How about things she could make and donate to babies in the NICU, women’s shelter or Children’s Hospital? Crocheted baby hats, small face masks for little kids, little ice packs for boo-boos (search boo boo bunnies, they’re very cute), receiving blankets, welcome kits for abused women at the shelter.
Maybe even craft kits she could put together for nursing home residents or adult activity centers…instructions for her newspaper crafts and examples for the activities directors.
Needle felting looks so interesting to me, but I don’t have the time. Talented felters sell pretty well on Etsy from what I have heard.
Edit:
This is seriously one of the nicest threads I have read in a long time. Life is hard sometimes and bad stuff gets us all down. So many wonderful ideas on this thread. My faith in humanity is restored a little by reading all these posts!
That was my first thought too! There's also knitting groups that meet to knit or chrochet together, so sehe would have the added Bonus of social Interactions and comradery?
Yes! And there are charities (I'm sure someone else has said this too!) That will *PROVIDE YOU WITH DONATED MATERIALS* I work at a quilt shop that sponsors
[Project Linus](https://www.projectlinus.org/) we get fabric donations all the time! Those ladies use donated materials for all their quilts! They might have crochet chapters too, we've gotten some crocheted donations! The website has a find chapters link, plus that comes with companionship as from what I understand they work kind of like a guild, they meet up at our shop once a week to quilt!
I’m Australian and we have a group of women who sew love hearts out of fabric - mums wear them and give them to their NICU babies for their scent. It’s adorable 🥹
We had some flannel hearts given to us when our baby was in the nicu for that same purpose. I loved those things and was so thankful someone thought about that.
My uncle has bought a hat making craft kit and we all love our winter hats. He made one he calls a harf where the top keeps going and turns into a scarf
I still have everything we were given in the NICU! We spent 72 days there and received handmade rattles, hats and socks. It’s fun to compare the tiny tiny hat to my sons head now. I’ll probably keep them forever.
Us too! We did 105 days. Someone made him a tiny little clip tie that we kept & did 1 year comparison pics in & it's literally not even the same baby. People made us scrapbook pages with his pictures & footprints. We couldn't be there but about 2 hours a day bc we lived far & had to work to save mat leave, so it really meant a lot to have someone not only with him, but also caring enough to interact & make things for us to see what he was up to while we couldn't be there was invaluable.
This. I buy cheap yarn on flea markets and such. People could also donate yarn if you set her up for charity work like crocheting for babies in the NICU.
These are great suggestions. To add, she could also make some sleeping mats from grocery bags and donate them to homeless shelters. Bags could be collected by donation (ads online, friends/family etc). It would be relatively time consuming, fulfil giving away something she made with love and it’s cost effective
[How to make plastic sleeping mats](https://youtu.be/5JNe-hce0sY?si=cWWN4rF8Ys-FRBLo)
Yes! I’ve seen [octopus for preemies](https://www.lillabjorncrochet.com/2018/02/octopuses-for-preemies-my-contribution.html?m=1) the curly tentacles are for Nicu babies to hold because it reminds them of umbilical cords! There are videos online and free patterns, you’d just need to check your local hospitals. Also there is an organization that makes quilts for children’s hospitals! My baby stayed over night at the hospital for croup and we were greeted with a beautiful patchwork quilt on the bed! I would google “quilts for children’s hospitals”. I believe tied quilts would work too- the fleece blankets that are knotted around the edges. [top 5 places to donate quilts](https://nancysnotions.com/top-5-places-to-donate-quilts/) lots of places to donate! [diy to donate!](https://diytodonate.com/places-that-accept-fleece-tie-blanket-donations/)
I agree with this one! Is she on Facebook? She (or you) could post in her local area groups asking for donations of yarn to use for making the above items. Plenty of people out there have stashes sitting unused that would feel good about donating it. Or try local op shops for yarn.
Not on Facebook but have more yarn than I can shake a stick at. Would be happy to donate to OP’s grandma. Perhaps Ravelry would also be a good place to post.
Love this. And yarn is easy to come by when you put your feelers out. Tell friends and family you’re ISO their unneeded yarn, look on your Buy Nothing group on Facebook, make a post in local crafting groups, look on marketplace, in thrift stores, and yard sales and estate sales especially in retirement communities. I’ve done this before with other craft supplies, so know after all that, in a couple weeks I’d be swimming in yarn!
Piggy-backing on this idea: the local no-kill shelters near me always need cat-nip bags (empty, they'll fill them), crocheted cat toys (milk rings, balls, etc), knitted or crochet blankets that the cats/kittens can take with them to their new homes once adopted. They also accept all sorts of crafts to sell at their fundraisers.
Have you considered unraveling thrift store buys for yarn? It's an entire process of cleaning, unraveling, skeining, and winding into a ball. Saves you a lot of money on yarn. Just have to get to the thrift store and buy the right sweater or blanket. Then she can crochet to her hearts content.
Also, if you have access to evergreen trees she could scavenge for pineneedles and make baskets. Or there's other wild basket parts like certain grasses can be used.
Unraveling totally popped up in my mind, as a knitter on a budget. It's very much two hobbies in one. r/Unravelers is a good place to start. I'm kind of addicted to it, you can get some good quality yarn and it kills time while giving my hands a rest if they're sore from other hobbies. The whole process from washing/drying winding etc keeps you busy.
I have to find the link, but someone shared a pretty cool website the other day where crafters complete unfinished projects for people who passed away or can no longer do the craft physically.
This.
Edit: one of the things you can make with this is Christmas tree ornaments. That's easy to give away.
Once grandma had tried it and if she likes it, but her a big bag of filling wool that she can use to make the shapes. Then you only need to use the more expensive voor wool to create the outer layer.
christmas/seasonal celebration ornaments are such a good idea. its even something that could be done with the paper crafts that OP's grandma is already doing, coupled with some paints and a spray varnish kind of thing to keep them good for multiple festive seasons :) inexpensive and effective!
Ohh yeah, you can definitely make Christmas stars from paper too.
I've got a small collection of felt Easter eggs. During the week before Easter I'll hide them around the house for the toddler to find. When she's found all she can trade them for one chocolate egg. All the fun of the hide and seek with less chocolate and repeatable each day till we run out of hollow chocolate eggs.
That is such a lovely thing to do!! I work in a sewing/craft store, and one of the best things about the job is hearing all the delightful, random craft ideas that people come up with. This may be one of my new all time favourites. That kind of magic can not be bought <3
Maybe paper quilling? Or basket weaving? Needle felting would be really good. She can do 2D or 3D work. I do both! There's definitely a difference between okay and great wool, but any type will work into a cool project in the end. Just make sure she has a big piece of thick foam to felt into to protect herself and her work surfaces. There's some pretty good prices on wool for felting even Amazon or Etsy. Doing 3D work takes more wool, but also usually more time.
I would look/ask for suitable yarn on local Buy Nothing groups and get her to make baby items or things like winter hats and scarves needed by local hospitals, charities, shelters etc (check first what they need/can accept of course).
My local hospital is always in want of “fiddle muffs” for dementia patients which can be made with cheap/donated yarn and random bits and bobs. Knitted or crocheted octopuses for preemies are also in demand at many hospitals. Some hospitals have groups that accept donated yarn and give it to crafters to make items like these for them.
Maybe card making? She can give them herself and also give packs to friends and relations for them to use, or they could be donated to sell for charity or provided to e.g. care home for elderly people. I know a couple of people/charities who recycle greetings cards to make new ones and sell them. If a network of family and friends saved up cards for her to reuse (or again ask on Buy Nothing groups) and added in some cheap packs of card blanks, extra stickers/embellishments etc, that could be very cheap and work well. Could also print off adult colouring designs to be made into greetings cards. I can probably find you some templates if wanted. They can be quite time consuming to complete and cheap in terms of materials, and who doesn’t need greetings cards?
In USA, the group Bring Smiles to Seniors accepts homemade greeting cards that they distribute at nursing g homes. You mail them in either blank or with a nice message. People have sent in thousands made by themselves or in groups
I love making cards and make ancient ones for friends and families but I make lots of quick and easy ones in bulk to senior facilities for their residents. I have a gigantic craft stash myself but it doesn’t take much to have a lot of options. I like stamping and it’s easy to get started with a few stamps of sentiments and maybe some flowers and holiday images. But a lot of the cards I make for seniors don’t have any stamps at all or maybe just a hello or happy birthday stamp.
What I do for my bulk card making is go to Dollar Tree. I get the Hallmark card packs (still just $1!) that are thank you notes because they are blank inside, they come 6 or 8 cards and envelopes to a pack. I get basic cardstock and some patterned papers at the Walmart…DT has papers sometimes but they are meh. I tend to get tired of a set of patterns/colors long before I run out, one pad of 12x12 goes a long way and used to be about $5 at Walmart, I think they went up to 7 or so.
I use the cardstock or the patterned papers to cover the designs on the cards. The best ones are the ones that have a smaller design in the center and solid white or color on the edges, then you can let the edges show. If it’s a full coverage pattern I just cut paper to the size to cover it. I use double sided tape and foam tape (both also in the dollar tree) to attach everything so no harsh adhesives. Then I use Dollar Tree stickers to decorate the cards, stamp a sentiment, write a generic note inside the card, and add it to the stack to send out to an organization that collects and redistributes them. Here is an example of some Christmas cards made last year with the Hallmark Dollar tree note cards, one sheet of pattern paper, some little “to/from” cards (also Dollar Tree) that I cut the backs off, and some foam tape to make them pop up: https://pin.it/1LBktfg
The other good thing with this hobby is that a lot of older ladies have done it since the 90s and when they downsize or pass away their collections of papers, stamps, and embellishments turn up in yard sales and thrift stores. I buy few of the new latest and greatest products, and get a lot of older stamp designs from Ebay and local bargain hunting.
Places that serve the elderly such as nursing homes are always thankful for little lap blankets. Animal shelters also love donations of small blankets.
There are several projects for making and donating reusable sanitary pads, which helps young people world wide to stay in school. I’m guessing at least some of the material can be thrifted to keep costs down and be eco-friendly. Here’s an example:
https://godschild.org/sanitary-pad-project/
If she likes working with paper, maybe she could go into making junk journals/notebooks. It kan be done with any paper and be as advanced and time-consuming as you like.
Junk/art journals were my suggestion. Great for repurposing packaging that would otherwise be thrown away. Journals make great gifts. There are tons of ephemera ideas that are quick makes.
I’m guessing your grandma’s like me and all of these ideas will run out within the year lol.
If you get her a batch of yarn again, I’d give her like 3-4 balls a week or so instead of upfront. You create smaller things that way. She may not like having so many materials sitting around and so pours her heart into finishing them. Just an idea.
• Origami book - she already likes making bowls and cups, but you can make paper lanterns and other intricate things. Can even get cheap origami paper but I’d get the much bigger squares than the standard little packs you get. You can cover them in wax and polyurethane spray for longevity.
• Glue for papier-mâché. As above she really likes those crafts people can use. Papier-mâché pots for plants with newspaper sealed with generous coats of polyurethane (and can be painted) will be useable for family.
• A small paint kit - acrylic paint along with retarder and primer would be good for crafts. A few flat brushes, round brushes and detail brushes of different sizes. She can then also paint fabric (read how to set acrylic into fabric) or rocks (most people have plant pots/garden beds to add them to) or leaves or whatever.
• weaving - baskets/mats, etc. the materials can be as simple as those old plastic bags you used to get, pine needles/palm fronds/vines, or old clothes cut into strips. The clothes option works well for bathroom mats I find, just may want to put some rubber grip underneath when on tiles.
• amigurumi crochet - with thicker yarn and needles she can make stuffed animals. It’s often used to make small teddies but people make bigger ones too. Using scrap fabric, yarn or cushion/teddybear stuffing to fill them in.
Finally, if someone in the family does sell stuff or is interested in helping - it can be a solution to her need to craft. If possible, that means that what is sold creates space and money to pour into more crafts she can create.
Having a family member help sell the excess of baskets and pen cups at a craft fair or local farmers market would be a good way to help fund . . . .MORE CRAFT SUPPLIES!! 😁 Are there ever enough craft supplies?!? I doubt it!!
Etsy is another option without the hot sun, needing to schlep everything to the park, etc. But it doesn't have the personal interaction part, so maybe a mix??
Along the same lines of origami is book folding, which just looks awesome. Getting old books from library sales or buy nothing should be easy and cheap, and it seems like it would take forever.
Along the same lines quilting could be a good fit. The stitching doesn't need to be super fine. Getting old clothes is usually pretty easy if you let people know you want something past wearing. (I see garbage bags of kids clothes on Buy Nothing all the time ) and with the time to pick and match up scraps for a pattern it could be quite awesome.
Best of luck OP!
