Crafting Projects for Seniors

Crafting projects for seniors can provide mental stimulation, encourage feelings of accomplishment, and make for an enjoyable way to pass the time and reduce depression. The act of working with your hands can improve focus and finger dexterity.

Take a look at some of the crafting projects for seniors listed below. These projects are adaptable depending on ability and can easily be personalized.

Bird feeders can be an excellent project for seniors who enjoy nature and bird watching. It’s also an excellent project to make with the grandkids because seniors can impart their wisdom of the outdoors to their grandkids. Build a bird feeder from simple scraps of wood or buy a ready-made bird feeder to paint. Alternatives to a wooden bird feeder could be made from recycled milk cartons, soda bottles, egg cartons, or foraged pine cones.

Mandala making is a great project for seniors who prefer solitude. In fact, adult coloring books are relaxing, effective forms of art therapy that help increase focus and concentration. Switch up coloring tools between crayons, markers, chalks, and paint, as well as coloring surfaces to maximize the therapeutic effect of mandala coloring.

Flower arranging is a wonderful project for elders who loved to garden and nurture plants. Simply choose a few blooms, and create a grid of tape over the top of a wide mouth vase. Cut the stems at a diagonal slant and insert one or two flowers into the opening of each grid. As you get better, learn about how blooms complement each other, how to create color themes, and how to add accents.

Scrapbooking and collage making are other projects that seniors can enjoy with their grandkids or with students at intergenerational care facilities. Use recycled magazines, scraps of colorful paper, photos, and more. Create and celebrate your favorite memories together for a scrapbook, or create collages from fun themes that focus on color, feelings, activities, or memories.

Arts and crafts projects for seniors can be relaxing and stimulating. Choosing the right projects can be engaging for solitary seniors and can help socialize and bridge connections between seniors and their families.

For more ideas on stimulating activities as well as interesting information on short-term care and rehabilitation for seniors, visit Waukesha Springs.

The Best Houseplants for Seniors

Bring your love of nature and beautiful greenery indoors! Indoor plants can improve mental health and lower blood pressure, stress levels, and anxiety. Plants can brighten up a room and act as natural air purifiers that rid an area of toxins. The plants below are excellent options for seniors that are experienced gardeners as well as those who want low maintenance plants:

African Violet

A plant that blooms all year round, the African violet comes in a variety of colors and sizes. This plant is best suited for bright, but indirect sunlight and moderate temperatures. Avoid watering directly on the plant’s leaves to prevent foliage damage and watch the moisture levels of the soil.

Aloe Vera

An easy to maintain succulent, aloe vera is an ideal indoor plant. It’s also a handy plant to have around because it can provide healing properties to soothe skin cuts and burns and it can clear the air of pollutants and toxins. While it doesn’t need much water, make sure to place it in an area with plenty of sunlight.

Amazon Elephant Ear

A tropical plant with massive leaves shaped like elephants ears, this plant loves indirect sunlight. The Amazon Elephant Ear requires a warm and humid environment. To mimic the humidity of a jungle, mist the leaves with water regularly.

Bromeliads

Belonging to the same family as the pineapple, bromeliads last a long time, and they have the ability to produce side shoots that replace the original plant. With zebra-striped leaves, bromeliads enjoy temps around 70 degrees, making it perfect for the indoors. Just be sure to have good drainage with this plant so the roots don’t suffer.  

Peace Lily

A unique and beautiful plant with dark green leaves and curving white blooms, the peace lily enjoys warm temperatures (although not direct sunlight). Preferring low humidity and low light, this plant would thrive in rooms with fewer or smaller
windows.

English Ivy

Named by NASA as the best air-filtering houseplant, the elegant English Ivy is incredibly easy to grow and maintain. Keep it in a pot on the floor or hang it from the ceiling. This plant is best suited for medium sunlight and moderate temperatures.


Caring for an indoor plant has the power of improving your mental and physical health, and it’s excellent for decorating, lighting up the atmosphere and detoxifying the air. Didn’t see your favorite on the list? Comment below with your favorite houseplants!