BlogHer - Simple Holiday Gifts Kids Can Make (and Give!) - Comments

In support of kids art!

craftplayground — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 23:08:29 -0600

www.craftplayground.com

Thanks for this article. I agree that handmade gifts are the best kind, especially from kids! For the receiver who may not be into knick-knacks that shed glitter, how about a simple children's painting or collage in a nice matted frame. Who wouldn't smile?

Another idea is a kid-version of stained glass: decoupage tissue paper on a jar, using colorful patterns, then fill it with a candle or treats!

Add family pictures

kmcdade — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:13:03 -0600

We've done the bookmarks -- and in addition to coloring and stickers, we added pictures of the kids! That makes them excellent keepsakes, as well as being useful gifts.

Kathleen

http://www.technoearthmama.com

Guess we still need a Barney Box :)

Robin-Pensieve — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 05:44:21 -0600

I had to giggle on your closing comments about glitter; my hubby always said glitter projects were the payback from teachers to parents for when their children were wild in the classroom :).

Great stockpile of ideas, but it leaves me wishin' my babies were just a bit younger--though I betcha, if I pulled out some paint and supllies, they'd dive right in!

Robin @ PENSIEVE

Good glitter-free ideas

9to5to9 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 03:11:52 -0600

We'll use a lot of them this year. We did the same thing last year, too, and the guys and the recipients go into it. Though we did use glitter on some sweat shirts the guys painted with handprints for the grandfolks. I think it's still bubbling up in Big Guy's room.

Another simple one the guys liked so much we make it year-round now: Bath salts. Little bit of sea salt (the only ingredient that really costs much) little bit of Epson's salt, some dye and scent and you're good to go. The smell while you're mixing will be so strong you'll have to run out for air, but if you can survive that, you'll have a nice gift. We used ribbon cellophane bags (left over from candy I never got around to making years ago) to package ours and then put several bags in cheapy baskets.

Debra Legg
9to5to9

Simple Holiday Gifts Kids Can Make (and Give!)

rocksinmydryer — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:11:30 -0600

When I was a little girl, my mother faithfully included my brother and me in the holiday giving by having us make something for our grandparents. Often, these gifts were handmade Christmas ornaments. Some years, they were lovely. Some years, they were hideous. Every year, they seemed to involve glitter (was my mother a glutton for punishment?) But it demonstrated an important lesson to me--kids are part of the family, too. And, more importantly, Christmas giving is more important that just Christmas getting. It's easy for kids to lose sight of that.

Especially with shopping budgets tightening this year, helping your kids make gifts is an affordable way to involve them in the giving. And if glitter's not your thing, don't fear. There are plenty of ideas from crafty bloggers for generating meaningful gifts while preserving your sanity (and your carpet).

Karen Plumley of Suite 101 starts off the holiday season with ideas for Thanksgiving gifts kids can make, including decorative jars, handprint centerpieces, and table place cards:

To make place cards for the holiday table, cut standard size cardstock sheets in half. Then fold the smaller rectangles in half like a tent. Have kids write names of guests on the front of each and glue small craft leaves or fall-colored construction paper cut to look like leaves around the edges of the card. Leave the inside blank.

When company arrives, encourage the children to ask each guest what he or she is thankful for. Put the answers inside the cards. Arrange them at the table before dinner, or stack them up at a serving table and let guests find theirs before they sit down.

Mar of Associated Content helps her kids sponge-paint handprint tote bags for relatives:

We would make the grandmas, great-grandmas, aunts and god-mothers a tote bag with each child’s hand print on it. Initially, I sewed the tote bags and printed their hands and feet( when the oldest two were toddlers). Later, I taught the kids to sew and it became an Advent project. It also makes an excellent math, measurement and fraction/decimal lesson. We printed the hands and labeled with names and age.

Scribbit, always a source of clever craft ideas for kids, shares her best ideas for fun and easy gifts. She recommends letting older kids make an audio recording of their favorite picture book for younger siblings, or using salt dough to hand form a personalized chess set. My favorite of her suggestions is to help kids sew simple cases:

Almost everyone has collections, toys or gadgets that they use regularly that can benefit from a case or cover. The kids have sewn felt squares together to make a cases for digital cameras, laptops, Lillian's Fashion Pollys, or the boys' laser tags equipment. I think Martha copied her idea here from me. It's a good thing for them to make because 1. it gets them thinking about the other person's likes/hobbies and 2. sewing is a good skill to practice.

For still more ideas, Christmas With Kids recommends painting small wooden figures as a nativity scene. Lifehacker suggests allowing kids to draw their own holiday wrapping paper. Amazing Moms shares several recipes for easy layered jar mixes kids can help assemble.

My own best idea--and really, it doesn't get any simpler than this--is to give the kids magic markers and cardstock and have them make bookmarks. Laminate the finished product, punch a hole in the top, string a ribbon through, and you have an easy (and usable!) gift for family.

And happily? It's glitter-free!

Shannon Lowe is a BlogHer contributing editor (Mommy/Family). She also blogs at Rocks In My Dryer and The Parenting Post.