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[Day Service] Craft Ideas for Seniors to Make in October
Autumn is full of delicious foods and is a comfortable season to spend time in, so it’s easy to make progress with your hobbies.
Many seniors may also be looking forward to enjoying the beautiful autumn leaves.
In this article, we introduce recommended craft ideas for October.
We’ve gathered many ideas, including decorations themed on maple leaves—the quintessential symbol of autumn—pumpkin decorations perfect for Halloween, stylish pieces that can be displayed as interior decor, and craft ideas useful for recreational activities at day service centers.
If you’d like, give them a try!
[Day Service] Craft Ideas for Seniors to Make in October (1–10)
Autumn Foliage Mobile
With the arrival of autumn, how about enjoying a handmade fall foliage mobile? Simply cut origami paper into maple leaves and string them together! You can also subtly combine three or four origami leaves to make a 3D effect.
Plus, adding Halloween motifs could make it perfect for Halloween events, too! By experiencing the sense of accomplishment that comes with making things by hand, we hope older adults can discover their own potential.
Seasonal crafts can also be a great opportunity to recall rich emotions.
Mummy-kunNEW!
Here’s a great idea to try when you’re looking for a Halloween-season craft.
It’s a mummy mascot you can make using a Yakult bottle, pipe cleaners, and yarn.
First, attach the pipe cleaners to the bottle as arms, then wrap the yarn around to create the mummy.
Finish by sticking on googly-eye stickers you can find at 100-yen shops.
The steps are simple, but wrapping the yarn may require some dexterity.
It’s a recommended idea when you want a craft that doesn’t take much time but still gives your fingers a good workout.
Simple! Cute apple
Here’s how to make cute apples that are perfect as autumn objets! You can make them with just a toilet paper roll and origami, so it’s also great for fall craft activities at day service centers.
First, cut the toilet paper roll in half and make slits at the top and bottom.
At this point, make finer slits at the bottom, and fold the slits at the top inward.
Next, crumple a sheet of origami paper and then open it back up, and wrap it around the roll with the inward-folded side facing down.
Shape it into a round form, and finish by inserting a branch and leaf made from origami.
Done! Try it in your favorite colors like red, yellow, or yellow-green.
Ginkgo wall decoration
How about a wall decoration featuring ginkgo leaves that evokes the spirit of autumn? Try expressing the rich colors of the season! We’ll lay out ginkgo leaves made by cutting origami paper as the main elements.
Combining leaves of various sizes adds movement to the composition.
You can also create a poetic atmosphere by adding tree branches or a moon.
This craft lets older adults enjoy the seasonal feeling, so it’s also recommended for day-service recreational activities.
Maple Lantern
How about making a lantern with a maple-leaf pattern to illuminate the clear, beautiful autumn night sky? First, cut off the top and bottom of a milk carton, open it up, and remove the centers of all four panels.
Next, cover the cutout sections with washi paper.
Then, paste on origami cut into maple-leaf shapes, reassemble the milk carton, and the lantern’s body is complete! Finally, place a small light inside, and the washi will create a soft, warm glow.
Try dimming the lights a little and enjoy this gentle light alongside the moonlight on a long autumn night.
Tissue-paper hedgehog
This is a cute hedgehog craft made with tissue paper! Stack several sheets of tissue paper, fold them in an accordion, tie the center with a pipe cleaner or string, then make fine cuts at both ends and fluff it out.
Next, cut construction paper into a hedgehog shape, glue on the tissue paper, add a round sticker for the eye, and you’re done! Try changing the color combinations of the tissue paper or making different sizes, too.
If you want to use it as a wall decoration, creating mushrooms and fallen leaves from origami to display together will enhance the autumn atmosphere even more.
Acorn beanbags
October is perfect for outings.
If you pick up acorns at a park or campsite, try making beanbags! Beanbags are also familiar to many older adults, so they may be useful for reminiscence therapy as well.
Prepare a rectangular piece of fabric with a pattern you like, sew a running stitch along the long edge, and instead of tying off, trim the excess thread.
Next, fold the fabric in half, sew the edge closed, and tie it off.
On the side where you didn’t tie off earlier, pull the thread to gather the fabric, wrap it around, and tie it off.
Turn the fabric right side out, fill it with acorns, then sew a running stitch around the opening, pull the thread to gather it, and you’re done! It’s also perfect for fine motor training for older adults, so why not give it a try?
Pumpkin made from newspaper
Let’s make a newspaper pumpkin that’s perfect for Halloween decorations! Fold a sheet of newspaper in quarters, then cut it into a half-pumpkin shape with the folds at the center.
When you unfold the cut piece, it will form a full pumpkin shape.
Make several of these and glue them together.
When gluing, the key is to apply glue only to the top and bottom of the pumpkin, not all over.
After you’ve attached all the pieces, fan them out to create a 3D effect.
Finally, add a stem and leaves made from leftover newspaper or construction paper, and you’re done! You can also use orange paper instead of newspaper for a different look.
Cosmos decorations made of paper tape
Cosmos flowers are often mentioned as iconic autumn plants, aren’t they? Written as “autumn cherry blossoms” in kanji, cosmos are known for their delicate, cherry blossom–like pale pink color.
Let’s try making cosmos using paper tape! It’s great for making in large groups, so why not include it in a craft activity at your day service? Prepare plenty of paper tape pieces cut with pinking shears, combine four pieces, staple the center to fix them, and place a yellow round sticker in the middle—one cosmos flower is complete! You can easily make leaves using pipe cleaners.
Let’s all work together to fill the autumn wall display with cosmos!
Fallen Leaves Bookmark
These bookmarks, inspired by fallen leaves, will make you look forward to autumn reading! Using felt gives them a warm, cozy feel, and they’d make wonderful gifts.
Simply cut two leaf shapes—such as maple or ginkgo—from felt, apply glue to one piece, place a string in between, and fix the second piece on top.
It’s also lovely to design leaves on both ends of the string.
Felt doesn’t require finishing thread ends and is easy to work with, so why not incorporate this project into a craft activity at your day service?