112 DIY Gifts for Kids

ByRachel Updated on

Our list of DIY gifts for kids originally had only 101 gift ideas… BUT you’ve sent us more ideas and we updated it to reflect your new gift ideas! 

Want some ideas for homemade, personalized, DIY gifts? Something from this list should inspire or help you!

Have any ideas that were not listed? Lets see if we can come up with more! 

Oh so many! 101 DIY Gift Ideas for Kids - Kids Activities Blog
We have over 100+ DIY Gifts for everyone!

Homemade Gift Ideas

All of these gifts are thoughtful, cute, and a lot of fun. I’m sure who ever receives them will absolutely love them all! This Post contains affiliate links

Plus some of these are awesome gifts kids can make for others as well. While receiving gifts is great and makes you feel good, sometimes giving them is equally important if not more important.

DIY Gifts Ideas to Wear

1. T-Shirt Stencil Kit

Create a T-Shirt Design kit. Your kids can make wearable art!

tshirt decorating kit with white shirts and yellow paint in a plastic case.
Here is one of my favorite DIY gift ideas! A T-shirt stencil gift kit!

2. DIY Leg Warmers

A young tot in your life would love some sweet legging warmers, re-purposed from a sweater.

3. Dress Up

Dress-up clothes – you can never have enough pretend things!

4. Capes

Capes – kids love them! And let’s be honest, so do you. I mean who doesn’t! Plus it inspires pretend play too!

5. Homemade Apron

Aprons (matching mother daughter ones are always nice). Here is a super simple apron pattern, easy enough for a new-to-sewing child.

Apron laying on grass with yellow neck hole, and ribbons to tie, the apron has a pocket, and is dark blue and white, and floral patterened
As an apron wearer I approve of this homemade gift!

6. Headband

Sew head bands for a gal in your life with this simple headband tutorial I used in the past.

7. Flower Hair Bows

These Flower Hair Bows  are perfect as a gift for anyone who loves to wear bows in their hair.

8. Animal Barrettes

Have a gal?? Why not make her a set of hair clips? You can make them out of buttons, felt animals shapes, flowers and more!

DIY frog barrette made from felt, thread, and buttons on a toddlers blonde head.
This is the cutest homemade gift for kids! You can make a frog or a monkey!

9. Spin Art T-Shirt

Wearable art is always fun! Here is a tutorial on how to paint spin art T-shirts.

10. Knitted Hat

Learn to Knit and give a Scarf/Hat set for your child this winter!

Free knitting patterns for children's hats and scarves, a hat on a girl that looks like a bear, it is white with white ears and brown eyes and snout
Knitting a hat and scarf is kinda time consuming, but it is truly a labor of love and a very heartfelt and warm gift.

11. Screen Print T-shirt

Screen print a T-shirt, tote bag, hat, etc. Don’t want to use paint? Consider embroidery – like this simple heart shirt!

Funny and Creative Handmade Gift Ideas

12. Silly Faces

Print up a set of silly faces. Add them to craft sticks to bring giggles to your kids faces.

printable of silly faces with a smily face with green spike teeth, a clown smile with a red nose, and a big smile with teeth and a red tongue held by a blonde little boy and a blond little girl with super curly hair.
Be silly and promote pretend play with this fun gift for kids.

13. Outdoor Kitchen

Create an “Outdoor Kitchen”  so your child can create mud pies to their hearts content!

14. Pretend Kitchen Stove

Inspire your little cook with a storage tub that transforms into a play kitchen stove. Use black and grey acrylic paint to create the stove “rings”.  

15. Make A Tent

Make a tent from PVC pipe and old sheets.  If you don’t want to cut all the piping, consider getting a Fort Magic kit.

make a tent with pvc pipe, white sheets in a very green yard with trees, bushes, grass, and a blonde boy in a grey shirt peeking out of the tent
Um, this is the best homemade gift ever! Who doesn’t want to have their very own tent to play in?!

16. Balance Board

Got a active kiddo? Put a balance board together for them to bounce on.

17. Homemade Paint

Gift your young artist some color with a batch or three from our paint recipes (including our scratch-n-sniff paint)

homemade paint made in 15 ways like in bottles, foamy, sandy, on sidewalks, scented, pourable, and in bowls.
Here are 15 ways to make homemade paint! Perfect for any aspiring artist!