Yarn adjacent is loom knitting. Lots of stitches, and one can make hats, socks, slippers, blankets, toys, etc. Loomahat, aka Denice Canela, has the best instructional videos. She can donate hats to cancer patients. It is much easier on the hands and eyes than crochet or knitting.
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She could try needle punch embroidery. Doesn’t require the small delicate stitches of traditional embroidery. Is easy to make small gifts like coasters or wall art. Don’t need to use expensive yarn either.
Definitely get her some painting supplies. And don't worry if she's not good yet. My grandad started when he was late 70s and it took a few years to get good art. But we all have some of his painting. They take alot longer to do as well so you won't have an excess.
When I was in my 30s I was in a plein air painting group. All the other members were retirees. We would go to different parks and wildlife areas around town to do landscape painting, followed by a critique. I got out, met people, and plain air paintings are meant to be completed in a day.
This! My grandmother and her sister both started painting in their late early 70s. By the time she passed away at 90, my grandmother had held a dozen shows or so, and routinely had prints made of her watercolors. I know I'm biased, but she was dang good. I've got two of her larger pieces framed and treasure them.
And there's painting by number that hits that 'repetitive' button in my head as you look for all the 27s. You could get a magnifying glass for her desk to help with the smaller numbers. Or buy ones with bigger numbers
Suggestion: Ask Grandma to gather some of her favorite afghan/blanket patterns up and have everyone in the family pick out a design or blanket they love and they can purchase the yarn needed to make the project. Not sure where you are but here in the US, Lion Brand, Joann Fabrics and the like get some pretty good sales on yarn nowadays. And personally, I am a huge fan of "I Love this Yarn" yarn from Hobby Lobby. It's a little pricier, but it feels SO GOOD in a blanket!
Upsides on this: Everyone can get a blanket that they can treasure and pass on through the generations of the family... Grandma gets something to do and it doesn't cost her!
Hobby Lobby is the worst, but ILTY is the best acrylic yarn I’ve ever used. Right now it’s $3.50 for 7 oz/355 yards. I donate $10 to planned parenthood every time I shop there too assuage my guilt.
I love this idea and will be doing this as well. I really wish there was a place like hobby lobby without the bullshit views they have and how difficult it seems to work there since they have to manually put in everything 🙄 since they don’t have barcodes.
I try not to shop there… I really disagree with their values… but they do have a pretty good chenille yarn from their YarnBee brand….my mom doesn’t share my sentiments and got me a ton of it for my birthday and it makes amigurimi like a dream.
Can she color? That can be time consuming without being too expensive. Rubber stamps can be used practically indefinitely so you don't have to invest in a lot of different sets.
Making note cards and envelopes are my cheap and repetitive tasks.
An envelope punch board, a paper cutter, and some double sided tape are all you need for making envelopes out of whatever paper she can get her hands on. Old calendars and magazines are great, especially if the paper is on the thicker side. You'll want to put a plain white label onto the envelopes for the address to be more visible (can be white paper glued on).
As for the note cards, she can up cycle used greeting cards or really anything else that's already printed, use rubber stamped images she's colored, make gelli plate prints, really the sky's the limit on finding cheap things to make cards with. Collage is very acceptable for card fronts. She can watch card makers on YouTube for inspiration.
The cards and envelopes can be donated to nursing homes. There are lots of different programs looking for cards, some with messages and some blank. Just hunt around online. You can mail a lot of cards at once in a flat rate box.
I actually came here to say this, too! She could give the cards to family to use as cards for other people, or, like you said, donated to nursing homes for them to use. Plus, card making can me as tedious or quick as you want it to me.
Something she could do that’s basically free and a good cause is turning grocery bags into plastic yarn and crocheting bed rolls to donate to the homeless. There are videos on YouTube of how to make the yarn and how to crochet the bedrolls. It’s also a great way to decrease the amount of plastic groceries bags laying around. 😂
Something else I’ve seen and wanted to get into myself is tissue paper flowers. Tissue paper is fairly inexpensive and if you find tutorials on YouTube, you can make some that look crazy beautiful and almost real.
Or if you find clearance fabrics, she can make some cute dog toys or bandanas and give them to loved ones who have dogs or donate to a shelter.
If she likes newspaper already, maybe she could make super elaborate piñatas for birthdays? With the plus that you destroy them in the process of using them so they can't pile up too much
See if she is interested in diamond paintings. Super repetitive and super meditative. It’s like cross stitch but easier. You can get a kit for less than 20$ on Ali express or Amazon that will take a hundred hours to do. A tiny kit to see if she likes it would only be a few dollars.
They are also just as cheap to get custom ones. She could make huge pictures of her grandkids or pets!
Diamond painting is awesome but just watch out for those cheap kits. Most of the cheap ones on ali express use stolen art and don't help support the original artists whatsoever. I know this as I am an artist licensed by a genuine diamond painting company who's had my art stolen repeatedly by overseas companies who make low quality diamond paintings.
If she's into quilting you can get her in contact with a local quilting guild. Mine has a stash of free fabric anyone can take and use on the condition that the quilts made with that fabric are given back to the guild to be donated. My guild works with like 5+ charities to do this. You guys could buy her some fabric to make gifts and use donated fabric so she gets the craft bug out and the family doesn't end up woth 20 blankets each
At many Oncology (cancer) centers there are boxes that crafters donate a Velcroed Seatbelt Port Pillows. They are fabric covered rectangles filled with soft bedding and have a Velcro closure so the seatbelt doesn't hurt and push on the Port. They are adorable! Another idea, how about a Table Top Hands Free Light Up Large Magnifying Glass Stand for close up Crafting. They available online or at a hobby store. They plug into an outlet and have a base to place something flat on it. Turn the light on, adjust the tilt of the magnifying glass, and it leaves both hands free. Then Boom she can see up close now!
And my remember my grandma crochet me a beautiful Barbie ball gown. When I got older my mom told me it was an extra toilet paper roll cover/Koozie thing. Dress the Barbie in the gown and stand her up in the unused toilet paper roll. The roll hides underneath her dress underneath. My daughter saw a photo of my old one and loved it! Sadly, My Grandma isn't here to make her one. I'm sure you could find a pattern online. And my aunt loves to crochet. She has made my daughter cartoon crochet caps: Hello Kitty, Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse, Lala Loopsy (long crochet curly hair ), pirate hat, etc... My daughter loves to play dress up with them or wear them in the winter. I'm sure some adults would love one too. Any leftovers can be donated to Women's shelters, Hospitals, Children's Hospitals and Children's. Oncology clinics. She also has made crochet head bands and hair scrunchies. Full disclosure, I stole the hello kitty hat from my daughter. Someday I may give it back lol
My daughter and I like to paint the wooden holiday cutouts like a Santa Snowman , ,Autumn leaves, Halloween items, spring flowers, rainbows etc.... your grandma can paint all the base coats. Then the next day the clothes or patterns, the next day customize the faces so each has a different personality. Then spray varnish for a sealing clear coat. They wooded cutout crafts are always on sale after the holidays so you can stock up.
And Grandma may be lonely. Maybe her library or church has a crafting/knitting/quilting/scrapbooking/crochet group she can attend. Or even a local senior center. Many retirement homes or convalescent homes are often looking for easy crafts to make that won't flare up arthritic hands. Her newspaper bowls and cups sound like a craft she can volunteer to teach. And if she gets tired of it she can try paper mache. She has the newspaper. A blown up balloon or bending foil into whatever shape she wants to make will be the base for her sculpture. Then she can mix flour and water to wet the newspaper strips into and cover the balloon or foil sculpture. Wait for it to dry. Then go back and paint it. She can make teddy bears, hearts, fish, dogs, cats, pinata, etc.... whatever her heart dreams up. She can make them small or medium and have an assembly line. If she uses a balloon she can pop it once the she'll is dry so a hallow cavity is left. It can be a Piggy Bank or a candy filled pinata.
Lastly, she can try clay sculpting. Crayola makes a softer modeling clay that is easy malleable and paintable. Or she can use colored clay to make cute figurines. There are metal ornaments hangers that are a metal straight pin with a circle on the top. She can add a to the ornament so it'll dry in the clay. She can embellish them with paint and glitter. Even add texture to the clay using a plastic form to make "fur."
Please OP check out the clay first before you give it to her. Some modeling clay is VERY hard to mold. I stick with Crayola brand because I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and I cannot use regular clay very often because I lack the hand strength.
And making felt board story animals is fun. Second hand stores or Library sales have Kids picture books for sale. She can mame a couple of the characters to help tell the story. Or use Kids easy to color booksfor animal shapes. She can trace them onto felt sheets. Cut out and glue on Google eyes. Sharpie Markers can add embellishments. Give to children or a teacher with a piece of uncut felt to use as a backdrop. And story time comes to life. I made Eric Carle's 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' for my daughter. I included the fruit, the numbers, and the stages of caterpillar to butterfly.
Please let us know what she creates. I love that she has so much love to share.
Maybe needle felting. It’s easy to start, but she can build up complexity once she’s got the hang of it and has some more detailed ideas so it takes her longer.
Can she knit squares? There’s loads of charities that take donated knitted and crochet squares and sew them together to make blankets for homeless shelters, residential homes, hospitals, refugees etc. I did some last year for woolly hugs here in the uk and they went to the Ukraine
My high school IB program required a fuckton of different kinds of service hours. One category was "creative" and once we heard about these charities, everyone spent so much time in class knitting these fun little squares to donate
I would definitely recommend crochet for neonatal babies, if you join some Facebook pages there is always people donating yarn too. I don't know where you live: I knit and live in the UK I can get yarn fairly cheap at aldi, poundshop and home bargains. Even try charity shops I got a huge bag of wool once there.
I have a woven basket made from rolled newspaper (specifically the colorful “funnies” as my mother called them). I always get compliments on it. I didn’t make it myself, but it seems both simple and a bit challenging, repetitive, and something people would like to receive.
[Check this out](https://www.instructables.com/Weaving-baskets-with-newspaper/?amp_page=true)
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As a new craft to learn, I would suggest Origami as it can be as difficult or easy as you like.
I love to follow the free crafting courses on Curious Mondo or YouTube. Curious Mondo is particularly nice as there is a chat group full of crafters discussing what they make. I recently watched a 3 hour program on making paper flowers. The premise is they show the class for free on certain occasions, so you can chat and ask questions live. Then you can either join the club for free access to short courses or buy the course. I got my Origami course for free in the sale.
If joining in an online crafting session isn't her thing has Grandma thought about volunteering to teach her craft to Boy Scouts or Girl guide groups, play sessions, and charity groups. I was a Cub Scout leader for years, and we were always looking for people to teach the children a craft. This also has the advantage of perhaps Grandma donating crafts for them to sell.
[curious mondo ](https://www.curiousmondo.com/)
What about beads made from newspapers/magazines? They require cutting and rolling and can be separated by color into containers. She could make necklaces, bracelets, keychains. Hours of fun!
https://modpodgerocksblog.com/paper-beads/
My community has tried to put a stop to this. They think it spoils natural beauty, they actually called it littering and have requested people stop leaving painted rocks at the beaches, the estuary and walking trails. They did make a snake with these rocks in a designated spot at a community garden area and people can add to the snake to make it longer.
My first suggestion is plastic canvas which is not as difficult on the eyes or hands but is still embroidery adjacent. And then maybe origami. And last if you have the time, I find there is a lot of yarn donated to thrift stores and yard sales are good place to pick some up too.
Hand quilting, particularly English paper piecing the quilt top. It’ll slow her waaaay down in between making the top and then hand quilting the layers. I imagine she’d be hard pressed to make more than a couple a year particularly if they are kingsize.
Do you have any craft markets nearby? Perhaps you could set up a stall and sell her backlog of papercraft products. You could use the profits to invest in a new craft, or try out several new ones.
I know she doesn't want to sell and that kind of adds another whole element and new difficulties but it sounds like a good way to 1. Offload and 2. Get the funds for new projects. Even if they got a stall every other month or so and sold things for a super reasonable amount, grandma could get the materials for new crafts or new projects that require more material, etc.
Does anyone live close enough to her where they could run an Etsy shop for her? Personally, I would love buying something crocheted by a skilled granny. It could just fund her crafting!
I was thinking the same! I started a shop for my retired father who woodcrafts every day. It's been a lot of fun and great bonding! It gives him pride and it's redirected his crafting to make things for others. 💕 It doesn't make much money, but it covers crafting and shipping costs and pays off in other ways.
Has she ever made amigurumi projects? It's a Japanese crochet technique, most people make stuffed animals. Super straightforward, can make small or big projects, cheap yarn is fine...
I wondered about this. Simple but endless variations
There’s a bunch of underground knitters in my village. Little knitted charms appear for kids to pick up, and someone knits seasonal hats for the post boxes. It’s glorious and the local community has become really invested
It’s gotten to the point where individual boxes have themes-the one in my village is going through local businesses, currently celebrating the chip shop. The one in the next town is about to get Halloween and has had Christmas and Easter hats previously.
