My Sunday School class likes to make small gifts for a local nursing home. Anyone have ideas for inexpensive and fairly easy things we can make. We do fabic things, (did yo yo pins) as well as other craft type things (like bookmarks).
Thanks !!

How about bibs! Might even be able to use old towels. Good luck bingo charm. I will post again if I come up with anything else. Nice thing to do. I have a brother in a nursing home. Everything is appreciated very much in a nursing home.

Quilter 711

Ok.. for the life of me.. I can't remember what it is called.. BUT...
A friend of mine makes Kleenex box covers out of the white plastic grid thingys that you cross stitch with yarn. She makes them for her local nursing homes.

Thanks! I'll add those to my as yet non existant list and see what everyone thinks. They mostly like the company but we hate to go empty handed.

Those little tote-type bags that hang on walkers and wheelchairs. I'll look for a link for those.

Here's one link from this board:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/search....r+caddy&u=&s=0

if you go up to search at the top of this board and type in walker caddy you'll find a few of them.

Is it canvas needlepoint?

I think you mean plastic canvas? Hmm, worth checking into

Well the ladies are easy...they like things to put on their doors, little things for their beds, pillow cases, pretty bags to tie to walkers or wheelchairs, etc. Men are a bit more difficult...not as interested in "pretties" but still need things for their wheelchairs, walkers, etc. Thank you for doing this....my father had to spend the last few months in a NH and those little things that the churches did for him were so appreciated.

What about placemats? They could make them with all kinds of materials and cover with clear contact paper. Just a thought!

It's plastic cross stitch.

That s great idea because even the children could help. I can picture the face of an older person when they have a placemat with a child's "scribbles". Thanks so much to everyone, I was out of ideas and these are really helping me think again.

bags to put on walkers, I don't know what they are called but they lay over the arm of a recliner , a and hold remote control, glasses, a few kleenex. Go to the activity director and you will get a lot of ideas. Most nursing homes are very limited on $ for the activity dept. scraps, buttons, pipe cleaners,etc. Gerber now has puree foods in little plastic boxes just the right size for a variety of projects!

Novelty pillowcases. Just make sure its okay with staff.

little tote bags for toileteries. little baskets to put on the dining room tables to hold salt and pepper shakers, coffee creamers, and sugar packets. fabric Christmas decorations for the tree. Dog bone pillows. Ricesacks to heat in microwave.

This will take some sewing ability but oh so cute! My Dad had Parkinson so that last Christmas he was alive I made some 'shirt savers' (AKA adult bibs). One was white and put a 'button down' collar and "dress tie" on it. This was his favorite and he called it his "Sunday go to church bib". One I used an old sweatshirt and cut off the back. The front I machine embroidered a Kansas State PowerCat for the university my daugter (& other grandkids of his) graduated from. Another I went to the local thrift shop and found an old pair of striped overalls and made the front look like a plaid shirt under a pair of striped overalls. They were all very cute and he loved them. It took away the stigma that he needed to wear a bib at meals. For women one could make them to look like a frilly blouse, etc. FUN! Sue

My Girl Scouts used to make napkin rings once a month. They were simple, sometimes paper tubes cut and decorated, sometimes coloring pages cut out, sealed with clear contact paper and curled into a tube. But they enjoyed having something new every month.

If any of the residents are bed bound, perhaps some colorful mobiles. Lap blankets (about 3 ft square) are always nice and can be made by cutting a full size into 4 pieces and binding.

Fabric coasters. Scrappy baskets to hold their goodies. Flower pens. Fabric picture frames. Note cards with quilt blocks fused on.

Do you happen to have any pics of these??or even a link ?? this sounds so fun..My FIL is wheelchair bound and needs assistance eating so this would be a great idea for him and the rest of the residents..

wheelchair bags

big adult bibs

I just created a link for us to store the cool links for ideas


http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-65329-1.htm

Adult bibs free pattern here

http://www.laurassewingstudio.com/NL/060407/060407.html

I searched and found this cool free pattern for a guy with a tie

http://www.outonthetownbibs.com/Free...b-Pattern.html

also other free patterns there with photos,

Someone was doing slippers for men and women out of washclothes

What about covers for the individual packages of tissue women carry in their purses? Not all NH residents are bed bound...

http://www.sewthankful.com/media/Tra...sueHolder1.pdf

Or tote bags that have been decorated with a quilt block over the "store" logo to take to the grocery store. Imagine how confusing it gets on "store day" when all the bags are lined up in the back of the van, all looking the same.

fabric wallets or coin purses with zippers.

cushions for the wheelchair (they are very uncomfortable) fleece is good, sports themes for the guys? fishing? etc.

embroidered caps (if you have the ability)

decoupage a tray with flowers for the women for their bedside tray.

small grapevine wreaths for the doors/thinking Dollar Tree here/with silk flowers appropriate for the season

Yo-Yo flowers in a small fabric coated pot

You could make the no sew lap blankets My DSIL make them for all the kids in the family and they loves them she cut along the sides and tied them No worry about raffling as fleece doesn't raffle. Lot of sales on fleece right now and it wouldn't have to be very big for a lap blanket.