18. Light Sensory Bin

Make a light box for a child to explore with. I don’t know how we lived without ours! Love them.

DIY light box with a baby on top and colorful buttons of all colors, and a moon and square that are yellow, orange, and blue.
Don’t be intimidated! This light box is so easy to make, and your little ones are sure to love it.

19. DIY Sock Monkey

I loved sock monkey‘s when I was a kid! They are on my to-do list this Christmas.

20. Monster Dolls

Make a monster doll (or an outline on a pillowcase) and provide fabric markers for your child to decorate their monster.

21. Doll Bag

For the doll-lover in your life design a bag for their doll – it’s a simple-to-create accessory.

Red felt purse with a button and braided white and red ribbon for american girl dolls
Know anyone who loves dolls? Then make them this easy doll purse! They’ll love it.

22. Rice Bags

Rice bags are great as bean bags, as heat packs (just stick them in the microwave for half a min or so) and are fun for sensory play. Here are some triangle “Chick” rice bags – super simple!!

Juggling chickens bean bags - these are SO CUT and so easy to make. They make great decorations, are fun for juggling or make a "large" version as a door stop. Super cute and easy Chicken Pattern. Perfect for Spring and Easter crafts and beginner sewing!
These cute chicken bags are a great gift for a couple reasons. Not only can you play with them, but if you heat them in the microwave they become hand warmers.

23. Kids Quilt

Sew a Quilt or Blanket for your child. use their favorite colors or them it around their favorite characters.

24. Picture Frame

Decorate a picture frame for grandma or another relative so they can remember your first day of school since they couldn’t be there.

school bus photo frame diy shown on a white background in 45 degree angle with a little boy with dark hair and an orange and black shirt in the middle
This DIY gift is perfect to remember your baby on their first day of school!

25. Lego Puzzle Book

A DIY Lego Instruction Book, great for the budding architect in your life.

lego building instructions printed out on a printer - step 3 of making your own LEGO instruction booklet from Kids Activities Blog
What a great homemade gift! Not only is it fun, but it is an educational STEM activity too! Educational gifts are so awesome.

26. Melty Bead Nightlight

Melt a nightlight out of “melty” beads. This is a great melty beads craft that will benefit your little one the most!

A perler bead bowl that has all the colors like: pink, blue, purple, green, brown, white, clear, red, yellow, orange, black, grey
This little bowl is a great gift. It can hold coins, jewelry, or would be fun to flip over an LED candle.

27. Paper Mache Pinata

This is the perfect party gift! Model a homemade Paper Mache Pinata (here is a simple paper mache recipe), include a Styrofoam bat to complete the gift.

28. Facial Kit

Do-your-own facial kit – perfect for the prima dona gal.

29. Polly Pocket Bracelet

Create a bracelet for them from tiny toy pieces, or give a set of friendship bracelets. My girls love to accessorize!

Polly pocket bracelet craft made from polly pocket accessories like- purple high heel boots, purple boots, orange boots, pink boots, blue tennis shoes, yellow high heels, green and purple brushes, a pink and blue purse
Don’t throw out those Polly Pocket pieces! Turn them into homemade charm bracelets!

Special and Sentimental DIY Gifts Ideas

30. Personalized Cozy

This one of our DIT gift ideas for kids to make! Help Dad keep his coffee hot with a personalized drink cozy.

A coffee cup that is foam with a black lid with a blue cup holder with green and light blue stitching around the boarder with dad stitched in blue, with a yellow and orange border.
This DIY gift is perfect for older kids to make! And a great way to learn a life skill.

31. Rag Doll

Sew a rag doll for the tot in your life. Make them new clothes, look silly, or make them look like your little one.

black apple doll with brown hair with pigtails, a floral dress, and red tights
Rag dolls are my favorite homemade gift that I hold very dear. It was the first doll I ever had as a little girl.

32. DIY Dollhouse Furniture

Do your kids have pretend mini-worlds? Make a set of dollhouse furniture for them to enjoy in their alternate reality.

33. Toy Soap

Homemade soap – add a toy to the soap for a fun kid twist, great stocking stuffer

toy soap- 4 bars of a yellowish soap with a red car in one, blue triceratops in one, a green dinosaur in another, and an orange dinosaur in the last.
Make these homemade bath time gifts! These toy soaps will make washing fun!

