As the leaves begin to change color and the chill of fall is in the air, we are spending more of our days indoors where it’s warm and toasty. If you are a caregiver caring for an elderly parent, you may want a few suggestions on how to spend your time inside with craft projects for adults. So put the kettle on and brew a cup of tea or cocoa to review these fun ideas you can enjoy with your elderly parent and invite the kids to join in too.
5 Fall Crafts for Seniors
1.Pumpkin Spice
Fall is an excellent time of year to get into the pumpkin spirit by making pumpkin crafts that can be displayed at Halloween and carry your décor through to Thanksgiving. With a few simple supplies, you can make these spinning paper pumpkin ornaments in a sweet design that you can keep hanging up through your Thanksgiving turkey dinner. Hang a cluster of these at different heights from the ceiling or over a dining room table for impact. Alternatively, this wine cork pumpkin can make a darling centerpiece, using what you currently have around the house.
2.Welcoming Wreath
A perfect fall item to display on the front door is a wreath to welcome your guests. A wreath can set the tone for the décor that is inside and easily be changed out to meet each new season. Heat up your glue gun, gather supplies from your local craft store or items like acorns and leaves from your backyard, and get creative! The muted color and texture using unbleached coffee filters to make a wreath sets the tone for the season in this unique design.
3.Bang for Your Buck
Crafts don’t need to be expensive to look expensive. You can make inexpensive craft projects from items that you can pick up at the dollar store. Here is a wonderful collection of fun projects that won’t break the bank!
4.Rock Painting
Join this fun craze that would be perfect to participate in during the fall season: painting rocks and hiding them! You can even join a rock painting Facebook page to see if your creations are found. Then take a walk through the leaves and hide them. Tip: After your rock is painted and dry, spray your rock outdoors with a clear acrylic UV resistant coating, to keep your paint from fading.
5.Holiday Gifts
If you are planning to make holiday presents by hand or decorations for the winter season, fall is a good time to start these projects to give you plenty of time to finish and wrap. So you are ready to deck the halls, here is a clever paper ornament design to cheer up plain, tired bulbs for your holiday décor.
Crafting Benefits
Crafting has many benefits for seniors. Working on small objects can improve hand-eye coordination, and detailed work can help with dexterity. Crafting can help with focus and wake up parts of the brain that haven’t been used since art class. Through crafting, you can learn a new skill, feel a sense of accomplishment, and it can even lift one’s mood. If you choose to join a local class or knitting circle, it can also be social and get your loved one out of the house to share their skills with others. Other than a little mess and clean up, there is no downside for your elderly loved one to tap into their creativity and express themselves through arts and crafts.
More Craft Ideas
If you are looking for more ideas on crafting that you can share at home, Pinterest is loaded with craft ideas for whatever might interest you. Or, try a crafting kit with all the necessary materials and simple directions to create an art piece without having to run back to the store for forgotten supplies.
At our Aegis Living communities, our Life Enrichment team creates a calendar filled with activities to keep our residents active and engaged. We provide creative spaces stocked with supplies to express their creativity and passions. Contact one of our communities to learn how our residents indulge their creative pursuits and hobbies for a rich, full life.
