> [!NOTE]+ Meta > Author:: > Reference:: Draxl, E., Fischer, A., Kokko, S., Kästik, H., Salovaara, M., & Stedman, J. (2017). _Handmade Wellbeing Handbook : Facilitating art and craft workshops for older people in care settings_. > Date:: 2017 > Tags:: #warp > WeftLinks:: [[Health value of craft]] > Claim:: [[Claim - Craft helps recovery from trauma]] > [!SUMMARY] Summary > A project involving craft workshops in care settings for older people found increasing well-being for those suffering dementia. ### Highlights Handmade Wellbeing handbook is based on the experiences gained in an Erasmus+ (KA2 Adult Education) project ́Handmade Wellbeing – Collaborative learning in craft and welfare interfaces ́. It collects the results of the arts and crafts workshops arranged in care settings for older people during the project (1.9.2015 – 31.8.2017) in the partner countries Finland, United Kingdom, Austria and Estonia. The handbook was created collaboratively between the partners and thus brings together their respective special expertise and the new ideas that have been developed collectively. It is meant to serve educators, students and staff in arts, crafts and culture as well as in health and social services on local, national and international levels. >The Handmade Wellbeing project focused on developing the pedagogy for arranging creative activities for older people in care settings. Often the pedagogical aspect is forgotten or taken for granted in these contexts. In the Handmade Wellbeing project, the learner-artists and students were practising how to arrange art and craft workshops for older people, and they received supervision for this. >The purpose of the creative activities in the workshops was to support the overall wellbeing of older people. There were many signs about a positive impact on those involved with the project. For example, a noticeable uplifting of mood in people living with dementia following the workshops, and better sleep were reported by the staff. Some of the residents have never had the opportunity to explore their creativity before, and this was a new journey for them, highlighting the value of lifelong learning. For people who struggle on a daily basis to express themselves in words, art is an important outlet for their feelings and emotions. r.