34. Homemade Necklace

Give your child a homemade necklace or the supplies that they can make a necklace for a friend.

35. Magnet Paper Dolls

Paper dolls are a blast to create and play with! Add magnets to your paper dolls and a storage tin for extra “fun”

paper magnet doll with brown hair, a vest, long sleeve shirt and floral pants on a cookie sheet with a white shirt, a dress, and jeans.
Move aside paper dolls, magnetic dolls are here and what a cute gift this would make! And you don’t have to worry about losing the pieces because they stick to a pan.

36. Decorative Tote Bag

Decorate a tote bag using handprints to decorate them – perfect for Grandma (or Mothers Day).

37. Pretend Food

Pretend felt food.… and coupons for “cooking classes” led by your child for you to take.

Pretend felt food like orange and blue doughnuts, orange and blue cup cakes, orange flat felt toast.
This DIY felt play food would go great with that homemade play kitchen!

38. DIY Paperweight

This is another homemade gift idea kids can do for others. Gift Grandpa a one-of-a-kind paperweight, colorful rock art.

39. Decorated Mugs

Decorate a set of mugs with art work – they are washable!!

Sharpie on a Mug: Kids Art- 2 glass mugs- one iwht a pink, red, green, blue, and purple heart, the other with the a green hill with a river and an orange horse, filled with milk, with 3 cookies laid in front of them.
Kids can make these for each other or one of their parents if their parents are coffee or tea drinkers. This would a cute homemade gift for teachers and grandparents as well.

40. Christmas Ornaments

Make a set of Christmas tree ornaments or fridge magnets with this easy tutorial using clay.

homemade Christmas ornaments made from white salt dough, hung by a red ribbon on a green artificial tree with red and blue lights.
A homemade Christmas ornament is a great gift. There are so many ways you can decorate it!

41. Taggies Blanket

Taggies Blanket – these are loved by toddlers and are super simple to make!

A taggie blankie that has a pink E on it and elephants with ribbon sewn into the edge
What a great gift for babies and toddlers. It’s cuddly, soft, and will keep them busy!

42. DIY Scarf

Your kids can sew this super simple scarf out of fleece.

DIY fleece scarf - easy enough for kids to make- it is red, looks like roses on a girl with a white shirt and is missing a tooth
Um, would someone make this DIY scarf for me? I think this DIY gift would look so cute in a deep blue!

43. Personalized Peg Dolls

A family of Clothespin or peg dolls to inspire pretend play!

how to make a peg doll family with 2 brown haired women and a bald man, the first lady is in a white shirt and black skirt, the second in a polka dot shirt and blue jeans with red glasses, the man has a beard, glasses, and light blue shirt and dark slacks.
You could make your whole family! This is the cutest DIY gift idea!

44. Christmas Craft For Kids

Coasters are useful and easy for even young tots to make. They also look great.

Christmas Craft for kids makes homemade gifts- coasters with red paper, yellow and green polka dots or white with red polka dogs and a big red bow, both are covered in glitter, it's glorious really the amount of glitter on these.
How cute are these homemade coasters? I love the glitter! The more the better.

45. Christmas Nativity Play

Celebrate Christmas with your own nativity set.

An easy, DIY Nativity sensory bin, perfect for the Advent season with crinkle paper, peg people with felt clothing and hair, a wire angel and toy animals.
Sometimes a simple gift is the best. And this nativity sensory bin is no different.

46. DIY Cloth Napkins

Decorate some cloth napkins for their dinner table.

47. DIY Christmas Cards

This Set of homemade cards is perfect to hand out during the holidays.

Make the best DIY cards for any occasions. These have red apples, cherries, and green apples on them as well as green ribbon, red and white striped ribbon, and red ribbon.
Sometimes a card with heart felt words is the best gift.

48. Fabric Keychains

These Fabric Key Chains are so much fun to make and make awesome gifts.

49. Felt Tote Bag

Decorate Tote Bags for a special someone in your life – here is an easy pattern if you want to make a tote bag out of felt.

50. Keepsake Handprint

Make a handprint keepsake for family members in your life. Great as Christmas Ornaments!

Keepsake Handprint, white salt dough with a little handprint hung on a tree with red ribbon.
Okay, as someone who has made these with my kids, go ahead and make a couple extra as gifts for grandparents because they will want them!

