Craft Ideas for Someone That Lives in a Nursing Home

RE: Craft Ideas for Someone That Lives in a Nursing Home Post By Debbie -Owen Sound, Ontario (Guest Post) (08/23/2008) Scrap booking seems to be the thing also. It is easy and can be done even if you have only the use of one hand. It helps keep their memories intact a little while longer and it is something that their kids can treasure and maybe help with as well by adding new pictures to the book as pages are added. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Craft Ideas for Someone That Lives in a Nursing Home Post By Charlotte (Guest Post) (08/21/2008) My mother was in a nursing home for a couple of years and she loved "craft-making" day. She decorated a small vine wreath for me that is still hanging on our house. She also made me stuffed pillows and strung beads. They give me great pleasure whenever I look at them or touch them. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Craft Ideas for Someone That Lives in a Nursing Home Post by louel53 (200) | (08/20/2008) Contact What about having them do some actual art activities? I am thinking of watercolor painting. If you do not know anything about watercolor, perhaps you could contact an art teacher or artist in the community to show you how to do some projects, or better yet, to volunteer to come into the home. I think this would be a very good activity. Those who are artistic can paint. Those who are less capable can do something abstract that may still turn out very nice. If you want to do something other than make paintings to hang on the wall, you could do small ones and turn them into greeting cards. I would use fairly good quality materials -- the paper is the most important thing. One of the homes that I know of had a professional artist in residence that facilitated art activities rather than crafty things. One thing that would be nice for people who do like crafty things is to paint on precut wooden ornaments. I do a lot of this stuff with my middle years students at school. They make particularly nice wooden Xmas ornaments. You can use acrylic paints, but even easier is colored markers. We used white out pens to put "snow" on the houses, and you could use actual glitter and glue, or glitter pens to put shiny things on these if you liked that effect. Depends what you are making. I prefer them without the glitter. Coloring with markers -- fine tipped if you are making small things -- is much easier than painting, and much less messy. Even someone who has only one hand could do this. One kid picked a duckling cutout and just colored it over and over to get a glowing yellow duckling. It was very effective. Another craft that is quite easy is to cover a bottle or a juice can (cardboard) with ripped up pieces of masking tape. Then this is polished with a medium brown shoe polish, and buffed to a shine. It makes a mock leather bottle or pencil holder if you are doing the can thing. They could make it for their grandchildren!!! Turn the tables on them!!! Even those with only one hand could do the tape and the buffing. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Craft Ideas for Someone That Lives in a Nursing Home Post by Deeli (102) | (08/20/2008) Contact Bless you for your work and for reminding people to get involved as a volunteer at nursing homes! A couple of decades ago I had a really large, mellow, declawed, twenty-four toed cat that I would take to the senior center a couple times a month and, man, did it ever feel good to see all those faces light up being able to see, pet and hold a pussy cat! When my time comes to be in a nursing home or retirement community I think it would simply be fun to be a kid again with things like crayons and a coloring books :-) And maybe at Christmas time to even string popcorn garland for the community tree :-) Even those who only have use of one hand can team with someone else and feel job well done :-) Report Spam or Abuse RE: Craft Ideas for Someone That Lives in a Nursing Home Post By (Guest Post) (08/20/2008) This isn't a craft idea but the residents of the nursing home enjoyed watching the staff play water balloon baseball. They even get involved. Need a nice day though Report Spam or Abuse RE: Craft Ideas for Someone That Lives in a Nursing Home Post By Debbie W. (Guest Post) (08/19/2008) I have been volunteering for over ten years with my children at the local nursing home. We call it Moms, Tots & Pops. My five children range in age from 14 to 4. I set up a date once a month and we have about 20 - 30 people who participate. They love the kids being there and sometimes other moms and kids join in. The following are examples of things we do throughout the year. I try to tie it in with the season. We make suncatchers sometimes out of tissue paper and contact paper, we have also used beads and string, We have made sand designs, painted eggs for Easter, made picture frames, bookmarks, painted small pumpkins, marble painting on card stock to make cards, streamer windsocks in red/white/blue, memory cards, potpouri sachets, yarn dolls, pine cone turkeys, paper airplanes along with making magnet fish to have a game day. We've done garden pot decorating, hand wreaths, turkey pins, turkey pine cones, and a candy pipe cleaner Christmas tree. I hope those suggestions help. If you don't know what I'm talking about, just Google it, it will probably come up with directions and pictures for you. Have fun and bring your kids/grandkids, neighborhood kids they make it that much more fun for the residents. