‘Tis the Season: 12 Easy Holiday Crafts for Seniors
The short days and cold outdoor temperatures give us a few extra indoor hours, making winter an ideal time for crafting. Arts and crafts sessions can also be social events that help you stay engaged, active, and mentally alert.
With some simple supplies and patience, you can make unique festive decorations and holiday gifts. Our list of 12 ideas is a great place to get started.
- 1. Custom greeting cards
Many people have a tradition of sending cards during the holidays. These mailings are an opportunity to reconnect with friends and loved ones. A handmade holiday card will be a surprise in this age of email. You can add a personal touch to any card with glue, construction paper, and other art supplies.
- 2. Cookie cutter ornaments
Inexpensive holiday cookie cutters are available in stores starting in the fall. Some people like to use a salt dough recipe and bake long-lasting, paintable ornaments. You can also decorate the cookie cutters using a hot glue gun and other craft supplies. All you need to hang them on a tree is a piece of ribbon.
- 3. Picture ornaments
Digital pictures make it easy to print off snapshots for holiday projects. Construction paper and a glue stick make it easy to make creative collages. You can celebrate special events with friends over the past year or acknowledge special memories with loved ones. If you laminate your project, leave extra space to punch a hole for string to hang the ornament on a tree.
- 4. Recipe jars
You can make a practical and attractive gift by layering the different ingredients to soups or baking recipes in a mason jar. Be sure to attach the complete recipe to the lid so that the recipient can enjoy the fruits of your labor.
- 5. Holiday coloring pages
A quiet time of coloring is a fine way to spend a winter night. Invite your friends to an event with refreshments, coloring sheets, and colored pencils. Then, display your creations on a community bulletin board.
- 6. Personalized wreaths
A custom decoration on your door makes a statement about the occupant. You can make or purchase a simple wreath and enhance it by gluing or tying symbols of your favorite hobbies, sports teams, or other passions.
- 7. Community giving tree
Mixing crafts with charitable giving is a winning combination. Get permission to place a small tree in a public space along with a donation jar. Next to the tree, place a container with your handcrafted ornaments. For each donation to your favorite cause, invite your neighbors to place an ornament on the tree. This project is a way to boost holiday cheer and celebrate gratitude and generosity as a community.
- 8. Decorated pine cones
Collect some pinecones on a morning walk for a fun afternoon of creativity. Some green paint and tiny beads will turn them into miniature Christmas trees. Felt hats and googly eyes become a gathering of elves to observe your festivities.
- 9. Clothespin holiday scenes
With some paint and fabric scraps, you can turn wooden clothespins into your favorite holiday scene. Recreate the moment when Ebenezer Scrooge wakes up on Christmas morning, or make a choir of clothespin carol singers to entertain your guests. Clothespin figures can also double as tree and wreath ornaments.
- 10. Personalized stockings
Store-bought stockings are easy to personalize with glitter glue and other decorations. You can add the names of friends and loved ones and deliver gifts in these creative packages.
- 11. Homemade garland
Making garland from popcorn and cranberries was an annual tradition in many families. It was always challenging to assemble this project with a needle and thread without pricking your finger. For an easier variation that is great for both seniors and children, you can use yarn and tube pasta to make this decoration. Stringing festive beads between noodles adds some exciting color.
- 12. Printed gift bags
A few stamps and an inkpad will turn plain gift bags into unique creations. Pads are available in a variety of colors, allowing you to stick to traditional holiday palettes or branch out in new, exciting directions.
Festive decorations are always welcome during the holiday season. Whether you want to make your home merry and bright or offer a little holiday cheer to a neighbor, a simple handmade craft is a fun way to celebrate the season.
Welcomed, accepted, inspired—you’ll feel right at home, right away, in our warm and friendly Life Plan Community in Whiting, NJ.