51. Family Scrapbook

Scrapbook of your family for a distant relative (snapfish lets you make them digitally)

52. Kid’s Journal

Design a mini-book of memories that you share with that person – Here is an example of a journal you can create with or for your child.

53. Drawing Journal

Create a drawing journal for a child to use to write their own book. Add a flower pen for extra pizazz. This crafty person creates covers from cereal boxes and even the carton of a Dora toy!

DIY Art journal, has a cardboard outside with an abstract splat painting in the front, and covered in red, yellow, and blue washi tape.
Journals are such a great gift for kids. They can write about their day, write about their emotions, draw, tell stories. A very creative gift.

54. DIY Picture Frame

Decorate a picture frame and include a photo. Crafty Chic, has great instructions on how to make a scrapbook styled frame.

55. Edible Lip Balm

Edible Lip Balm – cause with kids you can never have enough chapstick!

56. Personalized Pencils

Give a set of upcycled pencils to your budding student.

Rainbow pencils in jars with blue, pink, green, purple, and yellow paper pom poms
These personalized pencils are a great gift for anyone in school or anyone who loves to draw.

57. Kid Made Candle Holder

Make a candle votive holder out of a glass jar and tissue paper – brilliant glow.

58. Homemade Christmas Gifts

Create a work of art with your children’s silhouettes. Love the way this example mixes melted crayon art with paper cut outs.

Homemade gifts made from wire, canvas, and a black silhouette of children.
I think any grandparent would be honored to receive such a sweet and chic homemade gift.

59. Photo Bookmark

Photo Book Mark (maybe add a favorite book to go along with it).

60. Beach Tote Bag

Let your kids go Jackson Pollock and make a canvas painting, use Fabric Markers to decorate a totebag.

DIY Beach tote craft that is held by a blonde girl with a hat at the the beach and have blue triangles on it. The other 2 look like the beach and sky.
Tote bags are such a great gift and these ones look like the beach!

61. Braided Rug

Create a rug out of old clothes and blankets. Here is another variation

DIY Gift Ideas to Play With

62. 52 Reasons I love You

52 Reasons I love you – Personalize a deck of cards for your child by writing the reasons you love them on each one of them!

63. Homemade Playdough

Whip up a batch of no-cook play dough for a quick gift – these small containers are perfect – whip up a batch and gift.

homemade playdough

64. DIY Juggle Balls

Make a set of juggling balls from balloons. These are great makeshift “hacky-sacks” for an energetic child.

{Kids DIY} balloon balls - great for juggling- red, yellow, orange, blue, green balloons filled with beans held by a girl in a pink shirt and black chiffon skirt with sparkles.
These DIY Balloon balls are great for juggling, throwing, catching, kicking, and more.

65. Homemade Drums

Add some bang to their lives with a set of homemade drums. Be sure to include a pair of drum sticks.

DIY Drums one is beige with a light green center with dark green polka dots, the second is bigger and light blue with brown lacing with white, blue, turquoise, and orange, and black upside down triangle center, and the last copper with brown and beige threading with a blue and light blue stripe center, with drum sticks with two big white pom poms at the end.
How darling are these DIY drums? These would be a fun gift to anyone who loves music.

66. Building With Nature

Homemade tree blocks hewn out of the branches from a tree we chopped down.

67. Fort Kit

The perfect gift for every boy – a build a fort kit including sheets, bungee cords, clamps, flashlights and more!

68. Indoor Swing

Looking for something different? Why not make an indoor swing for your kids?

DIY indoor swing with super hero seat, wooden seat beneath it, held by green ropes, with thomas the train, trucks, and other toys on a shelf behind it.
This DIY gift is so cool! What kid doesn’t dream of having a swing INSIDE!

69. Pirate Sword

Use some scrap wood and create a sword – help your kiddos “become a pirate“.

70. Marble Run

Use plastic bottles and colorful duct take to make a marble run to explore gravity.

71. Sponge Jenga

Construct your own Jenga game from cutting up sponges. The perk – it’s a great game for quiet-time.

Toddler jenga with purple, green, orange, and blue sponges cut into strips.
What a safe and soft gift for toddlers. You can build with these or play a toddler friendly version of Jenga.

