With experience in Senior living, Assisted living, and Memory care;
I proudly cater to all ability levels, ensuring everyone feels included and engaged. Whether it's assisted living or memory care, I understand the importance of adapting to meet diverse needs. My goal is to create a fun and educational environment everyone can thrive in and learn at their own pace. Join us and experience a class that truly embraces individual's unique abilities in a low pressure environment!
Projects
Faux Cookie ornaments
In this festive class, participants designed their own faux cookie ornaments, blending creativity with holiday charm. I provided handmade, pre-baked cookie bases, ready to be transformed into personalized keepsakes. Using acrylic paints, glitter, and puffy paint, students explored color, texture, and decorative details—just like icing real cookies, but without the mess.
Greeting Cards
I wanted to introduce art with a social focus so I encouraged the group to gift their finished cards to friends at the facility as well as loved ones from home. For this, I provided pre made cards to serve as “prototypes” to copy verbatim as well as ample pre cut accessories. Each prototype came with a corresponding bag containing everything they would need to recreate the cards in their own style while the pre cut accessories allowed for the customization of each design; giving residents the option to create from scratch or work with an outline. (Click on the photo to enlarge the gallery to full size.)
Rag Wreaths
Alternative wreath ideas, like flower wreaths, cork wreaths, and rag wreaths are a fun and unexpected project that also serves as door decor. Utilizing both form and function, rag wreaths also deeply engage the student and their hands. Provoking pattern and color recognition. While I provide an outline for a more "traditional" outcome, I also include alternative wreath patterns based solely on color. (Click on the photo to enlarge the gallery to full size.)
Magnetic wall organizers
A common complaint from my residents was that they don’t like to make holes in their walls but want a way to display multiple items at once. To mend this, we made custom magnetic organizers which could be hung on the wall or on the fridge! Residents were invited to use pre made paper templates or customize their own. We created spaces for a to-do list, photos of our families, and grocery lists!
Floral water colors
This paint and sip class was centered around the idea of “happy accidents” and letting go of control while creating. And water color is the perfect medium for this! I provided lightly pre sketched drawings of various flowers and bouquets, all labeled, and allowed the residents to paint and fill them in. We focused on layering the colors to build depth as well as using negative space to create highlights.
Tuna can ornaments
Festive and fun for the holiday season, we repurposed cleaned Tuna cans and decorated them diorama style. I supplied foxes, deer, a handful of dog breeds as well as trees, snow, ribbons, candy cane, moss, and a plethora of other decorations to adorn each can with.(Click on the photo to enlarge the gallery to full size.)
Autumn Watercolor Snapshots
This was a calming and low stress watercolor exercise where we focused on blocking in shapes then adding details later. Using gestural brushstrokes and embracing imperfection, we leaned into the Autumn beauty with three separate "snapshot" prompts to chose from (with additional larger pages to choose from). Click on the photo to enlarge the gallery to full size.
Wine stem charms
This hands-on class is perfect for adding a little flair to your glassware—great for parties, gifts, or just everyday elegance. We'll use beads, wire hoops, and charms to craft beautiful, one-of-a-kind markers that help keep track of everyone's drink. No prior crafting experience needed—just bring your creativity and a smile! All materials provided.
Clay mini sculptures
Discover the joy of sculpting in this relaxing and creative class focused on making miniature figures from clay. Whether you're new to sculpting or have some experience, this activity is a wonderful way to express yourself and have some fun.
Working with clay isn’t just creative, it’s good for you! The act of molding and shaping clay can improve hand strength and dexterity, while also promoting focus and reducing stress. It’s a calming, meditative activity with real mental and physical benefits.
Custom book marks
In this class, students create one-of-a-kind custom laminated bookmarks using a rich mix of art materials and techniques. We explore watercolor and acrylic paints, ink stamps, markers, and colored pencils, layering imagery and textures through a playful collage-style process.
Once the designs are complete, the bookmarks are laminated for durability, making them perfect for everyday use or gifting. To finish, students choose from a myriad of hand-knotted tassels, lovingly made by me, available in a variety of colors and styles—with or without charms. These tassels are tied onto the bookmarks as a final personalized touch.
Valentines cookie boxes
For February's class we opted for a lighthearted and sweet (pun intended) baked goods gift boxes. Each participant started with a blank white box and adorned them with pre cut patterned backgrounds just before accessorizing with stickers, ribbons, and a ton of paper cutouts. I also provided a few dozen bakery made cookies to fill their boxes!