10 Easy Crafts for Seniors to Sell & Make Money from Home

Are you a senior citizen looking for easy crafts you can do from home and make money?

This guide is for you because I have thoroughly researched and come up with the 10 best you can do.

These crafts aren’t stressful, they don’t require experience or even huge investment. You can do them while sitting on your Yoga chair or sofa in your living room.

1. Handmade Greetings Card ( Best easy craft for seniors with Dementia)

Handmade personalized greeting cards are the most common craft many senior citizens do to make money from home. It is more suitable for seniors with dementia. During seasons like Christmas, Easter, Valentine, Halloween, and Thanksgiving, people buy greeting cards and give them to their families, friends, and well-wishers to show them love and care. It’s a creative craft from which older people derive joy.

To get started, you need the following materials:

• Card base
• Colored and patterned papers
• Scissors to cut the papers into shapes
• Glue or adhesive that will hold the paper
• Stamps to create personalized designs
• Maker, colored pencil, or water paints to design the card

Making a personalized greeting card is easy if you follow the steps below:

• Choose a card base. You can buy pre-made blank cards or cut and fold your card stock paper.
• Design your card based on the events or occasions of the moment. Let’s assume you want to design a Valentine’s card, you can create a love shape
• Cut and assemble colored papers to create a unique and personalized design on your card. You can use scissors to create various shapes you want. Then use glue to attach them to your card base.
• Add personal touches that reflect the intent of the person you create the handmade greeting card for. It could be adding photos, lovely text messages written with a marker, or stamps that create designs on the card.
• Decorate the card using water paints, drawings, and colored pencils.
• Enhance the appearance of the card by adding washi tapes, stickers, and other embellishments.
• Package the greeting card to look appealing by putting it inside an envelope.
• Double-check to see that everything looks fine.
• Then sign and send it to the recipient whom you designed the greetings card for.

If you are ecommerce savvy, you can create an account on Etsy, and upload greetings cards you designed for people to buy. There are a lot of seniors who make up to $2000 per month selling handmade greeting cards on Etsy.

2. Knitting and Crocheting ( Best yarn craft for seniors)

If you love designing clothes, knitting, and crocheting is a type of craft you can do and make money. Here you create fabrics or thread using different styles. Think of it as producing fabrics via interlocking loops using specific equipment. There are a lot of people who prefer clothes made through stitches that create a series of loops. These clothes are expensive, and you can make lots of money selling them to people in your locality.

To create fabrics through knitting, you will need the following materials:

• Knitting needle
• Yarn
• Scissors
• Yarn needle
• Stick makers
• Measuring tape
• Row counter

For Crocheting, you need the following materials:

• Crochet hook
• Yarn
• Scissors
• Stitch maker
• Measuring tape
• Row counter
• Crochet bag

To create fabrics through knitting follow the steps below:

• Gather the materials you will need like needles and yarn
• Create an initial row of stitches on one of the needles
• Knit stitch by inserting a needle into the first stitch of another needle
• Purl stitch by inserting the needle from right to left into the stitch, then wrap the yarn and pull it.
• Alternate between the purl and knit stitches until different patterns or texture is created.
• Bind and cast off to keep the last row of stitches together.

The process of crocheting to create fabrics is similar to that of knitting. It goes as follows:

• Gather crocheting materials
• Make a slip knot at the end of the yarn and put it on the crochet hook.
• Make chain stitches repeatedly to create a pattern of your choice
• Insert the hook in the second chain, and pull up a loop.
• Create double crochet
• Work on a single or double crochet based on the pattern you want to achieve
• Cut the yarn and yarn over, then pull through to have the last loop.

If you aren’t creative in nature, knitting and crocheting might look hard for you. They aren’t as easy as designing greeting cards and require constant practice to create awesome patterns.

3. Jewelry Making ( Best fall craft for seniors)

Making jewelry with beads or wire is a fall craft you can make from home and make money as an older person. During fall, people are in the mood for seasonal celebrations and always look for unique items like locally made jewelry to enhance their outfits.

This type of craft is as easy as making handmade greeting cards. It involves taking beautiful beads into wires and creating a hook to have them stay on the neck of the person who wears them. You can sell them on Etsy or to brick-and-mortar fashion stores in your locality.

To make jewelry with beads, you need the following materials:

• Beads of different sizes, colors, and shapes
• Beading wire of various thicknesses
• Clasps to fasten the end of your jewelry piece
• Crimp beads to secure the end of the wire and attach the clasp
• Jump ring that connects clasps to your jewelry
• Wire cutter to cut wire or thread into lengths
• Round Nose pliers to manipulate wire, and create a loop
• Pendants to decorate your jewelry and make it look more attractive
• Beading mat to stop beads from rolling away while you are making craft
• Design book where you can make sketches and project how your jewelry should look like

To make jewelry using beads, follow these steps:

• Gather the materials and tools you need
• Look into your design book and plan the design of the jewelry you want to make
• Cut thread or wire using the wire cutter
• Attach the clasp to one end of the wire
• Thread your chosen bead into the wire
• Attach the other clasp to the opposite end of the wire
• Use a crimp bead to keep the clasp in place to avoid slacking
• Trim excess wire to ensure it’s tidy and hidden
• Add finishing touches like a pendant to make your jewelry more attractive
• Inspect it thoroughly and make adjustments where needed
• Wear it and use a face mirror to check out how it will look on someone who wears it.
• Package and send it to the buyer.