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Craft Ideas for Someone That Lives in a Nursing Home Post By tholtz (Guest Post) (08/17/2008) This isn't really a craft, but many of the nursing homes in our area are purchasing Wii consoles for their residents. The games that come with the console are some of the favorites. Many of the residents love to bowl, but can't hold the ball anymore This gives them a chance to play, but is much easier on them - AND it gets them moving Report Spam or Abuse Request: Craft Ideas for Someone That Lives in a Nursing Home Post by Laurel_admin (468) | (08/15/2008) Contact I have a mother-in-law that is in a nursing home and they need some physical craft ideas for the elderly to do. They don't want to leave the building, as they feel its safe inside. So, please if I could get some ideas to give to the young director who doesn't know what to do it would be great. She didn't ask for my help, but I want it for my Mother. Thank you Marilyn from Belen, NM Answers: RE: Craft Ideas for Someone That Lives in a Nursing Home Card fronts from used cards (Christmas, birthday, anniversary, etc.) can be cut off and remade into new cards using craft paper, construction paper, card stock, etc. (06/16/2008) By Maryeileen RE: Craft Ideas for Someone That Lives in a Nursing Home Here are a few ideas for nursing home activities: Fleece lap blankets. Cut edged of two fleece pieces about 4" deep and 1! wide around edges. Tie together with overhand knot. Popsicle sticks from craft store: make square box with lid (bead for handle) or hexagonal baskets. Body scrubs: nylon net strips cut about 3" wide. Sew down center in a basting stitch with heavy duty thread and pull to form ball. Sing songs that require physical actions such as hokey pokey or did you ever see a lassie. The older people enjoy singing old songs. Can be done without music or use tape or CD if no pianist is available. Large beads make into a bracelet or necklace. Tossing beanbags or small soft balls into a basket and keeping track of points. Catch with a soft ball Kicking a large soft ball from one to another sitting in circle. Hope this helps. Harriet (06/18/2008) By Har'iet RE: Craft Ideas for Someone That Lives in a Nursing Home I go to the nursing home my mother manages quite frequently. We have a craft room where we have coffee and crafts. One craft they do is paint old light bulbs and seashells white. On the bulbs you can make a snowman face and hat and scarf. On the seashells you can paint a Santa Claus face on the middle to have a beard surrounding it. You could also sew patches of material to make pillows. We have one lady who isn't interested in crafts but likes to join in. We have a big ball of multi-colored yarn and un-roll it and let her roll it back together. It is easy to do and like therapy. (06/18/2008) By Lydia RE: Craft Ideas for Someone That Lives in a Nursing Home Here is one idea: Using a clean soup can, make sure there is no sharp edge on inside, coat the outside with Elmer's glue or whatever work best for you. Take yarn, start at either end and wrap around can till covered. Can be used for pencil, pen holder. Different size cans can be used for assorted things, use your imagination. (06/18/2008) By Linda Report Spam or Abuse Request: Craft Ideas For Someone That Lives In A Nursing Home Post by lewis_admin (1320) | (06/16/2008) Profile | Blog! | Contact There is a elderly lady we know who just moved from her cozy house here on the lake, to a nursing home. I love to do crafts and she loves getting gifts from me. Her place is small and she really misses her old house because she has lived there for over 30 years. Can anyone give me some ideas on what to make her? Thanks, Kristi Answers: RE: Craft Ideas For Someone That Lives In A Nursing Home Just a few ideas I have done in the past for folks: Quilted lap robes, quilt for their bed, velcroed fabric carriers that hang on their walkers or wheelchairs to put stuff in. A fabric deal that is weighted and goes over the arm of the chair to hold TV remote. Quilted picture frames. A dog bone shaped neck pillow Actually, I have taken my projects to show them what I have been working on and just visited them. If you have a pet or child take them along. Company is what they want the most to break up the day. If they are able have them do something to help you in your projects. I make bags for missions at church and I have them insert the drawstrings. Also, make baby blankets for missions and they love to tie them. I hope these suggestions are helpful to you. God bless. (12/27/2004) By Aline RE: Craft Ideas For Someone That Lives In A Nursing Home Would it be possible to make a terrarium look alike of the lake. Maybe using real and artificial plants. Maybe even use ground and small stones from her home. How about having her make a scrapbook? Or maybe makeup her own recipe cookbook to give out to her friends. (12/30/2004) By Mr. Thrifty RE: Craft Ideas For Someone That Lives In A Nursing Home Take a selection of cloth for her to choose from, making sure it's ok, then make her (or help her make for herself) switch plate covers - to give her room a more homey feeling than the institutionalized plain plasic ones. Such small things could be made personable to make a HUGE difference to what someone feels of where they have to be. Thats one of the first things I always did when I moved into a new place was switch plate covers. That's strange I guess, but it was a small and very affordable change I could make quickly. (12/30/2004) By melody_yesterday RE: Craft Ideas For Someone That Lives In A Nursing Home This isn't necessarily a craft idea but a worker at a nursing home suggested that the thing nursing home patients need most is socks, sweatsuits(you might decorate one) tissues (make a tissue holder) and handkerchiefs. (04/06/2005) By MamawKC RE: Craft Ideas For Someone That Lives In A Nursing Home I have found working in the activity's dept. in a nursing home that a variety of things are enjoyable, however the one craft they ask for regularly is book making. we take 3 sheets of construction paper, cut them down the middle with holes along one side to "bind"the book with yarn, and just cut their fav. pics. from a magizine. (12/30/2005) By RE: Craft Ideas For Someone That Lives In A Nursing Home How about taking some pictures of the lake area where she lived and putting them into a scrap book for her? Or creating a folder for her to put her cards, photos, other mail into? I am an Activities Director in a nursing home, and my residents love things that are personal, decorative, yet have a real purpose. (05/13/2007) By m.r.c. RE: Craft Ideas For Someone That Lives In A Nursing Home I know it's been a long time since you posted, but I just found this site. How about taking pictures of her former home, and then printing them out on computer fabric. You could make a lap quilt using the fabric picture squares and additional fabrics, then maybe line it with a fleece type fabric for the coziness factor. Also, you could make a plain lapquilt and embroider a cross or scripture on it. (11/27/2007) By Marlene RE: Craft Ideas For Someone That Lives In A Nursing Home Crepe paper flowers are a great activity for nursing homes. Patterns range from the simple to the complex. Materials are inexpensive and not hard to find. The flowers are pretty when finished. And they bring back great memories. (05/13/2008) By Nicki Report Spam or Abuse