72. Toddler Clipping Toy

This Toddler Clipping Toy was/is one of my tots favorite mom-made gifts.  You can get the buckles online. 

homemade toy- toddler clipping toy, a white piece of cloth with a floral and orange ribbon hanging off with a green buckle, pink buckle, blue buckle, and purple buckle, and a teddy bear buckled underneath held by a boy in plaid pants and a blue shirt
This toddler clipping activity is a fun homemade toy that also works on fine motor skills. It’s a win-win! 

73. Building Discs

Create a set of building discs from recycled cardboard – a simple homemade toy.

74. Velcro Building Sticks

Use Velcro, Popsicle sticks and bottle caps to make this building toy.

75. DIY Instruments

For the musical child in your life, design an instrument from PVC pipes for them to create melody.

Pvc pipe instruments that are white with black electrical tape and make interesting sounds.
Every see the Blue Man group? This DIY PVC pipe instrument is giving me that vibe. This would be such an unique gift to get.

76. Coffee Can Stilts

Transform two coffee cans into stilts with this simple tutorial.

77. Tin Can Xylophone

Assemble a xylophone from a collection of tin cans. Spray paint them to make them colorful!

78. Play-Doh Kit

Assemble a play-doh kit of items to add creative fun in play dough play.

Playdough kit with tubs, fossils, pots, world, the letter b, a heart, and a ball of dough that is orange with sticks poked into it
Make a playdough kit! There is so much you can do with playdough. It’s the perfect gift idea for kids.

79. Mop Stick Horse

Every kiddo needs a Mop-Stick Horse! I loved the one I had as a child!

80. Weaving Kit

Assemble a weaving kit for your kids to experience patterns as they work on fine motor skills.

81. Geoboard

Geoboard – simple to make with nails. Add a pack of rubber bands or some yarn. Want to make one appropriate for a toddler? Use buttons on a felt covered board.

A yellow geo board with pegs with rubber bands made to look like a butterfly with an I can make a butterfly card.
Preschoolers and elementary kids would love this gift. It’s fun, works on fine motor skills, and includes cards to make cute shapes.

82. Homemade Bean Bags

Make a collection of bean bags with different colored and textured fabrics – don’t have fabric? Try stuffing balloons with various textures.

83. Ball And Cup Game

Play Catch with an upcycled toy made from items in your recycle bin.

84. DIY Wooden Blocks

Your kids will love making a set of colorful blocks for their friends to build with.

diy colorful wooden blocks stacked up into a tower, one is red, one is red, yellow, purple, and blue, another green, another with red and orange, a rainbow one, a red and yellow one, and striped one with red, blue, white, yellow, and green.
Make wooden blocks special by making them colorful and bright.

85. Dinosaur Bean Bag Game

Have a tyke obsessed with Dinosaurs? Maybe they would like this felt dinosaur bean bag game (with a volcano – too cool)!

86. Felt Car Mat

Want a place for all the matchbox cars? Make a felt car mat for them to drive around on!

87. Felt ABC’s

Create a set of felt alphabet letters or numbers for the tot in your life – these are really simple to create.

88. Botany Kit

Give the gift of botany. Create a kit for planting herbs (seeds, dirt, pot & spade) or making a terrarium (moss, container, rocks & dirt).

Indoor Herb Garden Starter Kit - Certified USDA Organic Non GMO - 5 Herb Seed Basil, Cilantro, Parsley, Sage, Thyme, Potting Soil, Peat Pots - DIY Kitchen Grow Kit for Growing Herb Seeds Indoors
Know someone who loves fresh herbs? This Organic Home Garden kit is the perfect DIY gift then.

89. Rainbow Fluff

Rainbow fluff is a fun craft for the child in your life!

90. Cardboard Doll House

Make a doll house out of cardboard boxes destined for the bin! Maybe include interesting pages of paper so they can “redecorate”

Diy dolls house made from cardboard with a floral balcony, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, sitting room, and library, and attic.
DIY gifts are sometimes the cutest! This dollhouse is budget friendly and look, it even has a library!

91. DIY Stove

Help your child keep their pretend dishes picked up with this DIY Pretend Stove/Storage Bin.

DIY kitchen set, plastic bin with sticker burners on it, with a little girl in a green shirt, a tutu, fake pearls, cooking in a green plastic pot with a yellow spoon with a yellow bowl, pink plate, and blue fork next to her.
I am in love with this DIY gift. It’s a simple kitchen set for kids! Kitchen sets can be expensive and bulky, but this is so cute and when you’re done you can put your toys in it!

