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101 DIY Gifts for Kids

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Want some ideas for homemade, personalized 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! Leave a comment with one of the gifts you have made in the past (or one you hope to make) or feel free to post your gift idea to our facebook wall.

**This Post contains affiliate links.**

Oh so many! 101 DIY Gift Ideas for Kids - Kids Activities Blog

  1. Create a T-Shirt Design kit. Your kids can make wearable art!
  2. 52 Reasons I love you – Personalize a deck of cards for your child.
  3. Print up a set of silly faces. Add them to craft sticks to bring giggles to your kids faces.
  4. Yummy! Make them a Cake-in-a-Jar  – here are some jars to gift the mix in.
  5. Whip up a batch of no-cook play dough for a quick gift – these small containers are perfect – whip up a batch and gift.
  6. A young tot in your life would love some sweet legging warmers, re-purposed from a sweater.
  7. Create an “Outdoor Kitchen” kit so your child can create mud pies to their hearts content!
  8. Help Dad keep his coffee hot with a personalized drink cozy.
  9. Sew a rag doll for the tot in your life.
  10. Do your kids have pretend mini-worlds? Make a set of dollhouse furniture for them to enjoy in their alternate reality.
  11. Add some bang to their lives with a set of homemade drums.    Be sure to include a pair of drum sticks.
  12. 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”.  JUGGLING BALLS
  13. Make a set of juggling balls from balloons.   These are great makeshift “hacky-sacks” for an energetic child.
  14. Box of assorted cookies (Biscotti always looks fancy!).  These boxes are great to feature cookies.
  15. Homemade tree blocks hewn out of the branches from a tree we chopped down.
  16. The perfect gift for every boy – a build a fort kit including sheets, bungee cords, clamps, flashlights and more!
  17. Looking for something different? Why not make an indoor swing for your kids?
  18. Use some scrap wood and create a sword –  help your kiddos “become a pirate“.
  19. 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.tent
  20. Homemade soap – add a toy to the soap for a fun kid twist, great stocking stuffer
  21. Give your child a homemade necklace or the supplies that they can make a necklace for a friend.
  22. Use plastic bottles and colorful duct take to make a marble run to explore gravity.
  23. Got a active kiddo? Put a balance board together for them to bounce on.
  24. Paper dolls are a blast to create and play with! Add magnets to your paper dolls and a storage tin for extra “fun”
  25. Decorate a tote bag using handprints to decorate them – perfect for Grandma (or Mothers Day).
  26. This Toddler Clipping Toy was/is one of my tots favorite mom-made gifts.  You can get the buckles online.  DIY Gifts 101
  27. Construct your own Jenga game from cutting up sponges. The perk – it’s a great game for quiet-time.
  28. Pretend felt food.… and coupons for “cooking classes” led by your child for you to take.
  29. Make a light box for a child to explore with. I don’t know how we lived without ours! Love them.
  30. Create a set of building discs from recycled cardboard – a simple homemade toy.
  31. Gift your young artist some color with a batch or three from our paint recipes (including our scratch-n-sniff paint)
  32. Create a coupon book of activities you can do together.
  33. Gift Grandpa a one-of-a-kind paperweight, colorful rock art.
  34. Create a DIY Goop Kit for the kiddo in your life.
  35. Decorate a set of mugs with art work – they are washable!!    Picasso Inspired Christmas Tree Ornaments
  36. Make a set of silly-face tree ornaments or fridge magnets with this easy tutorial using clay.
  37. I loved sock monkey‘s when I was a kid! They are on my to-do list this Christmas.
  38. Use Velcro, Popsicle sticks and bottle caps to make this building toy.
  39. For the musical child in your life, design an instrument from PVC pipes for them to create melody.
  40. Transform two coffee cans into stilts with this simple tutorial.
  41. Assemble a xylophone from a collection of tin cans. Spray paint them to make them colorful!101 kid made gifts on Kids Activities Blog
  42. Assemble a play-doh kit of items to add creative fun in play dough play.
  43. For the musical child in your life, design an instrument from PVC pipes for them to create melody.
  44. Give a yummy gift, a collection of marshmallow pops. These are great party favors!
  45. Every kiddo needs a Mop-Stick Horse! I loved the one I had as a child!
  46. Taggies Blanket – these are loved by toddlers and are super simple to make!
  47. Assemble a weaving kit for your kids to experience patterns as they work on fine motor skills.
  48. Make a collection of bean bags with different colored and textured fabrics – don’t have fabric? Try stuffing balloons with various textures.
  49. 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.dollhouse furniture
  50. Transform scraps of wood and branches into a dollhouse furniture set.
  51. Design puzzles for them out of Popsicle Sticks.
  52. Homemade Crayons. Recycle old crayons to make fun new ones!
  53. Your kids can sew this super simple scarf out of fleece.
  54. Play Catch with an upcycled toy made from items in your recycle bin.
  55. Dress-up clothes – you can never have enough pretend things!
  56. Coasters are useful and easy for even young tots to make.   They also look great.
  57. A family of Clothespin or peg dolls
  58. Homemade Lollipops are tasty and an easy party favor to make for a crowd.
  59. Celebrate Christmas with your own nativity set.wood blocks 2
  60. Your kids will love making a set of colorful blocks for their friends to build with.
  61. Make a monster doll (or an outline on a pillowcase) and provide fabric markers for your child to decorate their monster.
  62. Create a kit so a child in your life can create their own Bathtub Paint (or give them jars of colorful fun).
  63. Movie Kit (DVD or gift certificate for movie rental with popcorn, soda, candy, etc.)
  64. Capes – kids love them!
  65. Aprons (matching mother daughter ones are always nice). Here is a super simple apron pattern, easy enough for a new-to-sewing child.
  66. Sew head bands for a gal in your life with this simple headband tutorial I used in the past..
  67. Give them a can of fizzing sidewalk paint.100 DIY gift ideas for kids
