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[For Seniors] Day-service activities also recommended! Craft ideas for November
November, when autumn deepens and you can feel the chill in the air.
For many older adults, it’s a season when they spend less time outdoors going for walks.
So this time, we’re introducing craft activities with the theme of “11” that can be done indoors.
We’ve prepared projects featuring seasonal foods and flowers that are at their best in November.
They can be enjoyed as decorations on facility walls or taken home as interior decor.
There are also projects that can be used to play games after they’re made.
By all means, try the games together with the older adults.
Some older adults may find it difficult to sense the passage of time or the seasons.
Through November-themed crafts, let’s help them savor the season.
[For Seniors] Day-service activities also recommended! Craft ideas for November (1–10)
Collage of an autumn tree
Since collage art simply involves sticking pieces of paper, it’s easy for seniors to try as well.
Let’s incorporate a collage featuring an autumn tree into your day-service fall craft activity! First, use watercolor paints to color sheets of washi (thin Japanese paper) in a variety of hues.
The trick is to balance areas where colors are mixed with areas where they aren’t.
Once the painted paper is thoroughly dry, cut it into leaf shapes.
Finally, stick the leaves onto a sheet of construction paper with a tree drawn on it.
Start by attaching the leaves in the back first, and continue as if you’re filling the tree with foliage.
Whether you use a white or black background, it will have a stylish finish—perfect as a gift for family.
Acorn and balancing toy
Autumn is the season of harvest, and we see more tree nuts like acorns, which many people have played with before.
This piece is about making a balancing toy called a yajirobei using acorns—something that may also stir up fond memories.
The main materials are acorns and twigs; visually, it looks like acorns with holes connected by a long twig.
For the center acorn, add a spindle-like twig and decorations such as facial features to create a fun look.
The key to making it easier to balance is to keep the acorn sizes and the twig lengths and angles as uniform as possible.
scratch art
Scratch art is the perfect recreation for fine motor exercise.
Instead of drawing, you scrape along pre-printed lines to complete an illustration.
Since the underlying sketch is already there, anyone can end up with a beautiful result—that’s the charm.
You can easily enjoy the little thrill of success when it turns out well.
When it gets cold, even people who aren’t seniors sometimes find it hard to move their bodies, right? But with scratch art, you only use your hands! That small amount of movement is more than enough to have fun.
It’s also sold online, so be sure to check it out.
Acorn spinning top
Let’s make acorn spinning tops using the acorns you can find in abundance at parks in autumn.
There are many kinds of acorns, like sawtooth oak and Quercus variabilis, and this is a simple toy you can make with the ones you collect.
It’s fun and easy for both children and older adults, so give it a try.
To make one, first secure the acorn, drill a hole, and insert a toothpick.
That’s almost it, but as is, the shaft is too long and the balance will be off.
Find the length that spins well and trim it a little shorter.
Now you’ve got a finished acorn top that spins briskly.
Origami chrysanthemum
Let’s recreate the beautiful, finely layered petals of a chrysanthemum using origami.
The key is the narrow accordion folding, which also helps train precise finger movements.
After folding the paper into an accordion, trim both ends into rounded shapes to suggest petals, fold the strip in half, and glue it—prepare two of these.
Connect them and fan them out into a circle to complete the flower.
For added color gradation and depth, stack two tiers of different sizes, and adding leaves is also recommended.
Grape decoration
How about making a grape decoration? Let’s try using tissue paper and a toilet paper roll.
The overall style changes depending on where you place the grape parts, so older adults can create freely with their own ideas.
Crumpling the tissue paper into balls to add wrinkles gives the grape berries a lively look.
The fine handwork moves the fingertips, which helps maintain dexterity.
Adding tendrils and leaves makes it look even more realistic.
Through this craft, it’s likely to become a time when everyone can feel the pleasant autumn season.
Let’s create a warm, relaxed atmosphere so that older adults can enjoy working at their own pace.
Colorful La France Pear Bookmarks
How about a bookmark illustrated with La France pears, which are in season in November? It’s a perfect companion for autumn reading! First, fold a small sheet of drawing paper in half, draw a La France pear, and cut out the drawing with a craft knife.
Make sure to cut out the image on both sides.
Next, unfold the paper and attach tracing paper to the inside of the fold.
On the tracing paper, randomly stick small squares (about 1 cm) of flower paper.
We recommend using several autumn colors of flower paper.
Finally, fold the drawing paper again, glue it together, and attach a string made from flower paper—and you’re done! You’ll get a colorful piece that looks like stained glass.
