I make gifts for a senior center as prizes for their Bingo and Bunko games, and sometimes for the luncheon drawings. Most items I make are from leftover artificial flowers and scrap wood. I am always looking for new, inexpensive gifts to make. Any ideas would greatly be appreciated. (I cannot get pictures to load to show what we have made in the past.)
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Have you ever considered bottle art? You can take old bottles and make the cutest gifts from them. I do a lot of bottle art and you can cover the bottles with almost anything and then add your flowers to the outside of the bottles. Another great gift idea is from old CDs. You can strip off the label of these CDs and make sun catchers that can hang in their window. They would love to see the beauty of the sun glowing in their rooms and see the colors that reflect off the CDs you have painted. One good way to do this is with permanent markers and some old nail polish.
Painted river rocks or stones would be an inexpensive, easy gift idea. You can buy a container of river rocks in the craft department of a store or possibly you could collect stones from the area you live in.
For several years I worked with a group that visited 3 assisted living facilities and I know it was sometimes complicated about what type of 'prizes' we could make or give. Since you are at a Senior Center this may not be a problem for you. Our first thought had to be safety for everyone.
Since there were several people in the group we each 'toured' charity thrift stores in different areas of town and ask if they had any discards that we might check to see if we could make something useful for our people.
Some things were of the sort that some of the people could even help put together at their 'craft' sessions.
Since you are doing this alone you may not be able to make these trips but it was fun for everyone.
Not sure if you can give living plants but I find most people really like a small living plant placed in a decorator mug and I find nice mugs for 10 to 25 cents. Charcoal & rocks in the bottom help with drainage and the plants seem to live longer. Succulents work well in mugs.
I am not a member of the staff at the Senior Center. I am just someone that goes there, (when not closed by the virus) and I like making things. I have held classes and had people make things and everyone enjoyed doing the projects. I have made Flowered wall plaques, planters, groups of flowers, (wooden) Scarecrows, snowmen, and turkeys all from wood.
The joke is that the people that attend the Center only have so much wall space and that I need to find something different for prizes. That is why I came to you folks for ideas,
Thanks for adding this information as it makes a big difference in what type of ideas you're looking for.
Maybe some others will read this and add more ideas.
I have found really nice dish towel sets (sometimes up to 4 in a pack) at my local dollar store! It would be a fun, inexpensive and useful prize!!
I used to love getting dish towel dolls or angels:
The other thing I loved getting for prizes was things made from Candy Bars...
Like these examples of a sled made of candy:
www.smartschoolhouse.com/
Or a candy bar cake:
A lesser favorite--only because I got so many, was a mug filled with single packs of tea or cocoa or coffee and a prepackaged cookie.
In these crazy times, you can't go wrong with food driven items (unless of course everyone has food allergies and that is a whole other challenge).
Post back what you decide!
Thanks for the dishtowel ideas. I make things from wood, most can hang on the wall, some seem to go better on a table top. I have made everything from paper plate holders, to flowers coming out of watering cans mounted on a board. All these prizes come out of my pocket as I am not a member of the Staff at the Senior Center. They like what I make, but you can only make so many wall plaques. Always looking for new ideas.
Keep a eye out on mark downs after holidays and season changes. So many stores make down items as high as 80% just to get rid those seasonal items , to bring in new season. Also you can check with those retail stores and let them know that you are working for a senior center and would they donate (make sure you bring in a letter head with name location of the center). It would also help to mention the bingo games for prizes. Often retail stores will help out!
Thanks for the idea of talking to the stores about possible donations. I have a deal with the local Lowe's store, I buy a lot of their "culled" lumber, (wood that is cracked warped or has some damage.)
It is hard to come up with ideas for stuff when most members of the senior center don't have a lot of space to put things, but they enjoy winning/getting the prizes. Going to try the dish towel and candy bar ideas, and see what I can come up with.
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