Senior Citizen Crafts

As the caregiver to my 94 year old Mom, Gertie, I'm aware of the need to keep her mind active and, one way to do just that, is by offering some great senior citizen craft ideas. Now, granted, my Mom's arthritic hands keep us from doing a whole lot of senior citizen crafts but she does like watching me do certain crafts. Her favorite senior citizen craft, if you can stretch it to call it that, is licking the bowls after I make some sort of tasty dessert treat or, even better, when she gets to eat a whole dessert shooter I've concocted. She's her daughter's little helper...until I have to clean her up...

Anyway, I digressed...

This Squidoo article is dedicated to all of those among us who are helping care for the elderly. Unless you walk in these shoes, you have no idea how rewarding and, upon occasion, heartbreaking caring for the elderly may be.

Update 3/30/12: Mom died peacefully Feb 15, 2012 surrounded by friends and loved ones. She is missed very much but, in true Gertie fashion, the show must go on so that's what I'm struggling to do.

Making collages is a wonderful way to spend some quality time with a favorite senior citizen. Even with arthritic fingers and reduced dexterity, a senior can still direct you where to lay out pictures or other trinkets to be included in the collage. And, what a fabulous gift for family members to receive a picture collage that grannie or grandpa put together - it will be cherished for generations to come.

When creating collages, think outside the box. You might want to include scraps of fabric which have some meaning, such as pieces of old quilts or blankets, or favorite shirts that are no longer worn. Include pictures of family members, pets, homes, etc. Search old photo albums and scan the photos so that you don't destroy the originals.

The collage in this module is of my family and favorite friends. I love looking at it and seeing something new every time.

For a very good Squidoo lens about making collages, check out my friend Peggy's (ScarletOhairy) lens Making collages.

The below books will get your started on your career of teaching a senior citizen to make collages.

You might laugh at this but I love making potholders! And, they're useful for many uses such as putting under a potted plant to sop up water or under a dog's water bowl for the same purpose. They're also fun to give away and see the reaction of those who are the "glad" (?) recipients...

My Bubbie (Jewish name for grandmother) made the menorrah in this module when she was in her 80s. I can't even express how important this mosaic is to me - it's a true connection between us.

At that time when Bubbie was crafting this menorah mosaic, she still had enough dexterity in her hands to use a small hammer to make the mosaic pieces small enough to be laid out properly. But, if your senior citizen friend can't do the entire mosaic process alone, that's an even better reason to sit down for a few hours and spend some quality time with them.

Mosaics can be anything you want, get creative!

If you're like me and only did a mosaic in 5th grade (or was it 3rd?....), you might need some help learning how to do this senior citizen craft idea. The below book appear to be decent resources.

If your senior citizen friend is not plagued by arthritis, some of the molding clays on the market could be very fun senior citizen craft ideas. I use Sculpee but there are other brands on the market. Regardless of the sculpting clay brand you purchase, all of them come in a bevy of colors and all of them require a baking process (in the oven) to cure and harden.

I used to mold sculpee around wine classes for a very cool design on the stem - note, molding clays cannot be put in the dishwasher so think about that when you decide what projects to take on. Just like making collages, think outside the box and make some fun projects with molding clay. Votive candles, picture frames, and mason jars are just a few things that you could use as a vehicle for sculpting clay. Consider helping your senior citizen friend make some beads for a necklace for one of their grandchildren or a small figuring which will be treasured for years to come.

When I started working with Sculpey, I was totally amazed at the things one can do with the stuff. Mom loved to see what I'd come up with and added a lot of guidance about how to improve my designs.

The below books all have marvelous ideas that can easily be tailored to a senior citizen craft. Have fun.

Although I used to love doing jigsaw puzzles with Mom, her (and my) failing eyesight means that it's a bit more difficult these days to sit around a puzzle and find the correct pieces. When we did jigsaw puzzles though, it was a great time to just sit and chat as we worked the puzzle.

If your senior citizen still has good eyesight, a jigsaw puzzle might be the missing piece (pun intended) in finding crafts to do together. I particularly recommend doing a jigsaw puzzle with a retro picture. It might trigger memories you never would have heard.

I'd love any comments or suggestions you may have on this lens about senior citizen craft ideas. Please leave me comments.