Best Crafts for Seniors

If you’re looking to improve the life of a senior under your care, crafts provide a window of opportunity. Whether you have a pre-existing relationship or trying to build a new one, working on crafts together will create a bond that lasts. In addition to fostering a friendship, crafting will help the senior ward off depression and keep their minds alert. According to senior care at Sarasota Home Care Florida each senior has different crafting needs, as some have physical conditions that prevent them from doing certain crafts or the senior may already have some hobbies they would like to focus on.

Polymer Clay

Polymer clay crafts are great for seniors because working with the clay provides them with finger and hand exercise, as well as give them a product they can use. Seniors can use the clay to make a variety of different objects. The crafter can make a clay flower vase or holiday ornaments for their tree. If the senior has limited hand mobility, there are molds you could help them fill.

Bird Feeders

For animal lovers, building a bird feeder can often lift sunken spirits. Take the senior out of the house, if mobility allows, to pick out a pinecone. Once he or she picks out a pinecone, help with the application of the peanut butter and rolling it in the bird seed. If the senior has the motor ability to create one on his or her own, build one yourself alongside your companion. Hang them together on a nearby tree branch and watch the birds flock.

Wall Art

Painting may bring the senior back to their youth, creating nostalgia. Attaining a nice canvas will show the senior that whatever they create deserves to be showcased, increasing self-esteem. There are plenty of different tutorials on the Internet for painting quality artwork, however I especially enjoy foil painting. With a crumbled piece of aluminum foil, a canvas, paint, and a tray, you and your senior could create a beautiful tree. Squeeze the paint onto the tray and allow the senior to dip the aluminum foil into the paint. Use the foil to form a circular pattern toward the top of the canvas; these markings will be the foliage. Next, help the senior finger paint in the trunk and branches. Hang it on the wall for him or her to view with leisure.

With just a few crafts, you can make a difference in a senior’s life. Bringing light to a senior’s eyes is sometimes as simple as helping them make something they enjoy and can use.