Believe it or not, kids love to give gifts almost as much as they love receiving them, especially during the holidays. And they don’t even have to spend their hard-earned allowance or babysitting money on presents because we found 10 gifts kids can make by themselves (or with a little supervision from a grownup). The pride they feel when their friends, family, and teachers open their handmade presents will be worth the effort!
Long live the art of the handwritten letter! Decorating blank note cards with colored pens almost guarantees that your child will get mail, especially if the yarn- or twine-tied bundle is given to a letter-writing recipient. (Hint: You can almost always count on grandma to stick a stamp on a handwritten note!)
(Photo Source: Jacks and Kate)
Bookworms young and old will flip (pages) for the simple beauty of these beaded bookmarks. Your child can personalize the gifts by picking beading cord and beads in each recipient’s favorite colors. Teachers, especially, will appreciate such a thoughtful yet practical present.
(Photo Source: My Frugal Adventures)
From homework to thank you notes, these handmade pens make all writing assignments infinitely more fun. Wrapped in candy-colored air dry clay, they’ll be easy for school friends to find in their packed pencil cases. Your child can even make a set of matching swirled lollipop pens, giving one to a best friend and keeping one for herself.
(Photo Source: The Craftables)
No artistic experience is necessary to create this colorful hand-painted gift! Organic shapes and loose strokes in vivid acrylic paints form abstract designs that can proudly hang alongside “grownup” artwork at home or at work. Kids can finish each painting with a puffy yarn pom-poms for a playful, whimsical touch.
(Photo Source: Art Bar)
Beaded jewelry is always a hit with moms, aunts, and grandmas during the holidays. This year, let your kids take beading to the next level by crafting their own out of origami paper before stringing them on cording or slipping them onto safety pins. Glitter glue adds a little extra something for family and friends with the most sparkling personalities.
(Photo Source: Minie Co)
These do-it-yourself keychains look store-bought from a trendy boutique; however, they couldn’t be easier to craft. They’re the perfect gift for your teen’s friends who are getting their licenses, but luckily, there’s no minimum age to making them. As long as your kid can string finished or unfinished wooden beads onto faux leather cording, they can create these chic custom keychains.
(Photo Source: The Sweetest Occasion)
What better way to celebrate special friends than with handmade medals of appreciation? Crafted from perler beads and bead boards, these playful pins lift the spirit while adding a pop of color to any outfit — kid or adult. Yep, even grownups would get a kick out of wearing these cheeky accessories.
(Photo Source: My Poppet)
An unexpected alternative to classic melted crayon paintings, this handmade artwork swaps colorful drips for an effect resembling watercolors. Even toddlers can help with this craft, from peeling crayons (they’re so good at that!) to sketching large shapes on canvases. Of course, an adult should be available to hold the hair dryer and supervise the melting — the wax gets hot!
(Photo Source: Gathering Beauty)
Flowers are always a beautiful gift. Instead of driving your kids to the florist, however, send them into the kitchen to retrieve the salad spinner and doilies. Let them squeeze some neon tempera paint, and voila: paint-splattered petals. Pipe cleaner stems add the finishing touch to these modern bouquets of spin art paper flowers.
(Photo Source: Hello, Wonderful)
Handcrafted notebooks get the Jackson Pollack treatment with watercolors, creating unique splatter paint designs. The key to this DIY is to use thick watercolor paper for the front and back covers. Then, after making a beautiful mess with paints, your kids can personalize their gifts using alphabet stamps or stencils.
(Photo Source: Alice and Lois)