92. DIY LEGO Table

Feeling industrious? Create a Lego Table that your children will enjoy for years (and years!)

Completed DIY LEGO Table in Room - We built a LEGO table on IKEA table for older kids and this is how we did it- the table is grey, blue, and green, and red on a checkered floor with beach pictures in the back, and a panda in a boat photo
This DIY LEGO table one of the coolest homemade gifts ever!

93. Cake In A Jar

Yummy! Make them a Cake-in-a-Jar  – here are some jars to gift the mix in.

94. Box Of Cookies

Box of assorted cookies (Biscotti always looks fancy!). These boxes are great to feature cookies.

biscotti with fruit inside it on a grey and white polka dot towel with a glass of milk with a white and green straw on some wood
Any coffee drinker would love this homemade gift! If you haven’t had homemade biscotti, you’re missing out. So good.

95. Marshmallow Pops

Give a yummy gift, a collection of marshmallow pops. These are great party favors!

White marshmallows coated in white and pink chocolate with white and pink sprinkles and shredded coco nut on a white paper straw with pink polka dots.
Okay, I’ve received a similar homemade gift before, and they’re so good! This is a great gift for anyone who has a sweet tooth.

96. Homemade Lollipops

Homemade Lollipops are tasty and an easy party favor to make for a crowd.

97. Fruit Leather

Dehydrated fruit or jerky. Fruit leather is a prized treat over here.

Good Healthy Food: Fruit Leather Recipe {Kids Love}. They look like brown strips.
Snacks made the best gift, especially when it is homemade. These DIY fruit leathers are the best.

Cookie Kit in a jar (or in bags wrapped up in a mixing bowl)

99. Smores Bars

Make a smore’s kit or you can give them the fixings to bake their own campfire cones. Or if they’re too little you can make these smores bars for them.

A glass casserole dish with the s'mores dessert bars spread into and almost ready to enjoy!
I’ve actually made these s’mores bars last Christmas and handed them out as a gift. They were a hit!

100. Kid’s Cookbook

Assemble a recipe book for your budding chef. Fill it with lots of simple, kid-friendly recipes (like our edible playdough/noodles recipe)

101. Peppermint Bark

Give Yummy kid-baked Candy (peppermint bark, Peanut brittle, Almond Roca, flavored marshmallows, etc.)

peppermint bark in a red cup, the top is white, the bottom is milk chocolate with crushed peppermint on top. The counter looks like marble, there is a tray of bark, candy canes and peppermints are scattered across the counter and there is a red and green and white plaid towel next to the red cup.
Edible gifts are really the best! This peppermint bark is sooooo tasty!

102. Snickerdoodle Chex Mix Gift

Snickerdoodle Chex Mix – a great recipe for your child to do, and gift to a neighbor!!

103. Homemade Dog Biscuits

Bake your own Dog biscuits for the dog-loving kiddo in your life!

What can I make as a last minute gift?

104. Free Printable Coupon Book

Create a coupon book of activities you can do together for the holidays. It’s perfect!

105. Silly Putty Recipe

Create a DIY Goop Kit for the kiddo in your life.

106. Popsicle Stick Puzzles

Design puzzles for them out of Popsicle Sticks. Make them easy, make them hard, and use any colors or images!

popsicle stick puzzles one with a red sun and blue and yellow and red sky, the next with blue tape across plain sticks, and the third is a green background with a woman in a pink dress and a boy with a unibrow with blue clothes
DIY puzzles made from popsicles is budget friendly, cute, personalized, and fun!

107. DIY Crayons

Homemade Crayons. Recycle old crayons to make fun new ones!

108. DIY Bathtub Paints

Create a kit so a child in your life can create their own Bathtub Paint (or give them jars of colorful fun).

109. Family Movie Kit

Movie Kit (DVD or gift certificate for movie rental with popcorn, soda, candy, etc.)

Family Movie Night Kit in a paper bag with a sticker and ribbon- sticker says "admission to one fun movie night (all ingredients necessary inside) lights, camera, action
This is amazing! I’d put jammies in them, snacks, drinks. I love it. It’s a great homemade gift where you can also spend quality together with those you love.

110. Fizzy Sidewalk Paint

Give them a can of fizzing sidewalk paint.