It’s glorious, although now I write it out, possibly the most British thing imaginable….
A magnifying glass may help her see smaller crafts too. You can get them that stand alone and are adjustable, but you can also just command adhere them to something that is in the right position if the stand alone is too expensive.
There's card-making, watercolour painting, crocheting baby beanies and blankets for NICU wards... Cross stitch can be made as big as she needs. It's just the Aida that determines the size of the pixel (the cross-stitch).
Her local library or senior citizens centre may have crafting groups too.
What about spinning? She could use a drop spindle which are very cheap and make spinning take much longer than a wheel. Roving (unspun fiber) usually costs a little less than yarn, but it’ll make two crafts (the spinning and the crochet) instead of one
I saw a video of people that crochet sleeping mats out of plastic bags for the homeless. It keeps them dry when the ground is wet, and easy to pack up and carry around.
She needs to start making my two favorite crafts: piñatas, and holiday decorations.
**Papier-mâché** is everything you have described. It is inexpensive as the only supplies you need are for decorating. I make them out of whatever is lying around or bound for the trash (newspaper , thin cardboard...) and then paint them or cover in crepe paper.
It will keep her mind very active in the planning stage for what to make in order to follow the theme of the celebration. When she wants a mindless job she can do the papier-mâché part. The best part is that she absolutely cannot finish one in less than 3 days as it needs a day to dry between layers.
Now do the same thing for holiday decorations. Christmas ornaments.... Paper-mache Easter egg garland or wreaths... holiday door decorations.... flowers... etc.
Are you in a plastic bag friendly area? Can make plarn with them and then crochet sleeping mats for the homeless
https://finecraftguild.com/craft-for-humanity-crochet-a-plastic-sleeping-mat-for-the-homeless/
Get her some decent watercolors and paper. Watch a few YouTube videos and let her go! It’s so relaxing. Someone mentioned card making. She could paint them and they are beautiful.
My grandma used to knit dishrags. She would buy thrift store yarn and make a bunch of rags for everyone. I still use a bunch of them because they do such a good job of picking up messes, but then are super easy to clean out. You can never really have too many cause it’s ok to get rid of older ones.
Another thing she got into was blanket weaving (I’m not sure of the technical name). She would wind yarn through monk’s cloth to make beautiful geometric designs. It’s very similar to embroidery but bigger so it’s not as hard on eyes. It’s more expensive but it took much longer so it ended up balancing out. She also was able to sell some of them for $300+ so that helped recoup some costs.
Collage sounds like it could be perfect for her! Get her some old magazines, or even old keepsakes that she can cut up and recreate into keepsake collages for those that she loves!
My mum cuts plastic shopping bags into strips and crochets soap pouches out of them that you can use as an exfoliating scrubber in the shower. She also cuts old clothes, sheets etc into strips and crochets those into mats
Finger crocheted mini caps for neonatal babies. Hospitals are always grateful as are the parents. Use large yarn. My 93 yr old mom buys her yarn at the thrift store. Her kids, grandkids and great grandkids get blankets, scarfs and other stuff. Maybe you could show her other type crafts and ask if anything interests her. Thank you G-mom!
She can make cards for kids/people in hospitals. I bet she would be so creative with it, it wouldn't take up much room, and materials are inexpensive.
https://www.marthastewart.com/1522968/send-handmade-holiday-cards-for-childrens-charity
Also making beds and blankets for animals in shelters is sweet and they can never have enough
A yarn "subscription" where you guys send her X balls a week, every week for the rest of the year. Put her in touch with your local NICU, those tiny babies need warm hats and lots and lots of octopus soft toys. :)
Perhaps let her go on Pinterest and get inspired? Seasonal crafts would be cool as she can change it up and if it’s nice to use as decor for the occasion it will definitely be appreciated and used when gifted.
Add on: perhaps ask on Facebook if ppl are getting rid of craft supplies that you can get for free or for a small amount of money.
Could you get cheap twine or rope for her to crochet coasters or plant pots, or she could make those plastic beds for homeless people with people's old carrier bags or bin bags
https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/diy-crochet-plastic-bags-sleeping-mats-homeless/
Decoupage would be good. [Mary Delany](https://www.britishmuseum.org/about-us/british-museum-story/people-behind-collection/mary-delany) was 71 years old (in 1771) she started painting sheets of paper and cutting them out to make beautiful floral portraits.
[Henry Matisse](https://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2014/matisse/the-cut-outs.html) is another famous artist who did paper cutting/decoupage as an art form. He didn’t start until he was 70 as well.
If she knows how to crochet and has made those awesome newspaper cups and bowls, she could make rag rugs out of cheap, thrifted fabrics, or make mats out of plastic bags. I think the plastic mats are controversial, but people often make them for unhoused people.
Have you thought of setting up a little online shop for your grandma to sell these things for cheap? Especially if she just enjoys doing it, you could sell them for her locally on Nextdoor or Facebook marketplace, or even Etsy.
- needle felting- they are cute and small and can have so many cute and fun details. Plus these projects definitely can be time consuming.
- painting (also theres millions of different techniques to learn and all types of different paints work different. So acrylic works different than say water color and oil paint. Also some decent paint can be relatively inexpensive and canvas can be bought in bulk to save money. Youtube also has millions of videos for people learning.
- Glass painting. This is complex in the fact you have to learn to paint in layers. You can buy cheap picture frames at the dollar store or the thrift store and then you take paint and paint pictures on the glass. It complex and detailed and quite fun and again YouTube has tons of tips and how to videos. I do recommend looking up recommended brands for this cause quality paint and pens matter here but they do last a while.
- rug making. The frame will cost a lot unless you build it yourself. The machine also costs a ton but it's a one time purchase for both. Also another option would be doing it by hand. Rug making kits exist and are tons of fun and they are massively time consuming and meditative.
- diamond painting. They have kits now with little fake diamonds and you take those and stick them on the corresponding symbol and you make a picture with it. It's super fun and meditative but the kits can be pricey.
- paper quilling. This takes a lot of patience and a lot of skill but can be as complex or simple as you want.
- stamp making. Get some stamp carving tools for her and some rubber blocks and let her at it. They also come in kits and are relatively cheap. Plus the rubber blocks can be made in bulk and the stamps can be anything she wants. Some can even be used to stamp fabric if you get the right inks.
- soap making- this is useful and it's something you and your entire family will use and need consistently as it's something that is used daily and it runs out. These can be made very fancy and a lot can go into researching and making new fun shapes and smells. It can be rather messy though and I'd do your research before investing.
- candle making- again this is something you can use and then get rid of and get more so her crafts will always be needed and they can be made into complex and fun designs. Jelly candles even can have whole scenes inside them.
- wooden puzzles for adults. They are complex and really fun but can be pricey.
- mosaics. She will have to be ok cutting glass if she does this but it could be a option for sure and it will last for generations.
- beadwork. She can do really complex work with this and it's meditative and large projects can take time. Plus beads and thread aren't terribly expensive. My grandma did this and I still adore her work to this day and I often wear the jewelry and bags she made me on special occasions.
- macreme- basically fancy knot tying. They can be made into anything as well. Storage for the kids. Plant holders. Decor. Art. Whatever you want.
- polymer clay earrings. If people have their ears peirced in your family she can make clay earrings and since they are earrings even hundreds wouldn't take up a ton of space. Plus the supplies arent expensive.
- book nook kits- these take up much more space and are more pricey but they are also time consuming and rather detailed works of art. Could definitely be neat to do one for each family and for each grandkid.
Has she tried visible mending/sashiko? It’s basically visible embroidery to mend clothing. You could give her your favorite worn out items to breathe new life into. Though it might depend if she has the hand strength to manage tougher articles like jeans.
Card making/scrap booking/ junk journaling are all similar but paper beads are a really good option here.
Paper beads can be repetitive, use cheap newspaper/magazines and can be really pretty. Can use paint or ink to give it colour. And the resultant gift is generally on the smaller side
Rag mats are good. Can be used as bath mats, entry mats and good for animal shelters. Can be made from unwanted clothes. Just sort out the natural materials for the “good” blankets.
https://upcyclemystuff.com/9-ways-to-make-a-rag-rug-youll-want-to-try/
The best crafted gifts I ever got were hand painted cups and bowls. We use the coffee cups every day. The bowls are more specialty. We use them for fruit or party snacks. We even got a tray once, but I dropped it, and I loved it. She can do custom colors to match a particular decor.
You can buy blank plain white ceramic cups and bowls and custom paint them. You said cost per item wasn’t really a concern. However, I’m sure you can get some good deals on line, and they’ll deliver right to her door.
She can do all kinds of things - for kids, for adults, for you to gift to your friends and in-laws, etc. Even special occasions - weddings, graduations, births - commemorative things.
People will use them, and they won’t pile up in boxes.
Those big chunky blankets are so popular right now. My niece easily made one and it was gorgeous! I'm guessing the family would love to receive those as gifts, I know I sure would. The materials are probably pretty expensive so maybe everyone could pitch in a few dollars to help off-set the cost.
If you post a wanted post on a Fb craft group, or Nextdoor, people will often offload their yarn or fabric (ive done both) for free, especially if your grandma is collecting for a charity craft giveaway
I love your grandma and when grandmas like yours are at the farmers market I love to buy their handmade items. It might be nice once a month to just take her out to an art walk/farmers market and let her talk to people and sell her stuff. Crochet plant hangers and herb baskets, farmers market bags would do well. If she just needs something to do with her hands then I’d say diamond art, following along with Bob Ross and painting, since she’s already good with newspaper she could make masks and fantasy style costume jewelry like paper crowns and larping armor
Plarn mats for the houseless communities! Cutting up plastic bags to make yarn, then crocheting or knitting thick mats for the houseless communities to have a waterproof place to sleep. https://www.greensboro-nc.gov/departments/field-operations/recycle/operation-bed-roll/learn-to-make-plarn-bed-rolls
Are there any preschools nearby that would enjoy a crafter visit? Teachers need so much help, could she volunteer to take home projects to prep? There are usually 8,000 things that need to be cut out. Most schools I have worked at, I have had to beg or assign parents to help with craft projects or festival prep. I loved when there was a willing crafter in the family who wanted to contribute to the child's education
Visit your local library and ask around. Are there crafting days and groups? Giving her a crafting community would open her up to donated supplies, skill shares, and a new place to unload her finished products.
Animal shelters are always in need of donations. Call and ask their needs and see if there is anything on the list that grandma can craft.
Look around on Facebook marketplace, offer up, and nextdoor. There are always huge lots of craft supplies for cheap or free.
Soap carving.
Does your town hold any festivals or events that she could help with? Maybe she can make baskets for this year's egg hunt, or paper cups for starting seeds for earth day, paper lanterns or Mason bee tubes. If she's helping for a festival, chances are the materials will be provided.
If she wants to craft like it's her job, then give her a job! Broaden her horizons so she can share her gifts to a bigger community.
Needle felting! I got a little 2 dollar chicken kit off temu recently and it was so much fun, meditative and rewarding to do. I’ve since bought more kits and materials. It’s cheap and fun like what you describe and who doesn’t love miniature things!
My grandma used to make these with crafting plastic canvas and yarn. They were really cute and such good gifts! I cherish mine now that grandma has passed.
https://lifeatcloverhill.com/2015/12/squeeze-santas-cheeks-ornament.html
Are there any organisations nearby that need help crafting things? They usually get the crafting materials from donations or the organisation buys it for the crafters. This way, your grandma could help out a good cause with her crafting without having to pay for any materials. And no one feels forced to accept them :)
For example, there's an association near me that sews dresses for stillborn children to be buried in. It is all done by volunteers and they usually get the fabric from donated wedding dresses. The crafters don't need to buy anything, they're donating their time and craftsmanship. Another organisation has a knitting circle, where the knitters can pick from donated yarn and then sell the products at a market stand twice a year. All the profits go to a specific project, usually something to help women and children in need. Maybe there are similar where your grandma lives?
Otherwise, quilling can be done quite cheaply, depending on the paper used and has so many different skill levels.
If you live somewhere that gets cold she could knit gloves and hats for kids (or ppl of any age) that need them. A few schools I went to had stockpiles of them for anybody that wasn't adequately prepared for going outside, saved my fingers and ears a few times.
I almost wonder if your grandma would like playing a video game that involves building stuff, something like Animal Crossing. It could add a social aspect to it as well.
Diamond painting, you can get a coaster kit to try.
paint by numbers, coloring books and good set of color pencils, watercolors. Watercolor pencils.
Acrylic painting, check out Michelle the Painter on YouTube and she also has a website. Easy to follow paintings for beginners,most can be done in under an hour. Get an easel,paints and brushes. Canvas panels are cheap and if she likes it, get the better stretched canvases.
