Craft ideas for all ages and abilities.
Get creative with paper, fabric, beads, paint, and lots more.
For caregivers: engage your loved one's creative side through simple craft activities.
Dementia-friendly crafts with suggestions on how to modify the activities for different ability levels and ideas on how to assist people with Alzheimer's and other dementias.
- Doing crafts can help improve memory, attention, and problem-solving skills.
- Crafts let people show their feelings and thoughts through their artwork, even if they find it hard to talk about them.
- Making crafts can help improve fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
- Focusing on a craft activity can help lessen feelings of stress and sadness.
- Doing crafts one-on-one or in a group is a social activity.
- Finishing a craft project can make a person with dementia feel proud and happy, making them feel better overall.
Remember, the main point of these activities is not the end product but the fun and relaxation a person gets from doing them.
It's not about making something perfect but about enjoying the process.
- Hanukkah Candle Craft
- Quilting with Painting Project
- Butterfly Magnet Craft
- Spring, Creative Writing for Older Adults
- Flower Picture Craft
- Tea Bag Staining, Card Making Craft
- Fish Picture Craft
- Apple Greeting Card
- Stick Figures, Creative Drawing
- Abstract Painting Project
- Wrapping Paper Card
- Layered Greeting Card
- Celebration Card
- Floral Line Arrangement
- Message Tree Craft
- Crinkled Paper Picture
- Hanging Baubles (with sequin and buttons)
- Paper and Button Flowers
- A Beautiful Picture
- Window Greeting Card
- Decorating Clay Projects
- Painting in Four Parts
- Floral Table Arrangement
- Crocheted Flower
- Wire Leaf Picture
- Abstract Autumn Leaf
- Greeting Cards with Pressed Leaves
- Paper Strip Flowers
- Painted Landscape Picture
- Apple Bird Feeder
- Paper Snowflakes
- Snowflake Picture
- Beaded Wire Tree
- Balloon Birthday Card
- Zen Garden
- Vegetable Printing
- Ribbon and Wrapping Paper Greeting Card
- Decorated Clay Pot
- Lavender Sachets
- Clay Pinch Pot
- Pine Cone Bird Feeder
- Mexican Paper Flowers
- Templates
- Greeting Card from Ready-made Materials
- Paper Daffodils for Spring
- Music Shaker
- Vegetable Print Project
- Round Floral Arrangement
- Mini Pom-poms
- Button Tree Greeting Card
- Make Your Own Bean Bags
- Clay Modelling
- Tea Bag Folding Greeting Card
- Decorated Mount Mat
- Learn to Crochet with Sheila
- Bead Ornament
- Collage, Flowers in Vase
- Woolly Vase
- Leaf Prints
- Button Craft, Cardinal Bird
For mind exercises for dementia, check out our quizzes section. Most of our quizzes have multiple-choice answers or checkbox options to help trigger memories. As a caregiver, you know the person(s) you are with best and can choose whether to use all the answer options or use a couple or none at all.
In our word games section, there are lots of dementia-friendly word game options. For example, easy-level crosswords, proverbs, and split word games. All are free and printable.
Quizzes and word games help keep the vocabulary up and give the brain regular exercise. It's crucial to remember that every individual with dementia is different. What proves effective for one may not necessarily work for another. It's essential to identify activities that the person finds enjoyable and can actively engage in.
We hope you enjoyed our craft ideas and will try some of them out.
