18 Crafts For Seniors To Bring Out The Artist In Them
Introduction
We’re heading into the holidays when seniors will be hosting family gatherings and doing all that’s involved with this time of year. You know they’re feeling a lot of stress, especially when it comes to the tedious task of crafting. So why not make their lives a little easier by teaching them these 10 crafts for seniors to bring out the artist in themselves?
This is going to provide a new outlet in their spare time and make them happy in a pleasant way. You’ll be helping them learn something new too!
Now open your mind and get creative with these quick and easy crafts that will appeal to any senior on your list:
What Are Some Of The Best Crafts For Seniors?
1. Paper Flowers Made From Wrapping Paper Or Tissue Paper
Making numerous flowers is easy. All you need is to wrap some paper around a blade, like a scissor, leaf, or pencil. Secure the paper with tape. Using the lightest color of paper for flowers will make them more beautiful and eye-catching rather than dark ones. You can also use different colored wrapping paper to create unique flowers.
2. Glue This!
This is one of the easiest crafts for seniors because it requires no tools and no preparation on your part. All that you need is glue and some items that are easy to find in your home or office. You can also get creative by making more than one piece at once, like an arrangement of leaves or scraps of wood if you want them to look complete.
3. Garden Art
If they love nature, gardening is a great way for them to spend their free time. They can grow flowers, vegetables, and herbs in pots or create planters from materials you have around the house. If they love art, learn how to use a staple gun and glue that will turn your scrap wood into a work of art. You can also turn that scrap wood into a sculptural piece by using an exacto knife and chisel – just be sure to wear safety glasses when using sharp objects!
4. Felt Food
If they love to cook, making a set of felt food will be a wonderful gift for them. Simply use colored felt and glue it together in the shape you want. Add details by using a black marker to draw on buttons or face features. You can create a plate by cutting a circle from green felt and then add dots of white felt for salt and pepper.
5. Crocheting Is Fun!
Crocheting is not just for grandma! In fact when you learn how to crochet you’ll be surprised at how it’s so easy to do, even when your mind thinks it’s hard! You can make scarves, hats, or even crochet dolls that look just like the real thing.
6. Clay Pots
If your senior loves to garden, why not make them a clay pot for their flowers? It will make the perfect keepsake to keep in their kitchen. You can also make smaller pots with rocks or stones to make them look like cinder blocks.
7. Scrapbooks are great!
It’s safe to say that scrapbooks are now a part of every home’s collections. When you teach your seniors how they’re done, they’ll be thrilled with how stamps, glue, and paperwork can create memories that will last a lifetime. Whether you want to give them one all on their own or help them with one together, this is an excellent craft for seniors of all ages.
8. Learning A New Language
Learning a new language is a great hobby to give them a brand new challenge. It’s also educational and good for the mind because it’s all about using their brain. You can go online and search for free or inexpensive classes that they can take from the senior center, church, or even from an online forum with other seniors who are learning how to speak Spanish, Chinese, French, or any other foreign language.
9. Turn Wine Corks Into Art!
If you have wine corks lying around the house then turn them into art with paint from your local craft store! You can use acrylics or even spray paint to make colorful picture frames for a cheap and fun wall decor. You can also use them in a sculpture or to make a sculpture with a child’s play set.
10. Decoupage Is Easy!
You can decorate any item with decoupage. It doesn’t have to be just paper either, you can also use photos, magazines, and other things that you have around the house. You can paint or color pictures from your phone for this for an even more interesting project!
11. Create Holiday Cards
It’s the holiday season so why not create portraits of your family? And if you don’t have a camera yet, purchase one for each person. They’ll be surprised with how cheap the prices are today! After getting your photos, take them to a store that can develop them or buy a cheap photo scanner online. Once you have them on your computer you can print them off and glue them onto a card with a beautiful Christmas message inside.
12. Give Some Papier-Mâché!
You can use different materials to make papier-mâché including paper bags, toilet paper rolls, and crepe paper that you wrap around an object then coat with glue. Then either paint over them or let them dry completely. The papier-mâché will become plastic once it’s ready for more use!
13. Make Do-It-Yourself Stamps
Stamps are fun and they’re the perfect way to get your message out there, whether it’s for personal use or sending to friends and family. You can make stamps by hand using a stamp pad, then paint over the image on it with acrylic paints. You can also get more sophisticated by using stamps that are meant to be used on invitations and announcements.
14. Sewing Is Easy!
This is an amazing hobby for seniors of all ages because they can learn how to sew without being afraid of a complicated machine. You can start off with easy things like scarves or soft blankets, then work your way into more sophisticated projects like jackets with lining.
15. Creating Wearable Art
A unique clothing item is a great gift for anyone over the age of 50. This is especially true for someone who likes to wear unique or interesting clothing instead of the same old things they wear every day. It’s also great for those who are afraid of trying new designs and looks that they may not be able to pull off. You can do special designs with cotton polyester blend fabric. It’s easy to find at any store and it will look great on any body type. Also, you can do this for clothes for kids too!
16. Buy Some Stamps
It’s always fun to send postcards or letters in the mail, but sometimes it’s best to be original and pick up some stamps at the local craft store. You can create an almanac-style book by gluing them on cards that you write your story into. Or if they’re into gardening, then get them seeds that they can plant in their garden! And if they love scrapbooking they’ll love a set of stamps that they can use in their scrapbook.
17. Make Bedroom Pillows
Seniors love to be comfortable and cozy in their own home. So why not make them a few cozy blankets to use in the winter or bed pillows to lay down on when they’re tired? Use your sewing machine and create patterns that you think they’ll love!
18. Origami For Decoration
You can do Origami with paper in many different shapes and sizes. Then you can use them in the house as wall decor or hang them from a Christmas tree! You can even fold paper like pizza boxes, envelopes, and even fortune tellers.
Conclusion
These are some of the best arts and crafts that your favorite senior can do without having too much difficulty. No matter what their age, they’ll appreciate the time that you took to help them learn something new and exciting! Keep them busy and fun by using these projects for crafts for seniors. Enjoy!