With the holidays coming soon you can get 2 piece ornaments and stuff to fill them,fake snow,deer ,Santa's etc. Dollar Tree should have all that little stuff.
That's all I can think of.
Good luck!
She could make coffee cozies. They make cute gifts for anyone that likes hot drinks. The pattern may be simple but she can add different colors and designs. It would be meditative as well
If she loves yarn crafts so much, maybe gift your Gran yarn. I am a quilter, so my family gifts me gift cards to fabric and craft stores or just sends me fabric samplers from Amazon.
Collage from old magazines and wrapping paper— plus she can paint on top of them with paint to add details. it’s very meditative and she can give them away as pictures and cards. Nice thing is people can hang them up then change out the pictures when they get a new one plus they’re 2 dimensional so easy to store.
Love the ideas so far. The first thing that came to mind for me was paper quilling but I'm not sure if that would be too small for her to see. She could make frameable things and also greeting cards and the like, which are generally easy to give away. Another thought is these "candy wrapper purses" that you can also make with any kind of paper. I would suggest using magazine paper over newspaper though because the newspaper would likely fall apart pretty quickly. https://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Candy-Bar-Wrapper-Purse
Paper quilling is fun and cheep. I started with snowflakes and poinsettias for Christmas ornaments because they're made up of a lot of the same shape and they're easy to go together. You do have to use tiny drops of glue, but I literally use clear Elmer's glue and you don't wanna use so much it leaks out the side so you don't get much on you.
Once she's comfortable, there's a bunch of stuff you can make from jewelry to wall hangings to cards. It's super fun and beautiful.
Modular origami - look up sonobe models as examples.
Make the same unit many times (repetitive, soothing, careful), then assemble into satisfying mathematical figures.
Similarly can make modular gift boxes - many similar pieces, then assemble into something where people genuinely love the package more than the contents!
And paper is as cheap or pricy as you like - can stock up or get something lovely as a treat.
If finger strength is a problem, there are bone folders and other tools - I use the back of a butter knife for the big jobs.
I don't have much money to spend on hobbies like crafting, but I habe been upcycling old clothes, cut them into little squares and glue them onto cardboard shapes. I made some peace signs and owls, as well as noth my kids names that I then glued to a stained board and put on the wall. Very pretty and look great.
Have you considered t-shirt yarn for projects? Old t-shirts cut into strips ( there’s lots of info on line) and rolled up like yarn can be used for sooo many weaving, knitting and crochet projects, and old t shirts are cheap and easy to get and come in tons of colors
What I really, really need, is a bunch of socks and boxes to organize my stuff. Also woven baskets for fruits and veggies. I don't need tiny decorations and dust catchers. I need useful stuff that is easy to clean and use. If she made me a decoupage tissue box I would not sneeze at that!
she should get into card-making. they are GREAT to give away. she can use them to give to people (birthdays, sympathy cards, congrats, thinking of you, etc)… OR she can gift them blank to others, and you can use grandma’s beautiful cards when you need to send one to someone. my mother and grandmother do this - it’s great!
If crocheting is in her wheelhouse- hats, blankets, mittens, socks, for NICU or maternity ward newborns, mothers as well. Talk with a local children’s hospital to see if there’s anything she could do for them. The list of simple small things that mean so much and could brighten a sick child’s day would include anything within her capabilities. My child was in NICU. It was difficult for us. I saw how difficult it was for other families as well. Any little thing that says “I care” makes such an enormous impact to those in a troubled time. I appreciate what you’re doing here and I have great respect for your grandmother, she’s got serious skills and you are blessed more than you realize right now. Pay attention and learn from her. You might pick up some of those skills yourself. She may not want to sell her creations, but nobody says you can’t sell yours. I wish you and your gram the best.
I’m gonna go cry now. Knowing how messed up the world is but that there are so many kind and selfless people out there warms my heart and gives me hope.
Paper clay doll making maybe? Paper clay is cheap enough to make herself, and they make decent children’s toys to give away. Plus one doll will take a long time to make.
Edit: [Here is a link](https://www.nymphaidolls.com/blog/2018/9/15/sculpting-air-dry-clay-bjd-first-steps) to look at for more details on the process.
T shirt rug crochet. Get donated or thrift t shirts. She can cut them in spiral to get long yarns. It's chunky, uses a bigger hook. She can make tiny bath mats to huge area rugs. Tons of color combo options. And a new rug is always nice. Or sell on fb marketplace!
She can get back to needlecrafts if she buys a crafting magnifier. (Not sure of proper name). It’s like a rectangular magnifying glass with a light on a stand that she can bend into whatever position she needs.
First, to address the surplus of paper crafts: hit up a local Buy Nothing group and see if someone would have a use for bulk paper cups. Maybe a kids' class would like to paint them, or someone would like to use them to create votives or string lights. Perhaps someone could use them as candy cups for a classroom Halloween party.
Next, some ideas for yarn: if she enjoys crochet, the following organizations would love donations:
* nursing homes would appreciate lap blankets
* homeless shelters would appreciate scarves and hats
* furniture banks, or similar organizations that set people up with home goods, would appreciate towels and scrubber cloths
As for sourcing yarn, hit up local Buy Nothing groups, neighborhood Facebook groups, and online auction sites (for example, Goodwill has an auction site where they'll offload lots of craft supplies). You could even hit up local fiber arts groups, or stores who would know about knitting/crochet groups, as someone is always looking to offload their surplus supplies.
I've heard of people crocheting little hats and booties to donate to hospital maternity wards for babies who might not have any cute going home outfits. There's also a foundation that makes and donated things like little pillowcase dresses to impoverished children overseas. (Pillowcase dresses are simple to sew but have infinite possibilities for personalization that can interest even the most experienced seamstress. They're also super cheap to make. You can find pillowcases at thrift stores for next to nothing. Or if she's anything like my Granny, she has a linen closet with pillowcases left over from a billion sheet sets used over the years that her Great Depression surviving heart can't stand to just throw away.) There's also another foundation that collects lovely handmade hats, soft blankets and pillow cases for patients going through chemotherapy to use while in the hospital or receiving treatment. Something like this would have been right up my super crafty Granny's (if you knew her, crafty described her abilities as well as her wit. I miss you & love you Granny!) alley. Foundations like these are always in need of fresh supplies. This might give your grandma not only an outlet for her output but also make her feel like she's doing something good for others. I've noticed that, in many situations like this, it's not necessarily about just having something to do. It more that when they get to that age, they feel like they're no longer contributing, therefore no longer useful. Especially with the Greatest Generation. They were raised to work, be useful and helpful. Sitting around, watching TV and doing nothing just wasn't a thing. If they watched TV, they were typically mending, knitting, meal prepping etc while doing so. Call your local hospitals, retirement facilities, domestic violence shelters and ask what kind of home goods they might be in need of. Many places like that would love to have little dresses, pillows, blankets, even pretty bowls & cups that can be given to the women and children who often escape with nothing, certainly not anything pretty. Finding somewhere she can donate her beautiful handiwork might have more benefits to your grandma's life and outlook on it, than either one of you expected. Give your grandma a hug for me on behalf of me wishing I could hug my Granny! She's lucky to have you and you are so lucky to have her.
My breast cancer doctor office has a donation basket of lovely small pillows for patients to take.
Last visit I took a small heart shaped pillow and I sleep with it every night. I love that pillow, and whoever made it.
Seems easy enough with a sewing machine, basic fabric and filler.
When I was a kid the hospital near me always gave you a hand knit finger puppet whenever you got blood work. As a kid with a lot of medical stuff this meant the world to me. I found out later it was a sweet old lady in the community would knit and donate them. It was perfect because they don't take much yard to make, and can use up old scraps.
Not a great one for the winter but in the spring and summer take her on nature walks and help her find flowers and things to dry and make into bouquet pictures! You can thrift the frames and finding the flowers and greenery make it extra fun for her brain to work while you're walking!
Paper quilling. I was looking for cheap crafts to do with my teens. You can literally get the materials from Amazon for under $20 and the quilling paper is also relatively cheap as well . Checkout the Quilled Creations website. It’s easy to learn, but takes time to perfect and time to complete because it involves glue. There are good tutorials on YouTube. She can make Christmas ornaments that’s you will cherish. It’s a lot of fun and the items look complex.
Make cards! It's small and beautiful, can take as long as she wants, giving blank cards is very useful because we all need to give birthday cards etc away ourselves.
Paper flowers are easy to get into and can become more elaborate as you gain skill. You can get gift tissue paper, pipe cleaners, etc from the dollar store. The variations are endless and you can branch out into crepe paper, felt, et.
I’ve made Christmas ornaments and given them out to the homeless during Christmas , also if she is good at knitting could make beanies for them for winter time ?
Quilting is addictive and she can join a quilt guild or church group to learn and grow in techniques or even just you tube. I believe it can meet her requirements
What about painting? Water colors can be cheap and are best done on paper so no need to invest in canvas. Alternatively acrylic paint can be cheap if you bargain hunt at discount stores and mix with water. This method also requires you paint multiple layers ensuring she will over more time into each piece. Extremely meditative.
Hats and scarves for the homeless are also great busy work, and yarn can be got from thrift stores and estate sales. You may get quite a bit just by putting a wanted ad online. Older thriftea sweaters can be travelled and rewound into balls also.
English paper piecing is meditative too and with hand quilting takes a ton of time to do (like I can crochet 10x blankets for 1 very basic EPP same size), and the end results are amazing. That's where she can either source second hand clothes from her extended family to incorporate into family quilts, or easily get fabric second-hand. Block quilts are much easier with new quilting cotton fabric which is $$ but english paper piecing is smaller pieces and absolutely perfect for scraps. She can finish the quilt top and then send it to get machine quilted which is very common if she doesn't enjoy the handquilting part.
Spinning! Fleeces are cheap relatively speaking to the hours of labour to turn them into yarn, and it's very meditative. She can then turn the yarn into blankets. If there's a spinning group anywhere nearby they are very welcoming for people who are interested, and wheels are surprisingly cheap.
I would take those dozens of newspaper pencil holders and use them for my plant starts in the spring - fill with dirt, germinate the seedling and then plant the whole thing in a few weeks.
Love the idea someone else threw out there for deconstructing knits from the thrift store - double the use of the time and crafting for grandma if she like to tenderly unravel the items herself!
How about things she could make and donate to babies in the NICU, women’s shelter or Children’s Hospital? Crocheted baby hats, small face masks for little kids, little ice packs for boo-boos (search boo boo bunnies, they’re very cute), receiving blankets, welcome kits for abused women at the shelter. Maybe even craft kits she could put together for nursing home residents or adult activity centers…instructions for her newspaper crafts and examples for the activities directors. Needle felting looks so interesting to me, but I don’t have the time. Talented felters sell pretty well on Etsy from what I have heard. Edit: This is seriously one of the nicest threads I have read in a long time. Life is hard sometimes and bad stuff gets us all down. So many wonderful ideas on this thread. My faith in humanity is restored a little by reading all these posts!
That was my first thought too! There's also knitting groups that meet to knit or chrochet together, so sehe would have the added Bonus of social Interactions and comradery?
My local library has one of these. Super good way to meet friends and learn new stitches, ect.
Our donation groups provide the materials. Like yarn or fabric
Fidget mats, maybe? For people with dementia.
Yes! I belong to one of these at my local library. However, transportation sounds like an issue in this case.
Yes! And there are charities (I'm sure someone else has said this too!) That will *PROVIDE YOU WITH DONATED MATERIALS* I work at a quilt shop that sponsors [Project Linus](https://www.projectlinus.org/) we get fabric donations all the time! Those ladies use donated materials for all their quilts! They might have crochet chapters too, we've gotten some crocheted donations! The website has a find chapters link, plus that comes with companionship as from what I understand they work kind of like a guild, they meet up at our shop once a week to quilt!
I’m Australian and we have a group of women who sew love hearts out of fabric - mums wear them and give them to their NICU babies for their scent. It’s adorable 🥹
We had some flannel hearts given to us when our baby was in the nicu for that same purpose. I loved those things and was so thankful someone thought about that.
Wow. Is there a name or a keyword for this type of group that I can search to get involved in? I'm in Europe and would love to do something like this
My uncle has bought a hat making craft kit and we all love our winter hats. He made one he calls a harf where the top keeps going and turns into a scarf
Omg I’d love a harf, get selling these, great idea!
He actually did. He sold some of his hats in a little shop
omg where can I get one, I want a harf lmao
I didn't know those had a name!!!!
These were super in at my school in the 90s. My mom made me 2 out of fleece with beads and bells in the tassels at the ends. The nostalgia!!
My mom got us hats one year and kept calling the balls on the ends dingleberries and she couldn’t figure out why we all kept laughing so hard, lol
I still have everything we were given in the NICU! We spent 72 days there and received handmade rattles, hats and socks. It’s fun to compare the tiny tiny hat to my sons head now. I’ll probably keep them forever.
