There are so many small craft projects, with assistance that the elderly, handicapped and disabled can do! My most important suggestion is not to involve them in a lengthy project, but one they can accomplish in a short time frame.
Here are a few ideas, but use your imagination as there are a lot of brilliant members on Thrifty Fun!
I guarantee these projects will be a hit and very rewarding, both ways! Their motor skills and abilities may be impaired but, with your help, the possibilities are limitless! Please add your own creative ideas to this! Thank you!
By Missy MM from OH
I like these ideas and I intend trying them with the special Needs group I help at. A couple of weeks ago we had a "pottery painting evening". I cast models using rubber moulds and plaster of paris. We had dogs, cats, owls, (soccer) footballers, (British) policemen, lions, rabbits and crinoline ladies.
This is a page about crafts for visually impaired nursing home patients. Visual impairment can affect the type of crafts a person can do enjoyably and successfully.
I need a January craft to make decorations for the inside doors at a nursing home.
By Kim
Since we get most of our snow in January I do a snowman theme. This year I did a board saying Let it snow with tiny punched snowflakes from glittery looking bags I got at the dollar tree and snowman figures.
Looking for craft ideas to engage retirement home residents. Here are a few suggestions to engage them in conversation whilst doing crafts.
I am starting my summer clinicals shortly with elders from a local retirement home. I will have a mix of men and women with varying degrees of ability. Anyone have any ideas for "therapy inspired" craft projects? I need something different. The elderly at the retirement home get to see groups like us every semester. I want to really engage them cognitively, socially, and physically (fine motor mostly). But here is the kicker - it MUST be fun! I don't want to bore them with "oh, this again".
By KisanOTA from Appleton, WI
You could have them make "fascinators". They are the pretty little "hats" that are so popular now. Check them out on line...a lot of the British royal family started wearing them and now a lot of people make them and wear them. They are just a piece of netting with hand made flowers or bows (or use your imagination) glued or sewn on to them.
For the ladies: glue or sew a small hair clip to the back, so they can wear it in their hair. For the men, glue or sew a safety pin on the back, so they can wear it as a "boutinere". (Sorry about the spelling!!) Then they can make fancy finger sandwiches and dainties and cold lemonade and have a garden party (which can be indoors or out). Have them make simple decorations: table centerpieces, paper flowers, etc. and play some soft background music.
This could be a "progressive craft" that would take a few sessions to put everything together, with the garden party as a fun goal to look forward to.
I am looking for some simple craft ideas for colorful Bedford bendable ribbon. I bought it at a garage sale so have no patterns or ideas.
I have 1/8, 1/4, 3/4, and 1 inch wide metallic bendable ribbon in red, white, pink, blue, and green. I want to use it for a craft project for my resident's in a nursing home. I need simple and easy ideas for a fun project. Can anyone help me?
By Karen K.
Hi. I bought a magazine from a garage sale with an idea using the bendable ribbon, but I'm having trouble finding the ribbon. One of the easy ideas is to take 18 inches of 1/4" red and 18 inches of 1/4" silver (or white) and wrap them diagonally around a pencil. Bend them into a candy cane shape, then use 9 inches of 1/4" green to make a bow and attach it.
Another idea is to make a wreath using a 24 inch piece of the 3/4" green ribbon. Wrap it around a pencil to make a spiral, then grab each end and turn one clockwise while turning the other counter-clockwise to make a larger spiral. Make a small cut 1/2way through each end, then interlock them to form a circle. Make a bow using the red ribbon and attach it to the wreath.
Both ideas look really easy and really cute to use as an ornament or just a decoration. Hope this helps and is easy to understand :)
I am trying to find online craft ideas, with directions, for elderly people in a nursing home. I have found a few things on creatingtogetherjournal.com, but it only gave me two sample ideas because it is a craft magazine. I volunteer and don't have the money to buy a craft book. If anyone has suggestions, as to where online to find ideas, please respond. Thanks.
By Cora
Can anyone help me with clay pot crafts or any other easy craft ideas for a nursing home residents' craft day.
By margieT from Australia
Read Archives, also here are a few websites.
www.ehow.com/
This website gives some craft ideas that have been made by the Girl Scouts. You might be able to find some fun crafts for the residents to do.
forums.gardenweb.com/
I volunteer at a local nursing home and do crafts with the residents a couple times a month.
Make hoops of color hung on fish line in groups by the craft room, in the windows like stained glass windows, or in the hallway to the day room.
I would like ideas (and pictures) of easy crafts using recycled items that nursing home residents would enjoy making.
By sandi from Brookville, IN
Hi There,
I run craft classes at my local nursing home. Last week we did a class on Van Gogh, talked about his life and his 12 sunflowers painting. I painted a yellow vase on butchers paper then with green sticky tape made the stems and they glued their painted sunflowers onto them.
Recently we did a Mary Poppins activity with coloured pencils and talked about the book.
In the past we've made bubble wrap bunting with cardboard, paint and bubble wrap.
