As the holidays roll around, you likely have a long to-do list to work through. On top of arranging Christmas dinner and purchasing presents, you also have to find gifts for your little ones to give to grandparents, friends, and teachers. If you can feel your stress levels rising just thinking about tackling the Christmas crowd at stores, don’t worry – you have options!
For the teachers and family in your kids’ lives, you can skip the gift card and have some fun with your children by helping them make homemade holiday gifts. Crafting homemade gifts will not only save you some of the shopping stress, but they will also create fun memories that you and your children can cherish for a lifetime. Try getting messy with one of these homemade holiday gifts your kids can make.
1. Picture Frames
Nothing makes a better homemade gift for grandparents than a special picture encased in a homemade picture frame constructed by your little ones. Lay out all kinds of art supplies, including paint, glue, buttons, sequins, and felt cutouts, on their craft table. Purchase or make a basic wooden picture frame, and let your youngsters decorate to their heart’s content. Once the picture frame is finished, add a snapshot of your child, and help them wrap it up for their grandparents.
2. Snow Globe
Who doesn’t love a snow globe where you can watch glitter fly around a glass like a snowy day? Have your kids select a picture – it could be a picture of themselves, their favorite pet, or cartoon character. Laminate their chosen picture, and collect holiday-themed bits and bobs – think mini plastic pine trees, plastic flowers, and snowflakes.
Once you have the supplies ready to go, clean out old jars. Have your kids carefully glue their picture and background items on the lid of the jar. Next, help your kids to fill the jar with water, a bunch of glitter, and a bit of glycerin or baby oil. Carefully screw the lid onto the jar, tape around the lid to avoid leaks, and let your kids shake away! A custom snow globe is a great gift to make for mom or dad, siblings, or friends.
3. Bath Bombs
What’s more fun than taking a hot soaking tub with a custom fizzy bath bomb? Bath bombs are all the rage and so easy for kids to make. While they are making some for the people on your holiday list, they can make a couple for themselves too!
Mix together one cup of baking soda, three-fourths cup cornstarch, one-fourth cup cane sugar, one-half cup citric acid, food coloring of their choice, and essential oil scents for kids. For cute little cupcake bath bombs, fill a cupcake pan with bath fizz and let them set. Gift them in a jar wrapped in holiday-themed ribbons.
4. Decorative Candles
Turn plain candles into art-covered gifts with this easy transfer technique. Purchase white pillar candles from your local dollar store, and measure and cut a piece of white tissue paper so it is the height and circumference of the candle. Give your kids markers, and have them carefully draw their design on the tissue paper. Remind them to color lightly to avoid ripping the paper.
Once their masterpiece is complete, wrap the tissue paper around the candle, drawing side down. Next, wrap waxed paper around the candle and use a hairdryer on a high setting to melt the wax onto the candle. You’ll know you’re done when you can no longer see the tissue paper, only the drawing on the candle. To finish up, have your little one tie a ribbon around the candle, and gift away!
There’s nothing more special than gifting homemade presents over the holidays. Your kids will love making these awesome and custom homemade gifts. Get creative, build memories, and save some money on gifts this holiday season with these four homemade holiday gifts your kids can make.
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