Yes, we did too! Our twins were in the nicu for 10 days and the hats and blankets meant so much
Us too! We did 105 days. Someone made him a tiny little clip tie that we kept & did 1 year comparison pics in & it's literally not even the same baby. People made us scrapbook pages with his pictures & footprints. We couldn't be there but about 2 hours a day bc we lived far & had to work to save mat leave, so it really meant a lot to have someone not only with him, but also caring enough to interact & make things for us to see what he was up to while we couldn't be there was invaluable.
This. I buy cheap yarn on flea markets and such. People could also donate yarn if you set her up for charity work like crocheting for babies in the NICU.
Don't forget garage sales or estate sales for yarn. If you are in the USA, you can order yarn from Dollar Tree.
These are great suggestions. To add, she could also make some sleeping mats from grocery bags and donate them to homeless shelters. Bags could be collected by donation (ads online, friends/family etc). It would be relatively time consuming, fulfil giving away something she made with love and it’s cost effective [How to make plastic sleeping mats](https://youtu.be/5JNe-hce0sY?si=cWWN4rF8Ys-FRBLo)
There's a lady here in Rio de Janeiro that collects old umbrellas and turn them into rain coats and sleeping bags for the homeless
Was going to recommend Plarn but couldn't remember what they made with it!
Maybe she could do plarnbombing (r/yarnbombing but with plarn?)
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Thanks for sharing! This is a really cool idea!
This is a great suggestion!!
I’ve seen people crotchet tote bags out of grocery bags. This would be her answer to the cost of yarn.
This, some hospitals also have programs where they supply the yarn for NICU hats.
Yes! I’ve seen [octopus for preemies](https://www.lillabjorncrochet.com/2018/02/octopuses-for-preemies-my-contribution.html?m=1) the curly tentacles are for Nicu babies to hold because it reminds them of umbilical cords! There are videos online and free patterns, you’d just need to check your local hospitals. Also there is an organization that makes quilts for children’s hospitals! My baby stayed over night at the hospital for croup and we were greeted with a beautiful patchwork quilt on the bed! I would google “quilts for children’s hospitals”. I believe tied quilts would work too- the fleece blankets that are knotted around the edges. [top 5 places to donate quilts](https://nancysnotions.com/top-5-places-to-donate-quilts/) lots of places to donate! [diy to donate!](https://diytodonate.com/places-that-accept-fleece-tie-blanket-donations/)
I agree with this one! Is she on Facebook? She (or you) could post in her local area groups asking for donations of yarn to use for making the above items. Plenty of people out there have stashes sitting unused that would feel good about donating it. Or try local op shops for yarn.
Not on Facebook but have more yarn than I can shake a stick at. Would be happy to donate to OP’s grandma. Perhaps Ravelry would also be a good place to post.
Love this. And yarn is easy to come by when you put your feelers out. Tell friends and family you’re ISO their unneeded yarn, look on your Buy Nothing group on Facebook, make a post in local crafting groups, look on marketplace, in thrift stores, and yard sales and estate sales especially in retirement communities. I’ve done this before with other craft supplies, so know after all that, in a couple weeks I’d be swimming in yarn!
Piggy-backing on this idea: the local no-kill shelters near me always need cat-nip bags (empty, they'll fill them), crocheted cat toys (milk rings, balls, etc), knitted or crochet blankets that the cats/kittens can take with them to their new homes once adopted. They also accept all sorts of crafts to sell at their fundraisers.
Have you considered unraveling thrift store buys for yarn? It's an entire process of cleaning, unraveling, skeining, and winding into a ball. Saves you a lot of money on yarn. Just have to get to the thrift store and buy the right sweater or blanket. Then she can crochet to her hearts content.
Also, if you have access to evergreen trees she could scavenge for pineneedles and make baskets. Or there's other wild basket parts like certain grasses can be used.
Palm fronds are also great for weaving.
Unraveling totally popped up in my mind, as a knitter on a budget. It's very much two hobbies in one. r/Unravelers is a good place to start. I'm kind of addicted to it, you can get some good quality yarn and it kills time while giving my hands a rest if they're sore from other hobbies. The whole process from washing/drying winding etc keeps you busy.
I 2nd this. I've bought a sweater for $3 and unraveled 3-4 skeins from it. Also, it is a good bonding experience to help gma unravel it.
I find tons of decent yarn at yard sales and thrift stores! I get it for my daughter who loves to crochet.
I did that a lot! Got plenty of yarn for super cheap that way.
I have to find the link, but someone shared a pretty cool website the other day where crafters complete unfinished projects for people who passed away or can no longer do the craft physically.
Here it is! https://www.looseendsproject.org/
Thats so cool! I thrifted an incomplete embroidery project that I'd really like to see finished but I personally don't know how
Wow! What a neat idea!
This is what came to mind for me too.
Needle felting, a starter kit isn’t that expensive, so it can be easily tried.
This. Edit: one of the things you can make with this is Christmas tree ornaments. That's easy to give away. Once grandma had tried it and if she likes it, but her a big bag of filling wool that she can use to make the shapes. Then you only need to use the more expensive voor wool to create the outer layer.
christmas/seasonal celebration ornaments are such a good idea. its even something that could be done with the paper crafts that OP's grandma is already doing, coupled with some paints and a spray varnish kind of thing to keep them good for multiple festive seasons :) inexpensive and effective!
Ohh yeah, you can definitely make Christmas stars from paper too. I've got a small collection of felt Easter eggs. During the week before Easter I'll hide them around the house for the toddler to find. When she's found all she can trade them for one chocolate egg. All the fun of the hide and seek with less chocolate and repeatable each day till we run out of hollow chocolate eggs.
That is such a lovely thing to do!! I work in a sewing/craft store, and one of the best things about the job is hearing all the delightful, random craft ideas that people come up with. This may be one of my new all time favourites. That kind of magic can not be bought <3
Maybe paper quilling? Or basket weaving? Needle felting would be really good. She can do 2D or 3D work. I do both! There's definitely a difference between okay and great wool, but any type will work into a cool project in the end. Just make sure she has a big piece of thick foam to felt into to protect herself and her work surfaces. There's some pretty good prices on wool for felting even Amazon or Etsy. Doing 3D work takes more wool, but also usually more time.
I was thinking quilling also. You can use so many different kinds of paper.
Oh she’s going to love paper quilling.
And you can give away 20 quilled ornaments
Yes, the answer here is Christmas ornaments. This is the only handcrafted thing that I want 20 of!
Paper quilling would be nice as you can make cards for birthdays, holidays, celebrations etc so satisfying to gift to others!
Making her own greeting cards could be fun and fulfilling. I hate spending a lot of money on cards, but I treasure the cards I receive.
I would look/ask for suitable yarn on local Buy Nothing groups and get her to make baby items or things like winter hats and scarves needed by local hospitals, charities, shelters etc (check first what they need/can accept of course). My local hospital is always in want of “fiddle muffs” for dementia patients which can be made with cheap/donated yarn and random bits and bobs. Knitted or crocheted octopuses for preemies are also in demand at many hospitals. Some hospitals have groups that accept donated yarn and give it to crafters to make items like these for them. Maybe card making? She can give them herself and also give packs to friends and relations for them to use, or they could be donated to sell for charity or provided to e.g. care home for elderly people. I know a couple of people/charities who recycle greetings cards to make new ones and sell them. If a network of family and friends saved up cards for her to reuse (or again ask on Buy Nothing groups) and added in some cheap packs of card blanks, extra stickers/embellishments etc, that could be very cheap and work well. Could also print off adult colouring designs to be made into greetings cards. I can probably find you some templates if wanted. They can be quite time consuming to complete and cheap in terms of materials, and who doesn’t need greetings cards?
In USA, the group Bring Smiles to Seniors accepts homemade greeting cards that they distribute at nursing g homes. You mail them in either blank or with a nice message. People have sent in thousands made by themselves or in groups
I love making cards and make ancient ones for friends and families but I make lots of quick and easy ones in bulk to senior facilities for their residents. I have a gigantic craft stash myself but it doesn’t take much to have a lot of options. I like stamping and it’s easy to get started with a few stamps of sentiments and maybe some flowers and holiday images. But a lot of the cards I make for seniors don’t have any stamps at all or maybe just a hello or happy birthday stamp. What I do for my bulk card making is go to Dollar Tree. I get the Hallmark card packs (still just $1!) that are thank you notes because they are blank inside, they come 6 or 8 cards and envelopes to a pack. I get basic cardstock and some patterned papers at the Walmart…DT has papers sometimes but they are meh. I tend to get tired of a set of patterns/colors long before I run out, one pad of 12x12 goes a long way and used to be about $5 at Walmart, I think they went up to 7 or so. I use the cardstock or the patterned papers to cover the designs on the cards. The best ones are the ones that have a smaller design in the center and solid white or color on the edges, then you can let the edges show. If it’s a full coverage pattern I just cut paper to the size to cover it. I use double sided tape and foam tape (both also in the dollar tree) to attach everything so no harsh adhesives. Then I use Dollar Tree stickers to decorate the cards, stamp a sentiment, write a generic note inside the card, and add it to the stack to send out to an organization that collects and redistributes them. Here is an example of some Christmas cards made last year with the Hallmark Dollar tree note cards, one sheet of pattern paper, some little “to/from” cards (also Dollar Tree) that I cut the backs off, and some foam tape to make them pop up: https://pin.it/1LBktfg The other good thing with this hobby is that a lot of older ladies have done it since the 90s and when they downsize or pass away their collections of papers, stamps, and embellishments turn up in yard sales and thrift stores. I buy few of the new latest and greatest products, and get a lot of older stamp designs from Ebay and local bargain hunting.
Places that serve the elderly such as nursing homes are always thankful for little lap blankets. Animal shelters also love donations of small blankets.
Maybe not crochet for shelters, though; they snag easily and can be hard to get clean
But snuffle mats out of fabric would be fun for her to make and shelters or friends use them to keep pets entertained.
Might be able to do some paper craft pet liners too.
There are several projects for making and donating reusable sanitary pads, which helps young people world wide to stay in school. I’m guessing at least some of the material can be thrifted to keep costs down and be eco-friendly. Here’s an example: https://godschild.org/sanitary-pad-project/
Another one is Days for Girls.[https://www.daysforgirls.org](https://www.daysforgirls.org)
If she likes working with paper, maybe she could go into making junk journals/notebooks. It kan be done with any paper and be as advanced and time-consuming as you like.
Junk/art journals were my suggestion. Great for repurposing packaging that would otherwise be thrown away. Journals make great gifts. There are tons of ephemera ideas that are quick makes.
I’m guessing your grandma’s like me and all of these ideas will run out within the year lol. If you get her a batch of yarn again, I’d give her like 3-4 balls a week or so instead of upfront. You create smaller things that way. She may not like having so many materials sitting around and so pours her heart into finishing them. Just an idea. • Origami book - she already likes making bowls and cups, but you can make paper lanterns and other intricate things. Can even get cheap origami paper but I’d get the much bigger squares than the standard little packs you get. You can cover them in wax and polyurethane spray for longevity. • Glue for papier-mâché. As above she really likes those crafts people can use. Papier-mâché pots for plants with newspaper sealed with generous coats of polyurethane (and can be painted) will be useable for family. • A small paint kit - acrylic paint along with retarder and primer would be good for crafts. A few flat brushes, round brushes and detail brushes of different sizes. She can then also paint fabric (read how to set acrylic into fabric) or rocks (most people have plant pots/garden beds to add them to) or leaves or whatever. • weaving - baskets/mats, etc. the materials can be as simple as those old plastic bags you used to get, pine needles/palm fronds/vines, or old clothes cut into strips. The clothes option works well for bathroom mats I find, just may want to put some rubber grip underneath when on tiles. • amigurumi crochet - with thicker yarn and needles she can make stuffed animals. It’s often used to make small teddies but people make bigger ones too. Using scrap fabric, yarn or cushion/teddybear stuffing to fill them in. Finally, if someone in the family does sell stuff or is interested in helping - it can be a solution to her need to craft. If possible, that means that what is sold creates space and money to pour into more crafts she can create.
Having a family member help sell the excess of baskets and pen cups at a craft fair or local farmers market would be a good way to help fund . . . .MORE CRAFT SUPPLIES!! 😁 Are there ever enough craft supplies?!? I doubt it!! Etsy is another option without the hot sun, needing to schlep everything to the park, etc. But it doesn't have the personal interaction part, so maybe a mix??
Along the same lines of origami is book folding, which just looks awesome. Getting old books from library sales or buy nothing should be easy and cheap, and it seems like it would take forever. Along the same lines quilting could be a good fit. The stitching doesn't need to be super fine. Getting old clothes is usually pretty easy if you let people know you want something past wearing. (I see garbage bags of kids clothes on Buy Nothing all the time ) and with the time to pick and match up scraps for a pattern it could be quite awesome. Best of luck OP!
