Making crepe paper flowers is an ideal project for nursing homes. No super skills are needed to create an attractive finished product—and most residents will remember making them as children. Crepe paper flowers have been out of style for some years, but now Martha Stewart has helped make them popular again.
Because there are so many types and sizes of flowers that can be made, and so many uses for the flowers once they’ve been made, residents can enjoy this craft time and time again.
Materials are easy to find and inexpensive. A “fold” of crepe paper can yield dozens of flowers. Crepe paper in streamers can be used for smaller flowers and their leaves. Crepe paper can be found in craft supply stores and over the Internet. It comes in a wide range of colors, and can also be colored in a variety of ways.
The flowers are bright and cheerful. Even if a resident smears some glue, it will dry clear and not affect the final beauty of the flower. Residents can use them to decorate their rooms, to adorn gifts, as corsages or hair adornments, as party decorations, as gifts.
Residents needn’t make a whole bouquet to have a nice gift. If memories don’t spur imagination, try gluing magnetic tape to one side of a clip clothespin and a crepe paper flower to the other. Voila! An attractive way to hang notes on the fridge!
Bob and Jane Morris
http://www.ourpaperflowers.com
