10 Easy Crafts for Seniors with Dementia: Inexpensive DIY Ideas

Get inexpensive DIY ideas for easy crafts for seniors with dementia

Seniors with dementia need engagement and fun

Even if someone has Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia, they still need to feel engaged in life and have fun.

Activities that have no right or wrong way to do them are ideal because they’re always fun, satisfying, and a boost to self-esteem. 

Engaging activities can also be an alternative to medication because they can reduce agitation, distract from challenging behavior, and increase quality of life for seniors with dementia.

And with a little creativity, you can turn simple household objects into easy crafts for seniors with dementia.

Here, we share 10 fun DIY (do it yourself) craft and activity ideas.

 
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Keep safety in mind

It’s important to create activities that won’t cause injury to your older adult or anyone else. 

You know them best and should choose what will work best and be safest for them.

For example, some people tend to put things in their mouth and try to eat them. If that’s the case, avoid objects that could damage teeth or be a choking hazard.

Another example is that some people may like to tie strings around fingers (or necks!) and cut off circulation.

 

10 easy crafts for seniors with dementia that you can make at home

 

10 Easy Crafts for Seniors with Dementia - Painting

1. Clip colorful clothespins

Get brightly colored full size or mini clothespins and let your older adult attach them to something like a wire basket or rack. You could also buy wooden clothespins and have fun painting them in bright colors!

10 easy crafting ideas for seniors with dementia - Arranging Flowers

 

2. Arrange flowers

Arranging flowers is an excellent activity for older adults who enjoy flowers or gardening. You could buy some individual cuttings from a floral shop or buy a flower arrangement and rearrange it!

Get yourself some inexpensive cuttings or even artificial flowers, a plastic vase, and florist foam (optional). Your older adult can have fun creating their own arrangements.

Crafts for seniors with dementia - Playing with PVC pipe fittings

 

3. Attach pipes and fittings

Many older adults used to enjoy being handy around the house. Remind them of those pleasant memories with an activity where they can assemble and take apart pipes.

Get varying lengths of inexpensive PVC pipe and some fittings like these elbows or these T-joints (the hardware store can usually cut the pipe for you).

Arts and Crafts for seniors with dementia - Playing with nuts and bolts

 

4. Sort inexpensive hardware parts or coins

Another way to enjoy handy activities is to have your older adult sort out inexpensive hardware parts like nutswashers, or bolts.

Some older adults might also enjoy sorting a big pile of coins as a reminder of when they used to manage household finances.

If safety is an issue, you might consider these large plastic nuts and bolts instead.

Arts and Crafts for Seniors with Dementia - Playdough

 

5. Play with play dough

Making shapes and kneading play dough or modeling clay is a fun and relaxing activity for all ages. 

Get some fun cookie cutters and play dough and watch your older adult have a ball.

You can also try this homemade play dough recipe. To make it even more relaxing, add a few drops of calming lavender essential oil.

Important: The homemade play dough recipe is non-toxic, but still shouldn’t be considered edible. Flour that’s not cooked thoroughly can contain bacteria that can make older adults very sick. 

Arts and Crafts for Seniors with Dementia - Making Bean Shakers

 

6. Keep the beat with a homemaker shaker

Take a clean plastic container or bottle with a tight-fitting top and put some dry beans or pasta inside. This makes a fun music shaker for almost no cost.

Play their favorite music and encourage them to shake along with the beat.

 

activities for seniors with Alzheimer's

7. Match and sort picture cards

Print two copies of various photos or images that your older adult likes. It could be photos of favorite animals, beautiful flowers, or family members.

Cut them into equal-sized cards and laminate them using clear packing tape or contact paper.

The cards can be used for a simple sorting game, a matching game, or just lovely images to flip through and admire.

 

activities for seniors with Alzheimer's

8. Make a scrapbook

Get an inexpensive notebook, some old magazines or catalogs, a glue stick, and safety scissors.

Your older adult can flip through the magazines, tear or cut out things they like, and stick them into their scrapbook.