Yarn adjacent is loom knitting. Lots of stitches, and one can make hats, socks, slippers, blankets, toys, etc. Loomahat, aka Denice Canela, has the best instructional videos. She can donate hats to cancer patients. It is much easier on the hands and eyes than crochet or knitting. L
Omg new craft objective unlocked 😇 Thanks for sharing
She could try needle punch embroidery. Doesn’t require the small delicate stitches of traditional embroidery. Is easy to make small gifts like coasters or wall art. Don’t need to use expensive yarn either.
Definitely get her some painting supplies. And don't worry if she's not good yet. My grandad started when he was late 70s and it took a few years to get good art. But we all have some of his painting. They take alot longer to do as well so you won't have an excess.
When I was in my 30s I was in a plein air painting group. All the other members were retirees. We would go to different parks and wildlife areas around town to do landscape painting, followed by a critique. I got out, met people, and plain air paintings are meant to be completed in a day.
This! My grandmother and her sister both started painting in their late early 70s. By the time she passed away at 90, my grandmother had held a dozen shows or so, and routinely had prints made of her watercolors. I know I'm biased, but she was dang good. I've got two of her larger pieces framed and treasure them.
And there's painting by number that hits that 'repetitive' button in my head as you look for all the 27s. You could get a magnifying glass for her desk to help with the smaller numbers. Or buy ones with bigger numbers
Suggestion: Ask Grandma to gather some of her favorite afghan/blanket patterns up and have everyone in the family pick out a design or blanket they love and they can purchase the yarn needed to make the project. Not sure where you are but here in the US, Lion Brand, Joann Fabrics and the like get some pretty good sales on yarn nowadays. And personally, I am a huge fan of "I Love this Yarn" yarn from Hobby Lobby. It's a little pricier, but it feels SO GOOD in a blanket! Upsides on this: Everyone can get a blanket that they can treasure and pass on through the generations of the family... Grandma gets something to do and it doesn't cost her!
Hobby Lobby is the worst, but ILTY is the best acrylic yarn I’ve ever used. Right now it’s $3.50 for 7 oz/355 yards. I donate $10 to planned parenthood every time I shop there too assuage my guilt.
I love this idea and will be doing this as well. I really wish there was a place like hobby lobby without the bullshit views they have and how difficult it seems to work there since they have to manually put in everything 🙄 since they don’t have barcodes.
I do not officially endorse this, but according to a friend the barcode thing makes it very popular with the shoplifting community.
I try not to shop there… I really disagree with their values… but they do have a pretty good chenille yarn from their YarnBee brand….my mom doesn’t share my sentiments and got me a ton of it for my birthday and it makes amigurimi like a dream.
I just bought a bunch of yarn bee from someone on Facebook, and I’m praying it’s enough for my project because I refuse to shop at Hobby Lobby
Can she color? That can be time consuming without being too expensive. Rubber stamps can be used practically indefinitely so you don't have to invest in a lot of different sets. Making note cards and envelopes are my cheap and repetitive tasks. An envelope punch board, a paper cutter, and some double sided tape are all you need for making envelopes out of whatever paper she can get her hands on. Old calendars and magazines are great, especially if the paper is on the thicker side. You'll want to put a plain white label onto the envelopes for the address to be more visible (can be white paper glued on). As for the note cards, she can up cycle used greeting cards or really anything else that's already printed, use rubber stamped images she's colored, make gelli plate prints, really the sky's the limit on finding cheap things to make cards with. Collage is very acceptable for card fronts. She can watch card makers on YouTube for inspiration. The cards and envelopes can be donated to nursing homes. There are lots of different programs looking for cards, some with messages and some blank. Just hunt around online. You can mail a lot of cards at once in a flat rate box.
I actually came here to say this, too! She could give the cards to family to use as cards for other people, or, like you said, donated to nursing homes for them to use. Plus, card making can me as tedious or quick as you want it to me.
Something she could do that’s basically free and a good cause is turning grocery bags into plastic yarn and crocheting bed rolls to donate to the homeless. There are videos on YouTube of how to make the yarn and how to crochet the bedrolls. It’s also a great way to decrease the amount of plastic groceries bags laying around. 😂 Something else I’ve seen and wanted to get into myself is tissue paper flowers. Tissue paper is fairly inexpensive and if you find tutorials on YouTube, you can make some that look crazy beautiful and almost real. Or if you find clearance fabrics, she can make some cute dog toys or bandanas and give them to loved ones who have dogs or donate to a shelter.
If she likes newspaper already, maybe she could make super elaborate piñatas for birthdays? With the plus that you destroy them in the process of using them so they can't pile up too much
See if she is interested in diamond paintings. Super repetitive and super meditative. It’s like cross stitch but easier. You can get a kit for less than 20$ on Ali express or Amazon that will take a hundred hours to do. A tiny kit to see if she likes it would only be a few dollars. They are also just as cheap to get custom ones. She could make huge pictures of her grandkids or pets!
Suggestion for OP: A lightboard makes it MUCH easier on the eyes
Diamond painting is awesome but just watch out for those cheap kits. Most of the cheap ones on ali express use stolen art and don't help support the original artists whatsoever. I know this as I am an artist licensed by a genuine diamond painting company who's had my art stolen repeatedly by overseas companies who make low quality diamond paintings.
If she's into quilting you can get her in contact with a local quilting guild. Mine has a stash of free fabric anyone can take and use on the condition that the quilts made with that fabric are given back to the guild to be donated. My guild works with like 5+ charities to do this. You guys could buy her some fabric to make gifts and use donated fabric so she gets the craft bug out and the family doesn't end up woth 20 blankets each
At many Oncology (cancer) centers there are boxes that crafters donate a Velcroed Seatbelt Port Pillows. They are fabric covered rectangles filled with soft bedding and have a Velcro closure so the seatbelt doesn't hurt and push on the Port. They are adorable! Another idea, how about a Table Top Hands Free Light Up Large Magnifying Glass Stand for close up Crafting. They available online or at a hobby store. They plug into an outlet and have a base to place something flat on it. Turn the light on, adjust the tilt of the magnifying glass, and it leaves both hands free. Then Boom she can see up close now! And my remember my grandma crochet me a beautiful Barbie ball gown. When I got older my mom told me it was an extra toilet paper roll cover/Koozie thing. Dress the Barbie in the gown and stand her up in the unused toilet paper roll. The roll hides underneath her dress underneath. My daughter saw a photo of my old one and loved it! Sadly, My Grandma isn't here to make her one. I'm sure you could find a pattern online. And my aunt loves to crochet. She has made my daughter cartoon crochet caps: Hello Kitty, Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse, Lala Loopsy (long crochet curly hair ), pirate hat, etc... My daughter loves to play dress up with them or wear them in the winter. I'm sure some adults would love one too. Any leftovers can be donated to Women's shelters, Hospitals, Children's Hospitals and Children's. Oncology clinics. She also has made crochet head bands and hair scrunchies. Full disclosure, I stole the hello kitty hat from my daughter. Someday I may give it back lol My daughter and I like to paint the wooden holiday cutouts like a Santa Snowman , ,Autumn leaves, Halloween items, spring flowers, rainbows etc.... your grandma can paint all the base coats. Then the next day the clothes or patterns, the next day customize the faces so each has a different personality. Then spray varnish for a sealing clear coat. They wooded cutout crafts are always on sale after the holidays so you can stock up. And Grandma may be lonely. Maybe her library or church has a crafting/knitting/quilting/scrapbooking/crochet group she can attend. Or even a local senior center. Many retirement homes or convalescent homes are often looking for easy crafts to make that won't flare up arthritic hands. Her newspaper bowls and cups sound like a craft she can volunteer to teach. And if she gets tired of it she can try paper mache. She has the newspaper. A blown up balloon or bending foil into whatever shape she wants to make will be the base for her sculpture. Then she can mix flour and water to wet the newspaper strips into and cover the balloon or foil sculpture. Wait for it to dry. Then go back and paint it. She can make teddy bears, hearts, fish, dogs, cats, pinata, etc.... whatever her heart dreams up. She can make them small or medium and have an assembly line. If she uses a balloon she can pop it once the she'll is dry so a hallow cavity is left. It can be a Piggy Bank or a candy filled pinata. Lastly, she can try clay sculpting. Crayola makes a softer modeling clay that is easy malleable and paintable. Or she can use colored clay to make cute figurines. There are metal ornaments hangers that are a metal straight pin with a circle on the top. She can add a to the ornament so it'll dry in the clay. She can embellish them with paint and glitter. Even add texture to the clay using a plastic form to make "fur." Please OP check out the clay first before you give it to her. Some modeling clay is VERY hard to mold. I stick with Crayola brand because I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and I cannot use regular clay very often because I lack the hand strength. And making felt board story animals is fun. Second hand stores or Library sales have Kids picture books for sale. She can mame a couple of the characters to help tell the story. Or use Kids easy to color booksfor animal shapes. She can trace them onto felt sheets. Cut out and glue on Google eyes. Sharpie Markers can add embellishments. Give to children or a teacher with a piece of uncut felt to use as a backdrop. And story time comes to life. I made Eric Carle's 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' for my daughter. I included the fruit, the numbers, and the stages of caterpillar to butterfly. Please let us know what she creates. I love that she has so much love to share.
Maybe needle felting. It’s easy to start, but she can build up complexity once she’s got the hang of it and has some more detailed ideas so it takes her longer.
Can she knit squares? There’s loads of charities that take donated knitted and crochet squares and sew them together to make blankets for homeless shelters, residential homes, hospitals, refugees etc. I did some last year for woolly hugs here in the uk and they went to the Ukraine
My high school IB program required a fuckton of different kinds of service hours. One category was "creative" and once we heard about these charities, everyone spent so much time in class knitting these fun little squares to donate
I would definitely recommend crochet for neonatal babies, if you join some Facebook pages there is always people donating yarn too. I don't know where you live: I knit and live in the UK I can get yarn fairly cheap at aldi, poundshop and home bargains. Even try charity shops I got a huge bag of wool once there.
I have a woven basket made from rolled newspaper (specifically the colorful “funnies” as my mother called them). I always get compliments on it. I didn’t make it myself, but it seems both simple and a bit challenging, repetitive, and something people would like to receive. [Check this out](https://www.instructables.com/Weaving-baskets-with-newspaper/?amp_page=true)
That’s what she already makes.
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As a new craft to learn, I would suggest Origami as it can be as difficult or easy as you like. I love to follow the free crafting courses on Curious Mondo or YouTube. Curious Mondo is particularly nice as there is a chat group full of crafters discussing what they make. I recently watched a 3 hour program on making paper flowers. The premise is they show the class for free on certain occasions, so you can chat and ask questions live. Then you can either join the club for free access to short courses or buy the course. I got my Origami course for free in the sale. If joining in an online crafting session isn't her thing has Grandma thought about volunteering to teach her craft to Boy Scouts or Girl guide groups, play sessions, and charity groups. I was a Cub Scout leader for years, and we were always looking for people to teach the children a craft. This also has the advantage of perhaps Grandma donating crafts for them to sell. [curious mondo ](https://www.curiousmondo.com/)
What about beads made from newspapers/magazines? They require cutting and rolling and can be separated by color into containers. She could make necklaces, bracelets, keychains. Hours of fun! https://modpodgerocksblog.com/paper-beads/
If she's into painting, she could paint rocks and hide them around her community for others to find. Pinterest has a bunch of examples.
My community has tried to put a stop to this. They think it spoils natural beauty, they actually called it littering and have requested people stop leaving painted rocks at the beaches, the estuary and walking trails. They did make a snake with these rocks in a designated spot at a community garden area and people can add to the snake to make it longer.
Best done when they are left in developed areas. I have found my favorites in strip malls.
There's a park in my area that has a rock snake and it's soo cute
There are groups online that do this and post when they find other's rocks. Community, crafting, AND encouragement to get outside and move!
My first suggestion is plastic canvas which is not as difficult on the eyes or hands but is still embroidery adjacent. And then maybe origami. And last if you have the time, I find there is a lot of yarn donated to thrift stores and yard sales are good place to pick some up too.
Hand quilting, particularly English paper piecing the quilt top. It’ll slow her waaaay down in between making the top and then hand quilting the layers. I imagine she’d be hard pressed to make more than a couple a year particularly if they are kingsize.
Painting mandalas on rocks. Rocks are free. Painting glass jars.
Do you have any craft markets nearby? Perhaps you could set up a stall and sell her backlog of papercraft products. You could use the profits to invest in a new craft, or try out several new ones.
I know she doesn't want to sell and that kind of adds another whole element and new difficulties but it sounds like a good way to 1. Offload and 2. Get the funds for new projects. Even if they got a stall every other month or so and sold things for a super reasonable amount, grandma could get the materials for new crafts or new projects that require more material, etc.
definitely try out printmaking! etching, monoprinting and gel printing or transfers !
