craft ideas for the elderly?
I am a new volunteer who asked if there were any activities the residents were interested in but not offered.
There was a rousing mass of voices CRAFTS! Especially beading. I’m not sure where to start.
Suggested Reading:
Bead on a Wire: Making Handcrafted Wire and Beaded JewelryIn this latest book, author Sharilyn Miller shows crafters of all levels how to get in on the popularity of jewellery and beading, with: An in-depth s... Read More >
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I know most people would say knitting or crocheting, but that can actually make arthiritis and joint pain worse. So I would say making picture frames for pictures, things to hang on the wall, putting puzzles together and gluing them to cardboard, etc. There are a lot of things that you can give elderly people to do. You just have to be creative.
Any activity that incorporates fine motor and gross motor skills would be great. Making necklaces or bracelets for their loved ones. I have seen these really cute things where you take 2 small paper plates and cut one in 1/2, the you staple or glue the edge of it onto the edge of the other. Then you take fake flowers andstuff them in there. They can also paste little inspirational quotes on the blank spot. Kind of hard to explain, but maybe you get the idea.
If you go to a library, you can find a couple of craft books that will give you specific instructions on how to make things.
For the elderly population that want’s to do bead work, you can get nuce bead assortments as most craft stores ( the bigger “pony” beads may be easier for them to work with) they can make jewelry, ley rings, trivets and other tchotchkes with them.
Other ideas they may enjoy:
Silk or dried flower arrangement
knitting or crochet
you can start taking lots of pictures with a digital camera or them involved in other activities and start them with scrapbooking
making cards/notepads/etc with rubber stamps
gather up old magazines and various pictures and let them make collages or decoupage boxes
That’s all i can come up with for now
My grandpa loved latch hook and puzzles.