 

activities for seniors with Alzheimer's

9. Stack up plastic cups

Get some inexpensive plastic party cups in bright colors. Ask your older adult to help you clean up by sorting or stacking the cups.

 

activities for seniors with Alzheimer's

10. Create a spelling tray

Sticking colorful magnetic letters on a clean metal tray is a fun way to spell familiar words or just play with the shapes and colors. Use a simple baking sheet (with raised sides) as the tray

 

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By DailyCaring Editorial Team

 

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About the Author

Connie Chow, Founder at DailyCaring.com
Connie Chow

Connie was a hands-on caregiver for her grandmother for 20 years. (Grandma made it to 101 years old!) She knows how challenging, overwhelming, and all-consuming caring for an older adult can be. She also knows how important support is — especially in the form of practical solutions, valuable resources, and self-care tips.

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Evelyn Sisk
2 years ago

Mrs. Bennett
I work at an Alzheimer Dementia day care facility and one of the activities we do is something I call “Name that Jargon”
This game stimulates memory and it also challenge the clients.

How to play:
You may UAE your computer or cell phones to search for jargon of the past. For example; jargon of the 20’s or 30’s etc..
Say the phrase and let the others guess what the word might have meant in that era.
Make sure you express the phrase in the way it would have been expressed when used in a phrase during that particular era.
This activity has brought lots of participation and laughs for everyone.
I hope this will help in your efforts to offer more activities .

Jim
3 years ago

I work with a 90 year old client with short-term memory issues. I have used ‘Paint by Sticker’ art books for quite some time and find and she has enjoyed creating with them for more than a year now. I have found them at Barnes and Nobles and on Amazon.com. Check it out.

Cathy Bennett
3 years ago

My husband and I have moved to a lodge for “Seniors with issues” like alzheimers & dementia. But they don’t have programs to use the mind – walk, visit, but not create.
DON AND I HAVE ALZEIMERS & DEMENTIA but entertain ourselves.
The Lodge says “no programs in the summer” = Aug – Sept – and ? oct.
This does not help us and will leave many frustrated and getting worse because of NO interactions.
I NEED HELP AND INEXPENSIVE IDEAS WE CAN DO TO HELP US ALL AND TO KEEP US BUSY AND NOT STAGNEMT WATCHING TV. WE CAN’T GO ON WALKS BECAUSE THE STAFF SUPPORT WILL BE MINIMAL AND IT IS VERY HOT IN THE SUMMER – BUT WE CAN MAKE SOMETHING TO SLIDE UNDER DOORS = HMMM THAT’S A GOOD IDEA!
DOES IT HELP TO TEAM UP OR HAVE THEM WORK ALONE – I THINK TEAM UP OF 2-4 WOULD BE BETTER AND GIVE SUPPORT AND CONTINUAL ACTIVITY AND BETTER FRIENDSHIPS…. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME GUIDANCE!!!!!!!!!!!
THANK YOU, CATHY BENNETT
WE LIVE IN [redacted for privacy] CANADA — NO BUS OR SUCH AND NOT A LOT OF MONEY. [redacted for privacy]
THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ME.
I CA’NT SEE ANYTHING POSITIVE BY DISCONTINUING PROGRAMS FOR THE AUG, SEPT AND POSSIBLE OCT MONTHS.

PLEASE HELP ME!!!!

Sharon Moody Juarez
3 years ago
Reply to  Cathy Bennett

I hope you are not paying much. They need to hire a creative director. That person would not have to be on site all the time. Just come on site occasionally with project materials and ideas. Make calendars, photo albums etc. Anything to take home and display.

Sajeda
4 years ago

I tried making my mum doing execrises but she refuses wat else can I do

Rob Wheelock
7 years ago

Thank you so much!
My grandmother has Alzheimer’s disease and lives with her son who is her full time caregiver. I shared this article with him and he said that fitting pipes was a big success!
As we all know, providing care to an Alzheimer’s patient can be taxing to say the least. Any activity that can keep them occupied for any length of time can be a lifesaver for the caregiver.