[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.
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[For Seniors] Day service activities also recommended! Craft ideas for November (41–50)
Grapes in a plastic bottle
Use the rounded shape of plastic bottle caps to draw grape berries, cut them out, and combine them to make grape decorations.
If you use only the cut origami pieces, you’ll have a flat decoration; if you attach them to the caps, you can create a three-dimensional one.
Using caps that match the color of the berries gives a unified look, but if you can’t prepare enough caps, wrapping them with origami or painting them is also recommended.
Encourage attention to fine motor movement by cutting accurately along the lines and creating small, detailed parts step by step.
[For Seniors] Day-service activities also recommended! November craft ideas (51–60)
origami mushroom
Autumn is the season when leaves pile up on the ground, and it strongly evokes the image of mushrooms growing beneath them.
Let’s make one of these autumn symbols—a mushroom—using a single sheet of origami paper.
The steps bring the colored side to the cap and the white reverse side to the stem.
Pay close attention to the reverse folds to create a clear step between the cap and the stem, then refine the shape with small adjustments to give it an overall rounded look.
It already looks like a mushroom as is, but it’s also fun to develop creativity by drawing your own patterns to make it look even more mushroom-like.
Origami acorn
Let’s make a cute acorn-themed mascot by combining pieces of origami.
As you fold, be mindful of overlapping the layers to create a rounded shape, which will give it a charming three-dimensional look.
Another key point is to achieve a beautiful sense of unity by layering different-colored origami partway through the folding process so that you form the acorn’s cap at the same time.
Once the whole acorn is complete, add patterns and details.
You can go for realistic patterns with lines and gloss, or create a mascot-like design with facial expressions—finish it in your own style.
Origami Fallen Leaves
Speaking of autumn, it’s the season when the leaves on the trees turn brilliant colors, and even the scenery after they fall is beautiful, isn’t it? Let’s recreate those beautifully colored leaves with origami.
Fold the paper into a triangle, then add creases to suggest the leaf veins.
The key is to fold along the line that will become the center of the leaf and make the creases there.
Finally, shape it to give it a gentle roundness, trim the edges, and open it up to reveal your finished leaf.
Make leaves in a variety of colors to capture the full feeling of autumn foliage.
Matsutake mushroom origami
Let’s recreate the matsutake mushroom—an iconic flavor of Japan’s autumn—using origami.
A key point is to use both sides of the paper to clearly show the color difference between the cap and the stem, while shaping the overall form with a gentle roundness.
Once the piece is neatly folded, it’s also a good idea to draw patterns to make it look even more like a matsutake.
Try imagining a seasonal scene where matsutake are arranged—such as a circular layout inspired by a woven basket—so the mushrooms feel naturally grouped and evocative of the season.
ukie
At this time of year, if you go to a park and the like, you’ll find lots of fallen leaves of many kinds.
Here’s a craft that uses those leaves to create a raised-looking pattern.
Place thin paper like washi over a leaf and rub it with a crayon—like magic, the leaf’s pattern appears beautifully.
Try different leaves and colors to make a wonderful illustration.
Making grapes with construction paper
Here’s an idea for making paper grapes that’s perfect for decorating the walls of senior care facilities.
They’re very easy to make! Cut construction paper into long, thin strips, curl them up using a pen, and glue them onto a piece of cardboard cut into a triangle.
Make the grape stem and leaves from construction paper in the same way and attach them to create realistic-looking grapes.
Also, instead of using a single color of paper, try mixing colors like blue, light blue, purple, and lavender to give the grapes a more realistic appearance.
