Never too old for crafts: Seniors find purpose and pride, one stitch at a time

SINGAPORE – Until three years ago, Lim Beng Hiang did not know how to sew.

Today, the 77-year-old retired nurse assistant can turn pieces of fabric into wallets that sell for $20 a piece.

Each time a customer buys one of her handcrafted wallets, she beams with pride and gratitude.

“I’m so happy that people recognise our talent and efforts even though we are so old,” she said.

Lim is one of about 15 seniors who met and formed a creative crafts club at Lions Befrienders AAC @ Bendemeer 32. There, they pick up new skills, exchange stories, share a laugh and feel that they still have something to contribute, even in their later years.

The seniors, who are mostly in their 70s and 80s, turn out everything from quilts to keychains, and sell their handiwork at the centre’s events and pop-up stalls at companies.

Proceeds help to fund activities like festive celebrations and meals for other seniors.

Lim wandered into the club about three years ago after her neighbours told her about it. She gave it a try, as she was often home alone and bored.

“I can learn new crafts and make new friends here,” she said. “And because this is not a factory, we can talk, laugh, and come and go as we wish.”

She learnt sewing from her fellow members, and in return, helps others with crocheting.

On most weekdays, the group huddles around long tables for hours. While nimble fingers are at work, they exchange the latest tips and news.

It is teamwork in action: one bends and shapes the petals, another fashions the leaves and, together, the flowers come together faster and more beautifully.

Few are as versatile as homemaker Ann Leung, 70, one of the club’s founding members in 2023. A former fashion house employee in Hong Kong, where she was born, the Singapore citizen now shares her skills and ideas with others.

“When we lack ideas, we simply go online for inspiration,” she said, showing off some fabric pot caps, her latest creations.

The club’s busiest season for retired cab driver Tan See Ching, who is the only male among them, is Chinese New Year, when he makes lanterns and Mandarin orange bags from red packets.

“Very few men like to draw or make handicrafts,” the 80-year-old said. “But somehow, I am different.”

Lee Jiew Leng, a 70-year-old homemaker, joined the club about three years ago, shortly after her husband died.

She remembers the group’s earlier days, when they made bags from event banners, which were a struggle to sew.

“Those were hard to make as the material was really thick,” she said.

Since then, they have become adept at giving castoffs a second life. Empty toilet rolls are turned into stationery holders, and bottle caps become brooches and keychains.

“Most of the materials are recycled so they don’t go to waste,” said Lee. “It also takes more creativity to think of how we can turn these recycled materials into all kinds of handicrafts.”

Their creations start at $5, and the members are delighted when they get sold.

“The more we sell, the merrier,” Lee said. “We can then make more items.”

Retired cashier Ong Siew Kheng, 68, carries around a bag made from coffee sachets, one of her masterpieces.

She also likes crafting sustainable beeswax wraps, a reusable, plastic-free alternative to cling film for covering food or cutlery.

The work demands plenty of patience, said homemaker Sally Lim, 71, who enjoys making pipe cleaner flowers and crochet items.

“I have failed many times, but I learnt perseverance,” she said. “And then when I finally make something successfully, I am overjoyed.”

Patchwork quilts are Heng Gek Ee’s speciality. The 80-year-old homemaker’s blankets can fetch up to $200 each.

She continues stitching together the fabric pieces even after she leaves the centre, sometimes while watching television at home.

“My eyes do get tired, but I will keep doing it till I can’t thread a needle some day.”