Groups of all ages and sizes spend their time and efforts creating crafts for nursing homes every year. This is a great way to brighten the day of the elderly who live in the nursing homes who may not receive little crafts very often. There are crafts that are quite simple for people of all ages, allowing everyone to brighten the day of the elderly.
Before You Create
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Creating crafts for nursing homes is very fulfilling for people of all ages. Before you begin to create your crafts projects to distribute you should check with the nursing home you plan to donate to. They may have specific guidelines to ensure the safety of their residents. Knowing ahead of time what you can and cannot create will help guide your creations so residents receive items they will really love.
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Simple Ideas for Kids
Brightening the small places in a nursing home often makes a big impact. Children of all ages can create placemats that can be used in private rooms or in a dining hall. All you need to create a fun and easy placemat is construction paper, markers or paints, and clear contact paper. Simply allow the children to create a work of art on the paper and allow the paint or markers to dry. Then place a clear sheet of contact paper over each side of the paper. Trim any excess off the edges and the placemat is complete.
Children can also help create small sachets of potpourri for the residents of a nursing home. All that is needed is potpourri, which can be purchased at your local hobby store, in addition to sheer mesh fabric squares, and ribbon. Simply pre-cut six inch by six inch squares of the mesh material and fill with ½ to 1 cup of potpourri, gather material, and tie with ribbon. The result is a sachet that can be placed in a dresser or nightstand drawer.
Ideas for Adults
Seniors in nursing homes often like to receive items that are living. A lovely idea is to decorate small terra cotta pots, usually found in your hobby shop, with beads or paints and then fill them with fragrant herbs. Herbs can usually be found at your local nursery in various sizes to fit the pots that you have decorated. All you need to complete the project is some potting soil.
The holidays are a time when many seniors need a little more tender loving care. If you would like to do a craft project during the holiday season a great way to go is little decorated Christmas trees. Most nurseries sell small potted trees that look like miniature trees and you can buy them in bulk. Decorate these trees with ribbons, strings of popcorn and cranberries, and even little miniature ornaments that you can buy and paint. These little trees will bring just a bit of holiday cheer to nursing home residents.