✳︎ Oil-based color pens ✳︎ Scissors ✳︎ Tissues ✳︎ Clear tape ****************************************** Creating daily with my 6-year-old daughter♪ Original craft recipes for parents and kids to enjoy (We also sell craft kits and digital craft data 🌸) Utatan’s Simple Crafts ⇨ @utatan_simple_crafts Thank you 🐰✨ ******************************************work#I love craftsChildren's DayChildren’s Day craft#May production#Childcare CraftingAfter-school day service#SeniorActivities#AtHomePlay#StayHomePlay Project#KoinoboriKoinobori (carp streamers)Life with childrenLife with childrenParentingKoinobori Craft
♪ Original Song – Utatan’s Simple Crafts | Exciting DIY for Kids and Adults – Utatan’s Simple Crafts | Exciting DIY for Kids and Adults
A skeleton koi-nobori you’ll want to display where the light shines! Just cut a clear file into the shape of a koi-nobori and stick on colored round stickers as the scales—an easy idea anyone can try.
Use transparent round stickers for the scales, and add any colors or patterns you like with a permanent marker.
Draw the tail fin’s pattern with a pen, and use opaque round stickers for the eyes.
Once your koi-nobori is finished, attach it to a pair of chopsticks, then top it off with a pinwheel made from a clear file, and you’re done!
A Calendar of Wind, Rain, and Hydrangeas
As May draws to a close and the rainy season approaches, you can almost feel the gradual increase in rain, and the gentle sound of rainfall conveys the shift of the seasons.
How about decorating your calendar with illustrations of rain, wind, and hydrangeas that evoke this time when the rainy season is near? Make the overall tone a pale blue and add just a few lines to express a calm rain.
Since it’s not the full rainy season yet, it’s best to keep the rain depiction subdued.
Pigma pen illustration: Japanese iris
Why not incorporate illustrations drawn with a Pigma pen as a method for creating your calendar? Here, we’ll introduce Japanese irises (hanashobu), which are at their best from May to June.
A hallmark of hanashobu is the way the petals droop as they bloom, making it a flower that combines both splendor and elegance.
While purple is the most familiar image, there are also white and pink varieties.
Use a Pigma pen to draw the outlines while letting the ink gently bleed, then add color with gasai paints.
If you’re a beginner, try sketching in pencil first before attempting the final piece.
A calendar with carp streamers and irises
This piece is a calendar featuring iris flowers that reach their peak viewing season around the same time as the koinobori.
You’ll fold and attach koinobori and iris flowers using origami.
Making cute koinobori and beautiful origami irises is sure to spark lively conversation.
As they work, older adults may recall past Boys’ Day (Tango no Sekku) celebrations and feel nostalgic, which could lead to even more conversation.
One of the nice things about a handmade calendar is that you can display the finished piece in your own room.
Carnation Calendar
On the second Sunday of May, which is Mother’s Day, there is a custom of giving red carnations.
Some older adults may have received them from their children.
If you feature carnations on a May calendar, it will likely help people recognize that May is coming soon.
You can make carnations from construction paper or origami, and wrap them in tissue paper to create a bouquet-like finish.
The cute red and pink carnations might lift people’s spirits.
This carnation idea can be used not only for calendars but also for May craft and recreation activities.
A large carp streamer calendar
@nakanekd3ij Today we made the May calendar 🤗💕 Lately the daytime temperatures have been high, and it feels unbelievably hot considering the cherry blossoms were still in bloom just last week 😵☀️ Be sure not only to stay hydrated but also to eat three proper meals to keep up your strength♪Hoyu Day Service NakanoHoyo-kaiTranslationHandicraftsKoinobori (carp streamers)Making a calendar
♬ Koinobori (Higher than the roof) – Hidenori Goto / Wakakusa Children’s Choir
May is the time of year when you often see koinobori carp streamers.
Older adults, too, will likely spot many koinobori when they go outside for walks in parks or open squares.
Let’s try making a fun, creative project that makes the calendar look like koinobori.
Using construction paper, make an oyagoi (father carp) or higoi (child carp), and hang them together with a calendar.
A calendar featuring koinobori could help older adults who find it hard to sense the seasons recognize the arrival of May.
Carnations made of felt
Mother’s Day is in May.
Some of you may have given carnations on Mother’s Day, or perhaps there are seniors who have received them.
Here is a carnation craft that’s perfect for a May project.
Use a circular template and cut matching pieces from felt.
Make small slits around the edge of the felt circles.
Poke a hole in the center of the felt and thread a wire through it.
Use a hot glue gun to attach the felt to the wire.
Layer several felt circles to form the petals.
Create leaves and tape them to the wire, which will serve as the stem, to finish.
You can make several carnations and arrange them into a bouquet.