Finding easy crafts for the elderly to make is an activity that promotes stimulation in their muscles and creativity. Crafts designed for the elderly usually require the help of someone. Sometimes school children visit retirement homes and help elderly people complete crafts. Other times, a retirement home offers regular crafting classes for the residents. In either situation, strive to offer crafts that are simple yet dignified and age-appropriate.
Homemade Cards
Homemade cards are an easy and practical craft for the elderly to make. To make a homemade card, simply offer the elderly construction paper or card stock. After choosing a piece, offer precut shapes, stickers and colored glues. Have them decorate the cards for a relative of theirs. The card can be for any holiday, a birthday or anniversary. Offer printouts of different quotes that the residents can either cut out and glue inside the card or write out in the card.
Scrapbook Page or Picture to Frame
Offer an elderly person a piece of card stock in the size of a standard scrapbook page or a standard frame size, such as 8 inches by 10 inches. If making a scrapbook page, one idea is to visit an elderly person each month and make a new page each visit. Insert each new page in the person's scrapbook, so she can look at them whenever she wants to. Glue photos onto the page and add names or sentimental phrases. Hang framed pages in the person's room.