Fizzing Sidewalk Paint with a sun, and a red, yellow, green, blue, and purple rainbow on a side walk.
Fizzing sidewalk paint is a great diy gift. Not only is it fun and messy, but it gets your little ones outside and moving.

111. I-Spy Bottles

Create a set of discovery I-Spy Bottles for the tot in your life.

I-Spy Bottles that are orange, green, rainbow, and blue all with blue lids and clear bottles.
Shaking bottles are a great homemade gift for smaller kids. You can play I-spy and find all the hidden toys. These double as a calming bottle.

112. Homemade Puzzle

Take some pictures and create familiar puzzles from them!

homemade picture puzzle that painted and cut into pieces. One has green, brown, yellow, red and orange, the other pink, brown, blue, and green.
This would be a really cute gift for friends or siblings to make for one another.

handmade gifts faqs

What Are Some Really Thoughtful Gifts?

The good news is that any handmade gift made by a child will be viewed as thoughtful from those who love them! It is a valuable lesson for kids to know that time and energy spent on making something for someone they love can create and strengthen bonds. Many kid made gifts may not be perfect or even close, but to the recipient, it really is the thought that counts.

How Do You Make a Gift Meaningful?

Any homemade gift is going to have a special meaning to the recipient. Younger kids can make gifts more meaningful by telling the recipient how they made it and why they made it for them. This could be a retelling when the gift is given or a simple video made during the gift making process. Older kids can do the same with more detail and customize the handmade gift with details they think would make the gift more special to the recipient.

Leave a comment with one of the gifts you have made in the past (or one you hope to make).

Rachel is the founder of the blog, One Crazy House.  She is the co-author of 101 Kids Activities that are the Bestest, Funnest Ever! and The 101 Coolest Simple Science Experiments.  She lives in Fort Worth, Texas with her husband and six children.

57 Comments

  1. With so many people trying to save money this year, I think this is an excellent idea. I’ll probably work with my kids to see if they want to make some of these for our relatives.

    Thanks for the list. Keep up the good work!
    Chris
    .-= Chris´s last blog ..Is the Thanksgiving Turkey Bad for Your Dog? =-.

  2. What an awesome post with so many many fantastic ideas. These are great for any occasion too, not just the upcoming holidays!

    organicmotherhoodwithcoolwhip.com

  4. Great list. I am trying very hard to make gifts this year. I have always done the cakes in a jar. I will link up my post!

    Thanks for the list!

    Holly
    .-= Holly L´s last blog ..The Easter Bunny Made Me Do It =-.

  5. What a fantastic resource for all of us! Thanks! I better get crafting.

  7. spagiftbaskets says:

    Thanks for sharing . This is a great list. I am a sucker for handmade or homemade gifts. This year we homemade all our gifts. Some of the items that we have made are bath frizz, bath salts, soaps and some cookies.I like the Vanilla Extract and Biscotti. These gifts usually looks pretty after you have packed them with ribbons and nice holiday tags.:)

  8. Cute finger puppets! But your link takes me to homemade pesto. I would love to know when you’ve fixed the link so that I can see instructions for the puppets.

    I’m adding my two links for homemade gifts to your list.

  9. I will try and re-find that link for you! Sorry it was broken, thanks for letting me know!

  12. Thanks for so many ideas! As we have just purchased a house, I will be handcrafing gifts for a while so this will really help.

  13. These are some great ideas! Found you on BlogFrog – look forward to following you.
    Jody

  14. Thanks for the incredible list. I will be passing this along to my family and friends. I prefer handcrafted over purchased gifts anytime, even when difficult economic times are not an issue. The time and love invested are priceless.

  15. Wow! 101 awesome homemade gift ideas. My favorite is #63.Smores and Hot Coco Mix!

  16. You came up with so many cool ideas, i ts denifitely try some of them, Most of the time i have nothing to do, after reading this article, i can keep anyone busy herself specailly house wife to themselfs, we can use these ideas for business too.

  21. FANTASTIC list! We love love love homemade gifts. Thank you so much for including a couple of ours. Off to browse the rest.

    Maggy

  22. so cute but the pin on pinterest is leading everyone to believe that these are gifts kids make for others to give as gifts for cmas. the pic wording is a little confusing!

  23. Thanks for this post! Great ideas.
    FYI: The link for the scrapbook covered clip board is faulty… it took me to an inappropriate site.