4. Painted Rocks ( Best spring crafts for seniors)

Painting small stones with water paints, and markers is a craft you can do during spring and make money as a senior citizen. Art exhibitions are common during spring and people come around to buy unique items like painted rocks and use them as decorations in their homes. You can sell them on Etsy since it’s one of the vintage items people buy.

To make a painted rock, you need the following materials:

• Rocks or Pebbles – you can buy them from craft stores or garden centers
• Acrylic paint – Use it in different colors to decorate your rock.
• Paintbrush – Use it to detail, fill a large area, and create a fine line.
• Water container – to wash and rinse your brush
• Towel – to wipe brushes for them to be dry
• Palette – to mix paint colors
• Paint makers – to create fine and intricate design
• Sealant- to protect your painted rock and give it a glossy finish
• Pencil and Eraser – to outline and sketch your design on the rock before decorating
• Storage containers – to protect your rocks and keep them organized after painting.

Now you know the materials you would need to make a painted rock, let’s look at the steps involved:

• Gather your materials
• Clean and prepare the rock by washing and drying it to remove dirt that may affect your creative work
• Decide on the pattern you want to paint on the rock
• Apply acrylic paint to the rock and give time for it to dry
• Use smaller paint markers or brushes to create unique designs and patterns based with regard to the message you want to pass across with your craft
• Allow designs you have made to dry
• Use fine-tipped brushes to make fine lines and designs
• Apply sealant once the paint is dry. This will give it a glossy or shiny outlook which makes it attractive.
• Allow the sealant to cure thoroughly
• Take it to your storage container from where you display it to people who want to buy it.

5. Homemade Candles ( Best Christmas craft for seniors)

Making decorative or scented candles from home is a lucrative craft you can begin today as a senior citizen. A lot of people buy homemade candles for decorative purposes. For example, families go for scented and decorative candles during Christmas to make their home wear the look of the season. You can sell this to local stores in your community or display it online. There are a lot of people who make up to $1000 monthly selling homemade candles on marketplaces like Etsy and eBay.

Here are the basic materials you need to make homemade candles:

• Wax – it can be paraffin, soy, or beeswax
• Wicks – This depends on the type of candle you want to make
• Fragrance oil – to give your candle a pleasant scent
• Colorant – give your candle different colors
• Molds – to create a shape for your candle
• Double boiler – to melt the wax safely to avoid hazard
• Thermometer – to gauge the temperature of the wax to be sure it reaches the required Celsius before pouring.
• Stirring utensil – to stir the wax and mix other materials appropriately
• Packaging materials – to package your candle for sale
• Safety equipment – to protect yourself against heat. Example – heat-resistant gloves, and safety goggles
• Kitchen scale – to measure and take the appropriate quantity of wax and other materials

Let’s look at the steps to make a homemade candle:

• Gather your materials
• Choose a well-ventilated workspace
• Measure and melt the wax
• Add fragrance and color
• Get the wicks ready
• Pour the wax into the wicks
• Allows the wax to cool and set
• Trim the wicks to the desired length
• Label and package your candle

Watch the video below to learn how to make homemade candles with scents:

6. Sewing

If you have sewing skills, you can make bedsheets, pillowcases, tablecloths, curtains, and other clothing materials needed in the home. These items are high in demand as every home needs them. You can package and sell them to home decor stores in your community or sell them online on Etsy or eBay.

To make this clothing, you need the following materials:

• A sewing machine – you can get one on Amazon
• Fabrics
• Thread
• Elastic
• Lining
• Pins and Pin cushions
• Scissors
• Hemming tape
• Curtain rings

Sewing with a manual sewing machine may be stressful if you’re over 60 years old as it will require you pedaling the machine consistently to make stitches. In this case, consider buying an electric or automatic sewing machine that doesn’t involve manual efforts for you to make stitches.

7. Woodworking

Woodworking is a lucrative craft you can do as a senior citizen. I recommend it to men since it is a bit stressful and requires more energy. But if you are a superwoman who can do what men do, go ahead.

It involves creating objects and structures from wood using tools and polishing them to look attractive. You can create objects for home and office decoration that send a powerful message. For example, you can do a woodwork that shows a mother breastfeeding her baby. This type of craft shows the bond that exists between mother and child and families will like to buy them.

Anyone with carpenter skills can do this kind of job from home and sell them in the market or online.

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To start woodwork, below are the basic materials you will need:

• Wood of different types – hardwood, softwood, and plywood
• Wood glue – to join two pieces of wood
• Sandpaper – to smoothen wood
• Wood filler – to fill holes in a wood
• Finishing materials like paint and sealant
• Fasteners like nails and screws are used to connect pieces of wood

You also need the following tools:
Chisel, hammer, saw hand planes, routers, clamps, measuring tape, workbench, lightning source, toolbox, and safety gear.

