Crafting is a fun activity that many people enjoy. It’s not just about making things; it can help you relax, be creative, and express yourself. Crafting is a calming activity. When you do things like knitting or painting, the repetitive actions can make you feel peaceful and take your mind off stress. It’s like a break from the busyness of everyday life.
Crocheting
Crocheting is an activity that heavily requires the use of one’s hands. Those with arthritis or limited mobility can run into challenges while crocheting. However, some devices can help with that.
A crocheting ring is an awesome device that holds yarn while also being a beautiful ring. Watch @Crochet.Joy on TikTok show how to use the crocheting ring show how to use the crocheting ring.
Another trick is to stick the crochet hook in a beauty blender sponge to create a soft cushion to promote comfort. Watch @BagsByBento on Instagram create a soft grip for her crochet hook. Ergonomic crochet hooks are also another tool for a comfortable grip.
Many devices provide assistance while crocheting. Stitch and row counters come in a variety of different forms such as digital, manual, ring, and pop-it counters. There are digital crochet hooks that have a light and stitch/row counters built into the device. Yarn bowls provide stability for yarn balls as you work and finger thread cutters serve as a yarn-cutting tool. Needles are sometimes used for finishing details on crochet projects. Some handy tools for needles are needle threaders for guiding the yarn through needle loops and large eye needles for more loop space for yarn and better grip positioning.
Some other fun tools are a beanie maker that allows you to make a beanie just by turning a crank, a pompom maker that makes pompoms through a couple of steps, and an electric yarn winder that balls yarn with a touch of a button.
There are also many devices people have created to crochet with one hand. @HollabackPurl shows her creation using a Tunisian crochet hook to facilitate one-handed crocheting. Her TikTok explains the setup process step by step. Hooks with plastic tubing could also be used for Tunisian crocheting.
Painting/Drawing
A brush or pencil can be placed in an egg pencil grip or a cut pool noodle can be used to provide a larger grip area. Easy-grip paint brushes have a thicker handle as an alternative to paint brushes with thin handles, a ring writer clip can hold a paint brush or pencil, and a weighted pencil holder promotes stability. There are a variety of adjustable tables & easels that can be positioned to be at a specified eye level or to fit around a wheelchair. An acrylic display stand can be placed right above the art being worked on to be used as a leaning bar for a wrist or forearm while still being able to see the art work below. The acrylic stand must be at a workable height to still reach the paper beneath.
The Guided Hands Assistive Device by ImaginAble Solutions was originally designed for a woman with Cerebral Palsy who loved to paint. The device assists anyone to write, paint, draw, and use a touchscreen device. Check out this video describing how the Guided Hands Device works.
The Patriot Viewpoint by Patriot Vision Industries was made for those with visual disabilities. It utilizes virtual reality to assist people to view though a pair of goggles. People can view printed material such as a book and view from a distance such as a sporting event. This video by The Blind Life on YouTube shows how he uses the Patriot Viewpoint to draw a character.
Zot Artz is a great company full of resources for children to express themselves through art. They provide a free activities guide for ideas and lesson plans centered around art. Zot Art also has a tool catalog with a variety of assistive devices that children can attach to their wheelchair or use standing. A couple examples of these devices are the chalk walk and roll and art rollers.
The Chalk Walk and Roll can be attached to any wheelchair, walker, or stander. It holds up to 5 different colors of chalk and it allows the individual to have full control of the colors using their own device.
The art roller is a small roller that can be pushed around in order to create a mural painting.
Some other forms of painting that could be worth trying out are diamond paintings and pour paintings.
Pottery
Strong Arm Pottery Tools are customizable devices designed to assist centering and opening clay on the pottery wheel.
DiamondCore Tools carries tools to assist with pottery making for all levels of expertise. Tools vary from adding textures/designs to tools that create a cup handle just by sliding them.
Check out this video posted by @TikTokForGood and watch how @MadeByMudPottery makes accessible cups for adults using pottery.
General Crafting
Scratch art for creativity, an adult coloring book for focus, or a neurodivergent coloring book for relaxation are all crafts that are perfect for on the go or throughout the day.
Cricut Makers use a computer to send a design to the machine to cut out. It can cut through cardstock, fabric, leather, sticker paper, felt, and much more.
Magnifying glasses with an LED light are helpful devices for paying attention to details. A variety of magnifiers could be found for loan using our NATADS Public webpage.
There are a variety of adaptive scissors available that might be useful while crafting. Push down table top scissors, spring assist scissors, and cordless electric scissors are all great options to check out.
Lap trays are items that could be helpful to many people. A small lap tray that can tilt upward to create a tilted flat surface while an individual is laying down and a curved wheelchair lap tray creates a small space for wheelchair users to do small crafts and store items.
While crafting music can be helpful to stay focused. Bone conduction headphones are great for any individual with a hearing disability. Check out this TikTok by @Melificent.0 talks about her experience with bone conduction headphones.
Coping Through Craft is an individual named Hannah Cate who discuses adaptive tools and crafts, how to use crafting as a way to cope and more. She presents on her Instagram page, YouTube channel, and at events like the Abilities Expo.
This year’s California’s Abilities Expo will be March 15th-17th, 2024 in downtown Los Angeles. Ability Tools will be the showcase booth there, so we invite everyone to come check us out!
Whether through hands-on activities or the burst of colors on a canvas, crafting has the power to enhance one’s well-being and contribute to a more fulfilling life. The possibilities for creations are endless. Have a crafty time!
