Senior Citizen Crafts

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.

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 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.