Woodworking is a lucrative craft that can make you a lot of money. Some woodwork on Etsy costs over $1000. However, it requires initial investment into tools and materials.

8. Taking and Selling Photos

There are a lot of seniors, especially in America who make photography a craft they engage in and make money from home. It involves using digital cameras or smartphones to capture images in a way that conveys messages, tells stories, or depicts the beauty of a subject.

It could be wildlife, landscape, architectural, or portrait photography. For example, you can capture the image of unique wild animals or ancient buildings and keep them in soft or hard copy. You can license them on stock photo sites like Alamy, and Shutterstock where people who value stock images can purchase them.

To start photography as a craft, you need the following materials/tools:

• Camera – a digital camera – you can buy one here. Or a smartphone with a high-quality camera
• Camera bag – to store your camera and make carrying it easier
• Camera battery and charger
• Memory card – to store photos, so you have them readily available
• Tripod – To keep your camera in a firm position, so it doesn’t shake especially while you take landscape photos. This is to ensure you don’t have blur images.
• External flash – to improve lighting when taking photos in a dark setting
• Photo editing software– to edit and customize photos to enhance looks

To make the best out of photography, it’s important you hone your skills. Focus more on capturing unique images and selling them on platforms like Shutterstock and Alamy where they are valued most.

9. Handmade Soap

You can make local soap with natural ingredients and sell them in your community or local markets. Soap-making is one craft that doesn’t require advanced skills. It isn’t strenuous that even a senior citizen of 70 years and above can do. Many people prefer locally made soap, especially for bathing and laundry since they are made with organic ingredients.

If handmade soap is a craft you are considering, you will need the following basic materials:

• Soap base – Choose a soap base depending on the soap-making process you prefer
• Distilled water – to minimize impurities that can affect soap quality
• Oils and fats – to boost the texture of the soap – olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, or any other type of oil
• Lye – for cold or hot process soap. Lye is also known as Sodium Hydroxide
• Fragrance – to give your soap a pleasant scent
• Colorant – to give different colors to your soap
• Mixing utensils – to mix ingredients
• Thermometer – to monitor the temperature of your ingredients when making cold or hot process soap
• Molds – to put your soap into different shapes
• Wax paper – to insulate the soap while it’s curing
• Cutting tool – to cut the soap into the bar after it has cured
• Kitchen scale – to measure and take the accurate quantity of ingredients
• Labels – this is for packaging purposes. The aim is to show the ingredients used, production date, and specific use of the soap

10. Digital Craft

If you’re a senior citizen who has a sound knowledge of how to use computer programs, making digital crafts can make you money from home. This is different from physical crafts that require the use of natural or physical materials to create. Here you leverage computer programs to design crafts and sell them online.

Let’s assume you’re a dietician, you can use programs like Canva to design a meal plan for diabetic patients or vegetarians and sell it online. Businesses that use Pinterest to drive traffic pay to have creative minds design pins for them – this is another digital craft you can make using Canva, a graphics design tool with a free plan.

Some businesses can pay up to $500 for 50 well-designed Pinterest pins.

You can use 3D modeling software to design customized jewelry for people who want unique necklaces.

To make digital crafts, you will need the following tools:

• A high-end computer and Internet connection
• A digital drawing tablet
• Digital scanner
• Digital camera
• Applications/tools/software as it relates to the digital craft you want to make

What craft can dementia Seniors do?

Dementia seniors can engage in crafts that are simple, safe, fun, and above all give a sense of accomplishment. Making handmade greeting cards for seasons like Christmas, Valentine’s, Halloween, and New Year is a fun craft a dementia senior can do.

They don’t require critical thinking or expertise. Another is making jewelry with beads which is also simple as inserting beans into a wire, tying both ends, and attaching a hook that can keep it on the neck.

Even sewing simple clothing like blankets, bedsheets and curtains are what a senior citizen with dementia can do from home and make money.

What are good projects for seniors?

For seniors without health challenges, knitting and crocheting, homemade candles, woodworking, and digital crafts are good projects to embark on. Even if you don’t intend to sell them to make money, you can keep them in your house as a sort of collection or present them to your children and grandchildren as gifts during holiday season.

What are creative activities for the elderly?

As an elderly person, you can engage in the following creative activities:

• Clay making
• Woodworking
• Soap making
• Candle making
• Shoe polish making
• Styling hair for your fellow elderly
• Making jewelry with local beads
• Sewing home clothing like bedsheets, curtains, blankets, etc.

What crafts can a 50-year-old do?

Woodworking – creating structures and objects from wood
Soap making – using locally sourced materials to make soap
Jewelry – using beads of different sizes and colors to make necklaces, earrings, and ring
Digital craft- using computer programs to make crafts
Sewing- making home clothing like bedsheets, curtains, blankets, and pillowcases

Final thoughts on easy crafts for seniors

Homemade crafts are the most common ways a senior citizen can make money while having fun. I have mentioned 10 easy crafts you can start as an elderly person, stated materials you would need, and how you can sell them to make money. It’s up to you to digest them and decide the craft that suits you most.