  68. Flower Hair Bow Collection
  69. Decorate some cloth napkins for their dinner table.
  70. Set of homemade cards
  71. Fabric Key Chains
  72. 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!
  73. Have a tyke obsessed with Dinosaurs? Maybe they would like this felt dinosaur bean bag game (with a volcano – too cool)!
  74. For the doll-lover in your life design a bag for their doll – it’s a simple-to-create accessory.
  75. Wearable art is always fun! Here is a tutorial on how to paint spin art T-shirts.
  76. Create a set of discovery I-Spy Bottles for the tot in your life.
  77. 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.
  78. Learn to Knit and give a Scarf/Hat set
  79. Want a place for all the matchbox cars? Make a felt car mat for them to drive around on!
  80. Make a scarf from Fabric with a simple straight-stitch (easy to sew)
  81. Sew a Quilt or Blanket for your child.
  82. Dehydrated fruit or jerky. Fruit leather is a prized treat over here.
  83. Decorate a picture frame for grandma or another relative.
  84. Cookie Kit in a jar (or in bags wrapped up in a mixing bowl)
  85. Breakfast in a basket – include muffin mix, mugs, coffee, etc.
  86. Smores Kit – or you can give them the fixings to bake their own campfire cones.
  87. Give Yummy kid-baked Candy (peppermint bark, Peanut brittle, Almond Roca, flavored marshmallows, etc.)
  88. A DIY Lego Instruction Book, great for the budding architect in your life.
  89. Screen print a T-shirt, tote bag, hat, etc. Don’t want to use paint? Consider embroidery – like this simple heart shirt!
  90. Create a set of felt alphabet letters or numbers for the tot in your life – these are really simple to create.
  91. Make a handprint keepsake for family members in your life. Great as Christmas Ornaments!
  92. Assemble a recipe book for your budding chef. Fill it with lots of simple, kid-friendly recipes (like our edible playdough/noodles recipe)
  93. Scrapbook of your family for a distant relative (snapfish lets you make them digitally)
  94. 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!!
  95. Give the gift of botany. Create a kit for planting herbs (seeds, dirt, pot & spade) or making a terrarium (moss, container, rocks & dirt).
  96. 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.
  97. 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!
  98. Melt a nightlight out of “melty” beads.
  99. Coloring wallet for the sketcher or child in your life!
  100. Create a bracelet for them from tiny toy pieces, or give a set of friendship bracelets. My girls love to accessorize!
  101. Take some pictures and create familiar puzzles from them!
  102. Make a doll house out of cardboard boxes destined for the bin! Maybe include interesting pages of paper so they can “redecorate”
  103. Snickerdoodle Chex Mix – a great recipe for your child to do, and gift to a neighbor!!
  104. 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.
  105. Edible Lip Balm – cause with kids you can never have enough chapstick!
  106. Help your child keep their pretend dishes picked up with this DIY Pretend Stove/Storage Bin.
  107. Give a set of upcycled pencils to your budding student.
  108. Make a candle votive holder out of a glass jar and tissue paper – brilliant glow.
  109. Feeling industrious? Create a Lego Table that your children will enjoy for years (and years!)
  110. Bake your own Dog biscuits for the dog-loving kiddo in your life!
  111. Create a work of art with your children’s silhouettes. Love the way this example mixes melted crayon art with paper cut outs.
  112. Create a rug out of old clothes and blankets. Here is another variation.
  113. Homemade icecream ball with ingredients – what child doesn’t enjoy ice-cream?!?
  114. Do-your-own facial kit – perfect for the prima dona gal.
  115. Photo Book Mark (maybe add a favorite book to go along with it).
  116. Personalize a clipboard with mod-podge and scrapbook paper. Here are some great instructions.
  117. Decorate a picture frame and include a photo. Crafty Chic, has great instructions on how to make a scrapbook styled frame.
  118. Let your kids go Jackson Pollock and make a canvas painting, use Fabric Markers to decorate a totebag.
  119. Personalize a Children’s book, use old family photos and replace the heads of the characters. Laminate and enjoy!

 

Have some other homemade gifts that you’d like to share with the world?

Have gift lists or suggestions for the hardest to buy for? Tell us about them!

P.S.   Our list originally had only 101 gift ideas… BUT you’ve sent us more ideas and we updated it to reflect your new gift ideas!   Thanks.   Leave comments with your homemade gift and we’ll try to include it as well.

About Rachel

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.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  7. spagiftbaskets

    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. The Prudent Homemaker

    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.

  12. Flora

    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.

  14. HP

    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.

  16. Pumps Heels

    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.

  22. erin

    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. Erin

    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. CJ

    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! 😀

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  26. Lindsay

    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.

    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. Lisa

    “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. Melissa

    ***#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. Shanti

    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 🙂

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  41. Loni Krieg

    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! 🙂

  45. Sandy@ Personalised Gifts for Kids

    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.

  47. home made dog treats

    Hey there, I think your blog might be having browser compatibility issues.
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  49. Alecia

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

  53. Beth Bishop

    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. Seema Mehta

    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.

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