  24. Please don’t change the typo on #16: “Transform two coffee cans into stills with this simple tutorial.” I was giggling, imagining kiddos with a tiny moonshine operation! 😀

  25. Nobody has ever solved this problem.I have no choice.He is physically mature.The doctor examined the soldier’s wound carefully.The sun comes up in the east.How long have you been here?How long have you been here?I fear that he drinks too much.What time is it? I learnt that I had passed the test.

  26. Great ideas, but I think the title is misleading. I came here through Pinterest, and “Kid-made” led me to believe these are gifts that kids could make. Alas, the majority would have to be made BY an adult though they are FOR kids.

  27. Elizabeth M. says:

    Some great ideas on this list.

    A thought though: let’s try not to limit our kiddos into gendered silos. Girls love forts just as much as boys (#7) and boys can enjoy friendship bracelets and facials just as much as the girls you mentioned (#21 and #96). Let’s let kids be kids who are free to explore the whole world – instead of just the gendered half we adults allow them to.

  30. “kid-made” gifts made me think these were gifts a child could make for someone else, not those to make for a kid. I feel like there could have been better word choices made for this.
    Plus, there is a total lack of gift ideas for this purpose in the blog-o-sphere.

  31. ***#98 Personalize a clipboard with mod-podge and scrapbook paper. Here are some great instructions.***

    The link for here… is definitely not the right link for this! Just a friendly tip… thankfully the kids weren’t in the room!

  32. Thank You Elizabeth!! I am with you on this one! I can’t believe you seem to have been the only one to notice that…how sad that in this new millennium, we are still boxing those free spirits into preconceived notions of what they should or shouldn’t enjoy or be competent with, based entirely on gender. Sadly, this list lis far from alone in practising this habit, which is a shame. Thank you for speaking out, I’m always thinking it and just adjusting the “labels” internally as i read, but how will change ever be effected if we all keep silent? So thank you for being that much needed voice 🙂

  33. I am now not certain the place you are getting your information,
    but good topic. I needs to spend some time studying more or figuring out more.
    Thank you for excellent information I was searching for this information for my mission.

  34. you shude check out my new easy art about how to make a pillow case out of cotton and paint

  36. best list i have ever seen. thanks a lot for sharing wonderful list with us.

  38. Wow this is such a great list! Thanks for sharing!

  40. Ha! Thanks for catching that typo…it really is STILTS not stills!

  41. Loni Krieg says:

    This list is AWESOME! 🙂 Not only can you make these things as gifts for your kids, but the kids would also have fun making this stuff too! Always looking for rainy day activities! Thanks! 🙂

  43. Awesome list for Harper’s Christmas & Toddler Gift Ideas. I would like to try your fun and cute ideas. Thanks for sharing…

  44. Benjamin Parker says:

    Usually, I will give dresses or toys for the kids. Thank you for the good write up.

  45. I totally love them all! Those you listed are practical and yet effective gift ideas for kids. It will mold them to become artistic yet very appreciative kind. One thing I can say is all of them are so perfect and kids will definitely enjoy doing with you. Of course, there is perfect activities for every occasion.

  46. What great creative ideas for gifts for the little ones.

  47. Hey there, I think your blog might be having browser compatibility issues.
    When I look at your website in Chrome, it looks fine but
    when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping.
    I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, great blog!

  49. What about rock candy? It’s also a good way to teach about evaporation and crystal formation.

  50. Hello, its pleasant paragraph on the topic of media print, we all be familiar with media is
    a impressive source of data.

  51. Thanks for the incredible list. I love all these DIY gifts ideas for kids.Please keep updating us with more surprising ideas.Thanks

  53. I’ve got two little boys and there are a bunch of things on this list I hadn’t seen (or had forgotten about – like the adorable boxer briefs; I came across them at a time when I thought he’d NEVER be out of diapers, but hooray, that day has arrived!).

  54. Great post by Rachel, it is really amazing that she found lots of DIY techniques and ideas for kids gifting. I will definitely use some of them ideas and I am sure that kids will really find them interesting. Even people who have kid’s stores can also follow these ideas to design some unique gifts.

  55. printlandokhla says:

    This is very informative and interesting post.

  56. Here are some good ideas! Original and very varied, thank you.

  57. Kristen Yard says:

    Hi Marie, So glad that you are enjoying them!

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