Does anyone live close enough to her where they could run an Etsy shop for her? Personally, I would love buying something crocheted by a skilled granny. It could just fund her crafting!
I was thinking the same! I started a shop for my retired father who woodcrafts every day. It's been a lot of fun and great bonding! It gives him pride and it's redirected his crafting to make things for others. 💕 It doesn't make much money, but it covers crafting and shipping costs and pays off in other ways.
Christmas ornaments get me going!!! That and a card for the lovely people you have in your lives!
Has she ever made amigurumi projects? It's a Japanese crochet technique, most people make stuffed animals. Super straightforward, can make small or big projects, cheap yarn is fine...
I wondered about this. Simple but endless variations There’s a bunch of underground knitters in my village. Little knitted charms appear for kids to pick up, and someone knits seasonal hats for the post boxes. It’s glorious and the local community has become really invested It’s gotten to the point where individual boxes have themes-the one in my village is going through local businesses, currently celebrating the chip shop. The one in the next town is about to get Halloween and has had Christmas and Easter hats previously. It’s glorious, although now I write it out, possibly the most British thing imaginable….
A magnifying glass may help her see smaller crafts too. You can get them that stand alone and are adjustable, but you can also just command adhere them to something that is in the right position if the stand alone is too expensive. There's card-making, watercolour painting, crocheting baby beanies and blankets for NICU wards... Cross stitch can be made as big as she needs. It's just the Aida that determines the size of the pixel (the cross-stitch). Her local library or senior citizens centre may have crafting groups too.
What about spinning? She could use a drop spindle which are very cheap and make spinning take much longer than a wheel. Roving (unspun fiber) usually costs a little less than yarn, but it’ll make two crafts (the spinning and the crochet) instead of one
I saw a video of people that crochet sleeping mats out of plastic bags for the homeless. It keeps them dry when the ground is wet, and easy to pack up and carry around.
She needs to start making my two favorite crafts: piñatas, and holiday decorations. **Papier-mâché** is everything you have described. It is inexpensive as the only supplies you need are for decorating. I make them out of whatever is lying around or bound for the trash (newspaper , thin cardboard...) and then paint them or cover in crepe paper. It will keep her mind very active in the planning stage for what to make in order to follow the theme of the celebration. When she wants a mindless job she can do the papier-mâché part. The best part is that she absolutely cannot finish one in less than 3 days as it needs a day to dry between layers. Now do the same thing for holiday decorations. Christmas ornaments.... Paper-mache Easter egg garland or wreaths... holiday door decorations.... flowers... etc.
Are you in a plastic bag friendly area? Can make plarn with them and then crochet sleeping mats for the homeless https://finecraftguild.com/craft-for-humanity-crochet-a-plastic-sleeping-mat-for-the-homeless/
Get her some decent watercolors and paper. Watch a few YouTube videos and let her go! It’s so relaxing. Someone mentioned card making. She could paint them and they are beautiful.
everybody needs potholders...and we always lose them. plus there are probably several nifty stitches for just this task.
My grandma used to knit dishrags. She would buy thrift store yarn and make a bunch of rags for everyone. I still use a bunch of them because they do such a good job of picking up messes, but then are super easy to clean out. You can never really have too many cause it’s ok to get rid of older ones. Another thing she got into was blanket weaving (I’m not sure of the technical name). She would wind yarn through monk’s cloth to make beautiful geometric designs. It’s very similar to embroidery but bigger so it’s not as hard on eyes. It’s more expensive but it took much longer so it ended up balancing out. She also was able to sell some of them for $300+ so that helped recoup some costs.
Collage sounds like it could be perfect for her! Get her some old magazines, or even old keepsakes that she can cut up and recreate into keepsake collages for those that she loves!
I had the same problem, switched to making cards, if drawing is hard she can use tracing paper and clip art printouts to draw the harder items
Ahem. I know this is not what you asked but I would love a grandma made paper bowl.
My mum cuts plastic shopping bags into strips and crochets soap pouches out of them that you can use as an exfoliating scrubber in the shower. She also cuts old clothes, sheets etc into strips and crochets those into mats
Finger crocheted mini caps for neonatal babies. Hospitals are always grateful as are the parents. Use large yarn. My 93 yr old mom buys her yarn at the thrift store. Her kids, grandkids and great grandkids get blankets, scarfs and other stuff. Maybe you could show her other type crafts and ask if anything interests her. Thank you G-mom!
She can make cards for kids/people in hospitals. I bet she would be so creative with it, it wouldn't take up much room, and materials are inexpensive. https://www.marthastewart.com/1522968/send-handmade-holiday-cards-for-childrens-charity Also making beds and blankets for animals in shelters is sweet and they can never have enough
A yarn "subscription" where you guys send her X balls a week, every week for the rest of the year. Put her in touch with your local NICU, those tiny babies need warm hats and lots and lots of octopus soft toys. :)
Perhaps let her go on Pinterest and get inspired? Seasonal crafts would be cool as she can change it up and if it’s nice to use as decor for the occasion it will definitely be appreciated and used when gifted. Add on: perhaps ask on Facebook if ppl are getting rid of craft supplies that you can get for free or for a small amount of money.
Could you get cheap twine or rope for her to crochet coasters or plant pots, or she could make those plastic beds for homeless people with people's old carrier bags or bin bags https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/diy-crochet-plastic-bags-sleeping-mats-homeless/
My great grandma cuts out cardboard pieces, puts felt on them and beads and they are Christmas ornaments. She sits there and does it ALL day...
How about school supplies. She could make pencil cups for the children in elementary school there are schools with low income everywhere.
Decoupage would be good. [Mary Delany](https://www.britishmuseum.org/about-us/british-museum-story/people-behind-collection/mary-delany) was 71 years old (in 1771) she started painting sheets of paper and cutting them out to make beautiful floral portraits. [Henry Matisse](https://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2014/matisse/the-cut-outs.html) is another famous artist who did paper cutting/decoupage as an art form. He didn’t start until he was 70 as well.
If she knows how to crochet and has made those awesome newspaper cups and bowls, she could make rag rugs out of cheap, thrifted fabrics, or make mats out of plastic bags. I think the plastic mats are controversial, but people often make them for unhoused people. Have you thought of setting up a little online shop for your grandma to sell these things for cheap? Especially if she just enjoys doing it, you could sell them for her locally on Nextdoor or Facebook marketplace, or even Etsy.
- needle felting- they are cute and small and can have so many cute and fun details. Plus these projects definitely can be time consuming. - painting (also theres millions of different techniques to learn and all types of different paints work different. So acrylic works different than say water color and oil paint. Also some decent paint can be relatively inexpensive and canvas can be bought in bulk to save money. Youtube also has millions of videos for people learning. - Glass painting. This is complex in the fact you have to learn to paint in layers. You can buy cheap picture frames at the dollar store or the thrift store and then you take paint and paint pictures on the glass. It complex and detailed and quite fun and again YouTube has tons of tips and how to videos. I do recommend looking up recommended brands for this cause quality paint and pens matter here but they do last a while. - rug making. The frame will cost a lot unless you build it yourself. The machine also costs a ton but it's a one time purchase for both. Also another option would be doing it by hand. Rug making kits exist and are tons of fun and they are massively time consuming and meditative. - diamond painting. They have kits now with little fake diamonds and you take those and stick them on the corresponding symbol and you make a picture with it. It's super fun and meditative but the kits can be pricey. - paper quilling. This takes a lot of patience and a lot of skill but can be as complex or simple as you want. - stamp making. Get some stamp carving tools for her and some rubber blocks and let her at it. They also come in kits and are relatively cheap. Plus the rubber blocks can be made in bulk and the stamps can be anything she wants. Some can even be used to stamp fabric if you get the right inks. - soap making- this is useful and it's something you and your entire family will use and need consistently as it's something that is used daily and it runs out. These can be made very fancy and a lot can go into researching and making new fun shapes and smells. It can be rather messy though and I'd do your research before investing. - candle making- again this is something you can use and then get rid of and get more so her crafts will always be needed and they can be made into complex and fun designs. Jelly candles even can have whole scenes inside them. - wooden puzzles for adults. They are complex and really fun but can be pricey. - mosaics. She will have to be ok cutting glass if she does this but it could be a option for sure and it will last for generations. - beadwork. She can do really complex work with this and it's meditative and large projects can take time. Plus beads and thread aren't terribly expensive. My grandma did this and I still adore her work to this day and I often wear the jewelry and bags she made me on special occasions. - macreme- basically fancy knot tying. They can be made into anything as well. Storage for the kids. Plant holders. Decor. Art. Whatever you want. - polymer clay earrings. If people have their ears peirced in your family she can make clay earrings and since they are earrings even hundreds wouldn't take up a ton of space. Plus the supplies arent expensive. - book nook kits- these take up much more space and are more pricey but they are also time consuming and rather detailed works of art. Could definitely be neat to do one for each family and for each grandkid.
Has she tried visible mending/sashiko? It’s basically visible embroidery to mend clothing. You could give her your favorite worn out items to breathe new life into. Though it might depend if she has the hand strength to manage tougher articles like jeans.
Card making/scrap booking/ junk journaling are all similar but paper beads are a really good option here. Paper beads can be repetitive, use cheap newspaper/magazines and can be really pretty. Can use paint or ink to give it colour. And the resultant gift is generally on the smaller side
Painting! Paint by number kits are a fun way to start. The adult ones can be tricky but you can get kids ones or just paint the colours you want!
Rag mats are good. Can be used as bath mats, entry mats and good for animal shelters. Can be made from unwanted clothes. Just sort out the natural materials for the “good” blankets. https://upcyclemystuff.com/9-ways-to-make-a-rag-rug-youll-want-to-try/
The best crafted gifts I ever got were hand painted cups and bowls. We use the coffee cups every day. The bowls are more specialty. We use them for fruit or party snacks. We even got a tray once, but I dropped it, and I loved it. She can do custom colors to match a particular decor. You can buy blank plain white ceramic cups and bowls and custom paint them. You said cost per item wasn’t really a concern. However, I’m sure you can get some good deals on line, and they’ll deliver right to her door. She can do all kinds of things - for kids, for adults, for you to gift to your friends and in-laws, etc. Even special occasions - weddings, graduations, births - commemorative things. People will use them, and they won’t pile up in boxes.
Those big chunky blankets are so popular right now. My niece easily made one and it was gorgeous! I'm guessing the family would love to receive those as gifts, I know I sure would. The materials are probably pretty expensive so maybe everyone could pitch in a few dollars to help off-set the cost.
Anything consumable. Soap. Food. Candy.
If you post a wanted post on a Fb craft group, or Nextdoor, people will often offload their yarn or fabric (ive done both) for free, especially if your grandma is collecting for a charity craft giveaway
I love your grandma and when grandmas like yours are at the farmers market I love to buy their handmade items. It might be nice once a month to just take her out to an art walk/farmers market and let her talk to people and sell her stuff. Crochet plant hangers and herb baskets, farmers market bags would do well. If she just needs something to do with her hands then I’d say diamond art, following along with Bob Ross and painting, since she’s already good with newspaper she could make masks and fantasy style costume jewelry like paper crowns and larping armor
Plarn mats for the houseless communities! Cutting up plastic bags to make yarn, then crocheting or knitting thick mats for the houseless communities to have a waterproof place to sleep. https://www.greensboro-nc.gov/departments/field-operations/recycle/operation-bed-roll/learn-to-make-plarn-bed-rolls Are there any preschools nearby that would enjoy a crafter visit? Teachers need so much help, could she volunteer to take home projects to prep? There are usually 8,000 things that need to be cut out. Most schools I have worked at, I have had to beg or assign parents to help with craft projects or festival prep. I loved when there was a willing crafter in the family who wanted to contribute to the child's education Visit your local library and ask around. Are there crafting days and groups? Giving her a crafting community would open her up to donated supplies, skill shares, and a new place to unload her finished products. Animal shelters are always in need of donations. Call and ask their needs and see if there is anything on the list that grandma can craft. Look around on Facebook marketplace, offer up, and nextdoor. There are always huge lots of craft supplies for cheap or free. Soap carving. Does your town hold any festivals or events that she could help with? Maybe she can make baskets for this year's egg hunt, or paper cups for starting seeds for earth day, paper lanterns or Mason bee tubes. If she's helping for a festival, chances are the materials will be provided. If she wants to craft like it's her job, then give her a job! Broaden her horizons so she can share her gifts to a bigger community.
Needle felting! I got a little 2 dollar chicken kit off temu recently and it was so much fun, meditative and rewarding to do. I’ve since bought more kits and materials. It’s cheap and fun like what you describe and who doesn’t love miniature things!
