It’s always impressive when kids show an interest in making gifts for their family and friends, but when they ask for assistance, parents can feel stuck. What’s the best way for kids to contribute to the holiday spirit of giving and embrace creativity, while still being mindful of their resources and abilities? Read on to find 10 beautiful, creative DIY gifts your little ones can make this season with supplies you probably already have at home!
1. Assemble a tea set
Kids can assemble a fun tea set by “shopping” at home. Pick a cute teacup and saucer, and add teabags, small chocolates, and other treats. You can customize the gift with decorations like ribbon, flowers, rhinestones, and a homemade gift tag. A teacup is the perfect receptacle to hold all the goodies, so you can skip the wrapping!
2. Make a DIY diffuser
Kids will love this fun project, and you’ll love adding a pleasant fragrance to your home. Simply fill a small jar with essential oils, add wooden sticks or pipe cleaners, and watch the magic unfold as the fragrance moves up the sticks via the science of capillary action. This simple project is a budget-friendly version of the fancy fragrance diffusers often sold in boutiques, but without the price tag!
3. Roll your own soap
Did you know you can make your own soap at home with three simple ingredients? All you need are glycerine soap, vegetable oil, and waxed paper. Kids will have fun getting their hands dirty (or in this case, clean!) while rolling the soap into balls. This easy project makes a great gift for the holiday season, with the added bonus of helping your friends and family sanitize and stay healthy this winter!
4. Mix a homemade perfume
Kids can concoct their own perfume as a gift, and it’s actually easier than you might think! First, they go out in nature to collect fragrant flowers, herbs, and leaves. They can also use kitchen items like citrus fruits or apples to personalize their scent – encourage them to get creative! Then, kids can have fun crushing their ingredients between sheets of wax paper, and with the help of an adult, using a stove top to boil their potion and complete their creation.
5. Create handprint flowers
The littlest kiddos can have fun finger painting and use their handprints to create budding flowers! These are the perfect gifts for grandparents, who are sure to treasure them as keepsakes for years to come!
6. Write a grandparent history book
Older kids can get in on the fun, too! Encourage your child to interview their grandparent and ask them about their life, especially about the stories they haven’t heard before. Next, your child can write a narrative about their conversation, choosing a moment from their grandparent’s past to focus on. In this way, this gift doubles as writing practice! To make their gift extra special, they can write the narrative in a blank book, paste in photos, and give it a meaningful title. This handmade gift is sure to touch any grandparent’s heart, as well as preserve a piece of family history!
7. Sew a tie at home
With the help of a parent, children can make a DIY tie for their loved one and be introduced to the basics of sewing! They’ll get to go to the craft store and choose the fabric, and can even be involved in the pinning process. This creative and useful gift is sure to be a hit!
8. Make recycled wrapping paper
The DIY process extends to all parts of gifting, including the wrapping! Kids can flex their artistic skills and make their own wrapping paper using any material: newspapers, calendar pages, old pillowcases, coffee cans, maps, or waxed paper. The list goes on! Their gift will be even more meaningful than if they had used store-bought wrapping paper, while also helping the environment!
9. Fold a handmade gift box
Don’t have a box that’s the right size for your gift? Utilize the craft of paper-folding to create a unique custom box for your present! Head over to the linked resource for instructions.
10. Craft DIY gift tags
Sure, you can buy gift tags at the store, but personalized gift tags are much more special! This is a great way to recycle last year’s holiday cards, or children can even forage outside to find natural materials to use. These gorgeous homemade gift tags add to the fun of the gift-giving process, and they’re sure to stand out to anyone who receives them!
For more K-8th grade activities, worksheets, and games, check out our Learning Library of 35,000+ resources!
Very interesting blog and amazing gift ideas.
Thank you for sharing!
Nice and useful post author. Thank you. Keep it up.