Crafting Activities for Seniors: Crochet, Knit, Sew, or Quilt for a Healthier Life – Guest Post by Helen Spencer

Crafting is a passion of mine – and it’s one I love to share with people of all ages! Today I’ve got a guest post by Helen Spencer, all about crafting activities for seniors – and how it can help them live a healthier life!

Disclaimer: The post was written by Helen Spencer, 2019, used with permission.

Crafting Activities for Seniors:
Crochet, Knit, Sew, or Quilt for a Healthier Life
Guest Post by Helen Spencer

In a way, the brain is a muscle, which means that you can improve its performance by making it work hard for prolonged periods of time, but you can also allow it to deteriorate over time if you don’t use it adequately. Obviously, the latter doesn’t sound very tempting so you definitely shouldn’t try it out.

Seniors usually have a lot of free time on their hands, so they can get bored relatively easy and then end up napping all day long. But just because you’re a senior, it doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun while exercising your brain and being creative or productive.

So, if that sounds interesting and you want to have a go at some of the activities that allow you to live a healthier and more dynamic life, take a moment to see what we have prepared for you
today. The following crafts will certainly benefit you, or your senior family members by making their daily routine a lot more amusing.

Crochet

If you enjoy decorating your home with lovely miniature creations like blankets and mats, and you want to improve your hand and finger dexterity, then crocheting might be the ideal hobby for you.

All you need in order to start practicing this activity is a ball of yarn and a special little hook, a tool crocheting got its name from, and you’ll be good to go. If you think it’s too complicated, it’s really not, especially the basics. Mastering them requires no more than an hour, and with just that, you’ll be able to create a wide variety of artworks. You can make a simple bracelet very quickly, and if you want to go with something a bit more challenging like decorative baby socks, you’ll have to dedicate a day or two to your project. Get a free crochet pattern here!

Knitting

When you think about crafts for seniors, knitting is probably the first thing that pops up in your mind before anything else. It could quite possibly be the best choice after all because it requires only knitting needles and yarn as far as tools go. With just that you can make practically anything you want, from sweaters to scarfs, blankets to hats, socks to gloves and so on and so forth.

When it comes to difficulty, it’s about identical to crocheting and the basics can be learned in an hour or so. With that much, you’ll be able to make scarfs or simple hats, which is more than enough for you to create some unique and thoughtful gifts for your loved ones.

If however, you wish to make something particularly beautiful and original, you will need to master a few more complex techniques, but also do a bit of math so that you can calculate how and when to implement a different technique.

Sewing

Sewing is unquestionably the craft of all crafts and that definitely isn’t an exaggeration. It lets you demonstrate your creativity and productivity, it saves you money by giving you products you would otherwise have to buy, and it can also earn you money if you decide to sew things for other people. According to Helen from HelloSewing, the benefits don’t end here actually, because sewing also helps you improve your motor skills, your patience, and it forces you to be more organized.

There are two main types of sewing, one done with a sewing machine and one done manually, with a needle and a thread. Sewing machines allow you to work on some more complex projects, while sewing by hand allows for better precision work on easier tasks.

Quilting

This hobby will help you produce something that could become your family treasure and last for a very long time. The best thing about quilting is the fact that it allows you to use fabrics that you’d throw out otherwise. Instead, you can recycle it and turn it into a completely new, beautiful artwork. 

If you wish to learn how to quilt, you can find yourself a quilting club where you’ll be able to acquire new skills and gain new friends, all at once.

These crafts for seniors will surely have you living a more interesting and healthier life, and according to researchers, prevent you from dementia. Whichever one you choose, you’ll make the right choice, because each one offers a lot of advantages to people practicing them. Just make sure to make it a part of your daily routine and you’ll become a master in no time. Have fun!

Helen is the editor of HelloSewing. When she is not researching and reviewing sewing machines and tools, she’s either sewing or making beautiful things out of scratch.

Thank you so much, Helen! Crafting activities for seniors is such an important topic, and so important for mental wellness for people of all ages! Happy Crafting all!

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