When most people think about easy DIY crafts for elderly to do in their free time, they imagine easy crafts like knitting or crocheting.
While these are great ideas, there are many other easy DIY crafts that can be done by the senior citizens. Engaging in creative activities hands-on can help improve their motor skills, social connections, stress management, anxiety relief, and reduce stress.
The best part is that they do not require too much effort or additional equipment. One can easily do them as a part of their IADLs and ADLs. In this blog post, we will discuss some easy DIY crafts that will help keep them busy and provide a fun way to not only pass the time but also connect with friends and family members.
Creating a Memory Board to Document Your Life
Creating a memory board that is filled with their own memories,or a loved one is an easy and enjoyable DIY project elders can do. Get a simple photo album or scrapbook, or you can also make one by yourself using cardboard, duct tape and paper.
Choose photos or things that tell a story of your life; for example, photos from the day they graduated high school or college or a postcard you got from your kids.
You can then put those in chronological order starting with when you are younger to now. This can be a nice walk down memory lane and a way to reminisce about the past. You can also make a family tree, if you have access to old photographs of ancestors or relatives.
Draw out the branches and fill it with photos; this is an engaging activity that will give older adults a sense of connection not only with their past but also with their descendants in generations to come!
Making Homemade Preserves
If you have a garden or nearby grocery store, you have access to fresh produce. All you need is a pot, some sugar and fruit or vegetables to make delicious homemade products such as fruit jams, vegetable pickles, chutneys, or preserves. This is an age-old tradition in many households and a lot of people love to do it.
It can help release stress and make you joyful by preparing something for you and your family. On top of that homemade jams and pickles can be a great gift item for your friends and neighbors.
It requires very limited resources and ingredients so you can easily make them in your free time. If you are not familiar with the recipes, you can ask your friends or family members who can help you or get a recipe book. There are also many tutorial videos that can be found on YouTube to get you started!
Make Greeting Cards for Loved ones
You can send your loved ones a hand-made card to let them know that you are thinking of them.
For any occasion such as Christmas, birthdays, graduation or Easter, you can make creative cards using paper, fabric, ribbons and other materials. Also, you can include song lyrics or quotes on the cards to make it even more special!
Make a Birdhouse or Bird Feeder
It can be deeply satisfying to construct things from wood. You just need the right tools and knowledge to do it. One of these easy DIY crafts is making a birdhouse or feeder.
When you make one, it will provide hours upon hours of entertainment when you watch the birds come in and out through their home, listen to their chirpings all day long!
This easy DIY crafts idea is perfect for anyone who loves birds. Just get some scrap of wood, buckets and spoons to make the birdhouse; or use twigs, pinecones and peanut butter cups to create an easy DIY feeder.
Paint Rocks and Pots
Painting rocks or pots can be a soothing DIY for elders. It helps them to de-stress, be creative and express their thoughts. This is super easy to do and does not require any special skills.
All you need are some rocks, acrylic paint, glitter glue and something else like sequins or confetti that will create some texture on the surface. Make sure you paint the rocks and wait for it to dry before glueing on other items like sequins or confetti.
You can also use a little color with your pots by adding acrylic paints in different colors to paint in stripes. Get some rocks and pots from the yard or kitchen and turn them into bugs, cats or whatever you want them to be!
Gardening
If you are into gardening, there are plenty of easy DIY projects you can do such as watering plants, weeding or hanging baskets on a railing in your home. If you have an outdoor space, it will be even better! Gardening is not only great for physical activity but can also increase interaction with neighbors and fellow plant lovers! This activity keeps your hands busy, which in turn keeps your mind occupied.
A similar idea to gardening for the elderly is flower arranging (or bouquet making). If you have friends or family members who live nearby, this can be a fun and social activity you can do together that doesn’t cost much money at all!
Writing and Painting
Writing and painting is a great DIY task for the elderly. It is a creative outlet, and it can be done on your own time. Putting thoughts into words or drawings is great for mental stimulation, especially for people living alone.
If you have a talent or interest in any form of writing or painting, it can be an additional activity to do which can make you feel creative and productive! If you are writing, you do not have to write anything complex. It can be a poetry, short story or just your own thoughts. Same goes for painting.
You can grab a piece of paper and draw a self-portrait or paint your surroundings. If you like acrylics, watercolors or oils, you can use them to paint anything from flowers to geometric designs!
Bottom-line, when it comes to DIY for seniors, there is no such thing as a project that’s too difficult. As long as the task is something they enjoy, it will be an activity they’ll look forward to each day. So which one of the ideas above is your favorite?
