Connection, interaction and engagement improve well-being, and Hillcrest Healthcare’s activity department offers a daily list of hobbies and interests to engage residents and patients. Crafts are a great way to provide hands-on activities that enliven the spirit and the mind.
Our patients also are a crafty bunch! Susan Smith is the activity assistant at Beverly Park Place, and she has prepared fun opportunities for residents to create fall arrangements and Halloween decorations.
The supply list and instructions are provided below so you and your family can join in to make a keepsake to celebrate the changing seasons.
All three of our communities also welcome donations of craft supplies and new ideas for easy designs that our residents can enjoy. Please reach out at hillcresthc.com/contact/ if you’d like to share ideas or donate supplies.
Fall wreaths and arrangements
Supplies:
- Foam wreaths of any size
- Fall artificial flower assortment, small plastic pumpkins, scarecrows, turkeys, greenery
- 2- to 4-inch-wide fall ribbon
- Fall leaf vines
- Floral wire and cutter
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Directions:
- Wrap the wreath all around in ribbon and glue in place
- Wrap the fall leaf vine around and secure ends in place
- Trim flower stems and push ends into wreath to secure
- Cut greenery stems and fill in around flowers
- Place ornamental décor such as pumpkins in place and glue
- Make a bow with longer tails and glue into place
- Hang it up to show off your handiwork!
Halloween popsicle stick decorations
Supplies:
- Popsicle sticks
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
- Orange, green, yellow, white and black paint
- Paint brushes or sponge paint brushes
Directions:
- See pictures for paint ideas for all
- Jack-o-lantern
- Arrange 8 popsicle sticks aligned together vertically on top of a horizontal popsicle stick covered in hot glue to hold them all in place
- Paint the entire top in orange paint
- Using the black paint, decorate with happy or spooky Jack-o-lantern faces
- Frankenstein
- Arrange 7 popsicle sticks aligned together vertically on top of a horizontal popsicle stick covered in hot glue to hold them all in place – note that the horizontal stick will be visible, creating Frankenstein’s neck bolts
- Paint the 7 sticks green
- Using black paint, paint the horizontal stick, some hair on top of the green sticks and your best Frankenstein face
- Candy corn
- Using 3 sticks, make a triangle and glue together
- Using 2 sticks, glue each to the top of the triangle then to the bottom about one third of the way from the left and right
- Paint the top third of the triangle white, the middle part orange and the bottom yellow
Email us a photo of your fall crafts to [email protected]. Happy fall, y’all!