Finding crafts for adults with disabilities or certain diseases requires a bit of thought. You have to be conscious of limited dexterity or range of motion; you have to be aware of difficulty remembering directions.
These factors may limit the crafts that are possible for these adults, but they do not make doing crafts impossible. Art projects are an affordable and fun way to spend time, and no one should be left out because of a disability.
This article contains my top three favorite crafts for adults with disabilities as well as resources to find more craft ideas!
Craft #1: Pressed Flower Art
Pressing flowers and turning them into art is a really simple craft that produces gorgeous results. In its simplest form, you use supplies that are probably already in your house; though you can buy a couple things, which make the results a bit prettier.
Start by pressing and drying flowers, flower petals, and leaves. You can press flowers naturally by putting them under a stack of books or you can use a microwave flower press.
Once your flowers are dry, use a clear-drying liquid glue like Mod Podge to glue the flowers to the paper. It might be helpful to have a small sponge brush to do this with though you could also use your fingers.
You can use any sort of paper, but watercolor paper is especially pretty.
One of the best things about this craft is how versatile it is. You can use the technique to create everything from wall art to mason jar candle holders! The dried flowers are so pretty and are lovely in all sorts of home decor.
This craft is something almost anyone can do, even with limited finger dexterity. It is also super simple to understand with just two steps (dry flowers and glue them!).
Craft #2: Mason Jar Storage
These mason jars are perfect for bathroom or bedside storage, and they can be customized to fit the decor scheme of your home.
This craft requires a couple simple supplies: glass jars with their lids (save old jam jars or go thrift shopping!), two or three colors of chalk paint, craft glue, knobs for the handles (try using old cabinet knobs), and sandpaper.
Paint the jars with one coat of a darker color paint and, once the first coat has dried, one coat of a lighter color paint. Paint the lids a third color or one of the first colors if you prefer. If your lids have two pieces, glue them together to make removing the lids easier. Glue the knobs to the top of the lids.
Once the jars have fully dried, sand them lightly to reveal some of the darker color paint underneath the lighter color.
Because the jars are meant to have a distressed look, a perfect painting technique isn’t necessary. That makes this craft especially nice for those with more limited hand movement. However, there are quite a couple steps to this craft, which makes it a little harder than the other two crafts on this list.
Craft #3: Watercolor Napkins
These watercolor napkins are easy and fun to make and functional! They are perfect to pull out during spring or summer, though depending on the colors you pick, you could use them anytime of year.
To make these napkins, all you need are cloth napkins and fabric paint as well as some paint brushes and cups for mixing the paint.
Start by soaking the napkins in water and ringing them out until just damp. Then mix each color of paint with a little bit of water, just to thin the paint out slightly.
Lay each napkin flat and paint on your desired design! The watercolors work best with simple designs, not complex ones with lots of detail.
Lay the napkins out to dry, and wash, dry, and iron before using.
This craft is incredibly easy and can be modified to be even easier. If you can’t hold a paintbrush, you can skip soaking the napkins and just pour the thinned paint over the napkins to create the watercolor effect.
Other Craft Options
If these crafts don’t strike your fancy, there are tons of other options to choose from! Check out this list of at home crafts for adults for some inspiration. Or consider getting a craft subscription box for adults.
Whether you’re crafting with what you’ve got at home or investing in a craft kit, the options for crafts for adults with disabilities are almost endless. Get creative with what you have; just keep in mind the abilities of the person the craft is for!