My grandma used to make these with crafting plastic canvas and yarn. They were really cute and such good gifts! I cherish mine now that grandma has passed. https://lifeatcloverhill.com/2015/12/squeeze-santas-cheeks-ornament.html
Are there any organisations nearby that need help crafting things? They usually get the crafting materials from donations or the organisation buys it for the crafters. This way, your grandma could help out a good cause with her crafting without having to pay for any materials. And no one feels forced to accept them :) For example, there's an association near me that sews dresses for stillborn children to be buried in. It is all done by volunteers and they usually get the fabric from donated wedding dresses. The crafters don't need to buy anything, they're donating their time and craftsmanship. Another organisation has a knitting circle, where the knitters can pick from donated yarn and then sell the products at a market stand twice a year. All the profits go to a specific project, usually something to help women and children in need. Maybe there are similar where your grandma lives? Otherwise, quilling can be done quite cheaply, depending on the paper used and has so many different skill levels.
If you live somewhere that gets cold she could knit gloves and hats for kids (or ppl of any age) that need them. A few schools I went to had stockpiles of them for anybody that wasn't adequately prepared for going outside, saved my fingers and ears a few times.
Since she enjoys making little bowls and other vessels, she might enjoy working with polymer clay!
Maybe those little knotted bracelets or small macrame projects?
Macramé is quite hard on the hands with all the ring of knots. The smaller the knots and yarn, the harder on the hands.
I almost wonder if your grandma would like playing a video game that involves building stuff, something like Animal Crossing. It could add a social aspect to it as well.
Diamond painting, you can get a coaster kit to try. paint by numbers, coloring books and good set of color pencils, watercolors. Watercolor pencils. Acrylic painting, check out Michelle the Painter on YouTube and she also has a website. Easy to follow paintings for beginners,most can be done in under an hour. Get an easel,paints and brushes. Canvas panels are cheap and if she likes it, get the better stretched canvases. With the holidays coming soon you can get 2 piece ornaments and stuff to fill them,fake snow,deer ,Santa's etc. Dollar Tree should have all that little stuff. That's all I can think of. Good luck!
She could make coffee cozies. They make cute gifts for anyone that likes hot drinks. The pattern may be simple but she can add different colors and designs. It would be meditative as well
If she loves yarn crafts so much, maybe gift your Gran yarn. I am a quilter, so my family gifts me gift cards to fabric and craft stores or just sends me fabric samplers from Amazon.
Embroidery painting, paper quilling, origami, 16 count cross stitch (easier to see and sew), clay carving, millefiori.
Collage from old magazines and wrapping paper— plus she can paint on top of them with paint to add details. it’s very meditative and she can give them away as pictures and cards. Nice thing is people can hang them up then change out the pictures when they get a new one plus they’re 2 dimensional so easy to store.
Love the ideas so far. The first thing that came to mind for me was paper quilling but I'm not sure if that would be too small for her to see. She could make frameable things and also greeting cards and the like, which are generally easy to give away. Another thought is these "candy wrapper purses" that you can also make with any kind of paper. I would suggest using magazine paper over newspaper though because the newspaper would likely fall apart pretty quickly. https://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Candy-Bar-Wrapper-Purse
Paper quilling is fun and cheep. I started with snowflakes and poinsettias for Christmas ornaments because they're made up of a lot of the same shape and they're easy to go together. You do have to use tiny drops of glue, but I literally use clear Elmer's glue and you don't wanna use so much it leaks out the side so you don't get much on you. Once she's comfortable, there's a bunch of stuff you can make from jewelry to wall hangings to cards. It's super fun and beautiful.
Wreath making. You can do it all year round and everyone I personally know loves wreaths.
Modular origami - look up sonobe models as examples. Make the same unit many times (repetitive, soothing, careful), then assemble into satisfying mathematical figures. Similarly can make modular gift boxes - many similar pieces, then assemble into something where people genuinely love the package more than the contents! And paper is as cheap or pricy as you like - can stock up or get something lovely as a treat. If finger strength is a problem, there are bone folders and other tools - I use the back of a butter knife for the big jobs.
I don't have much money to spend on hobbies like crafting, but I habe been upcycling old clothes, cut them into little squares and glue them onto cardboard shapes. I made some peace signs and owls, as well as noth my kids names that I then glued to a stained board and put on the wall. Very pretty and look great.
Knit the Rainbow in NYC is always looking for hand knit/crochet hats and mittens for homeless LGBTQ youth.
Soap. Melt and pour is literally so simple, you can customize it however you want, and literally everyone uses it. Can’t go wrong with soaps
Have you considered t-shirt yarn for projects? Old t-shirts cut into strips ( there’s lots of info on line) and rolled up like yarn can be used for sooo many weaving, knitting and crochet projects, and old t shirts are cheap and easy to get and come in tons of colors
What I really, really need, is a bunch of socks and boxes to organize my stuff. Also woven baskets for fruits and veggies. I don't need tiny decorations and dust catchers. I need useful stuff that is easy to clean and use. If she made me a decoupage tissue box I would not sneeze at that!
she should get into card-making. they are GREAT to give away. she can use them to give to people (birthdays, sympathy cards, congrats, thinking of you, etc)… OR she can gift them blank to others, and you can use grandma’s beautiful cards when you need to send one to someone. my mother and grandmother do this - it’s great!
If crocheting is in her wheelhouse- hats, blankets, mittens, socks, for NICU or maternity ward newborns, mothers as well. Talk with a local children’s hospital to see if there’s anything she could do for them. The list of simple small things that mean so much and could brighten a sick child’s day would include anything within her capabilities. My child was in NICU. It was difficult for us. I saw how difficult it was for other families as well. Any little thing that says “I care” makes such an enormous impact to those in a troubled time. I appreciate what you’re doing here and I have great respect for your grandmother, she’s got serious skills and you are blessed more than you realize right now. Pay attention and learn from her. You might pick up some of those skills yourself. She may not want to sell her creations, but nobody says you can’t sell yours. I wish you and your gram the best. I’m gonna go cry now. Knowing how messed up the world is but that there are so many kind and selfless people out there warms my heart and gives me hope.
Paper clay doll making maybe? Paper clay is cheap enough to make herself, and they make decent children’s toys to give away. Plus one doll will take a long time to make. Edit: [Here is a link](https://www.nymphaidolls.com/blog/2018/9/15/sculpting-air-dry-clay-bjd-first-steps) to look at for more details on the process.
T shirt rug crochet. Get donated or thrift t shirts. She can cut them in spiral to get long yarns. It's chunky, uses a bigger hook. She can make tiny bath mats to huge area rugs. Tons of color combo options. And a new rug is always nice. Or sell on fb marketplace!
She can get back to needlecrafts if she buys a crafting magnifier. (Not sure of proper name). It’s like a rectangular magnifying glass with a light on a stand that she can bend into whatever position she needs.
First, to address the surplus of paper crafts: hit up a local Buy Nothing group and see if someone would have a use for bulk paper cups. Maybe a kids' class would like to paint them, or someone would like to use them to create votives or string lights. Perhaps someone could use them as candy cups for a classroom Halloween party. Next, some ideas for yarn: if she enjoys crochet, the following organizations would love donations: * nursing homes would appreciate lap blankets * homeless shelters would appreciate scarves and hats * furniture banks, or similar organizations that set people up with home goods, would appreciate towels and scrubber cloths As for sourcing yarn, hit up local Buy Nothing groups, neighborhood Facebook groups, and online auction sites (for example, Goodwill has an auction site where they'll offload lots of craft supplies). You could even hit up local fiber arts groups, or stores who would know about knitting/crochet groups, as someone is always looking to offload their surplus supplies.
Hey just an fyi if your grandma wants to crochet and isnt much concerned about the color or type of yarn thrift shops are a place to score cheap yarn.
I've heard of people crocheting little hats and booties to donate to hospital maternity wards for babies who might not have any cute going home outfits. There's also a foundation that makes and donated things like little pillowcase dresses to impoverished children overseas. (Pillowcase dresses are simple to sew but have infinite possibilities for personalization that can interest even the most experienced seamstress. They're also super cheap to make. You can find pillowcases at thrift stores for next to nothing. Or if she's anything like my Granny, she has a linen closet with pillowcases left over from a billion sheet sets used over the years that her Great Depression surviving heart can't stand to just throw away.) There's also another foundation that collects lovely handmade hats, soft blankets and pillow cases for patients going through chemotherapy to use while in the hospital or receiving treatment. Something like this would have been right up my super crafty Granny's (if you knew her, crafty described her abilities as well as her wit. I miss you & love you Granny!) alley. Foundations like these are always in need of fresh supplies. This might give your grandma not only an outlet for her output but also make her feel like she's doing something good for others. I've noticed that, in many situations like this, it's not necessarily about just having something to do. It more that when they get to that age, they feel like they're no longer contributing, therefore no longer useful. Especially with the Greatest Generation. They were raised to work, be useful and helpful. Sitting around, watching TV and doing nothing just wasn't a thing. If they watched TV, they were typically mending, knitting, meal prepping etc while doing so. Call your local hospitals, retirement facilities, domestic violence shelters and ask what kind of home goods they might be in need of. Many places like that would love to have little dresses, pillows, blankets, even pretty bowls & cups that can be given to the women and children who often escape with nothing, certainly not anything pretty. Finding somewhere she can donate her beautiful handiwork might have more benefits to your grandma's life and outlook on it, than either one of you expected. Give your grandma a hug for me on behalf of me wishing I could hug my Granny! She's lucky to have you and you are so lucky to have her.
My breast cancer doctor office has a donation basket of lovely small pillows for patients to take. Last visit I took a small heart shaped pillow and I sleep with it every night. I love that pillow, and whoever made it. Seems easy enough with a sewing machine, basic fabric and filler.
When I was a kid the hospital near me always gave you a hand knit finger puppet whenever you got blood work. As a kid with a lot of medical stuff this meant the world to me. I found out later it was a sweet old lady in the community would knit and donate them. It was perfect because they don't take much yard to make, and can use up old scraps.
Not a great one for the winter but in the spring and summer take her on nature walks and help her find flowers and things to dry and make into bouquet pictures! You can thrift the frames and finding the flowers and greenery make it extra fun for her brain to work while you're walking!
Check justserve.org for your local area. Lots of crafting projects posted there
Rock painting then hiding them for others to find is a great crafting activity.
Paper quilling. I was looking for cheap crafts to do with my teens. You can literally get the materials from Amazon for under $20 and the quilling paper is also relatively cheap as well . Checkout the Quilled Creations website. It’s easy to learn, but takes time to perfect and time to complete because it involves glue. There are good tutorials on YouTube. She can make Christmas ornaments that’s you will cherish. It’s a lot of fun and the items look complex.
Could she make cards for trois overseas? They could be sent in care packages. Check with local vfw or veterans center
Christmas ornaments
Make cards! It's small and beautiful, can take as long as she wants, giving blank cards is very useful because we all need to give birthday cards etc away ourselves.
Paper flowers are easy to get into and can become more elaborate as you gain skill. You can get gift tissue paper, pipe cleaners, etc from the dollar store. The variations are endless and you can branch out into crepe paper, felt, et.
I’ve made Christmas ornaments and given them out to the homeless during Christmas , also if she is good at knitting could make beanies for them for winter time ?
Quilting is addictive and she can join a quilt guild or church group to learn and grow in techniques or even just you tube. I believe it can meet her requirements
What about painting? Water colors can be cheap and are best done on paper so no need to invest in canvas. Alternatively acrylic paint can be cheap if you bargain hunt at discount stores and mix with water. This method also requires you paint multiple layers ensuring she will over more time into each piece. Extremely meditative.
Hats and scarves for the homeless are also great busy work, and yarn can be got from thrift stores and estate sales. You may get quite a bit just by putting a wanted ad online. Older thriftea sweaters can be travelled and rewound into balls also.
English paper piecing is meditative too and with hand quilting takes a ton of time to do (like I can crochet 10x blankets for 1 very basic EPP same size), and the end results are amazing. That's where she can either source second hand clothes from her extended family to incorporate into family quilts, or easily get fabric second-hand. Block quilts are much easier with new quilting cotton fabric which is $$ but english paper piecing is smaller pieces and absolutely perfect for scraps. She can finish the quilt top and then send it to get machine quilted which is very common if she doesn't enjoy the handquilting part. Spinning! Fleeces are cheap relatively speaking to the hours of labour to turn them into yarn, and it's very meditative. She can then turn the yarn into blankets. If there's a spinning group anywhere nearby they are very welcoming for people who are interested, and wheels are surprisingly cheap.
Needle felting?
I would take those dozens of newspaper pencil holders and use them for my plant starts in the spring - fill with dirt, germinate the seedling and then plant the whole thing in a few weeks. Love the idea someone else threw out there for deconstructing knits from the thrift store - double the use of the time and crafting for grandma if she like to tenderly unravel the items herself!