Easy Handmade Gifts Kids Can Make

My children enjoy making a large number of the gifts they give each holiday season but time is always an issue! If that’s you, too, here’s short list of easy handmade gifts kids can make. Simple tutorials included for easy assembly!
This post has been updated from its original publication in 2014. Happy Holidays!

More Easy Handmade Gifts for Later:

Herb & Citrus Slice Ornaments

Beeswax Firestarters

Decorate Candles with Kids this Holiday

Easy Handmade Gifts Kids Can Make

Here are just a few ideas you can fiddle around with this year or file away to try next year. Bear in mind that three of these require some simple sewing skills; just an FYI as you’re planning your time.

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Easy Handmade Gifts: Homemade Ornaments

Ornaments are a great gift when you’re creating a large number of gifts to give to multiple people. They can stand alone with a handmade tag or be tied on with a ribbon to some larger item like:

• a bottle of organic cider (for the whole foodie)
• a solar flashlight (for the prepper)
• a feed scoop (for the homesteader).

This year we’ve been making quite a few of our Fabric Scrap Wreath Ornaments which slip perfectly over bottle necks!

Easy Handmade Gifts: Upcycled Sweater Sachets

Have an old, raggedy sweater laying around that still has good sections left? Or maybe you just ripped a hole in your favorite one and you know that if it goes onto your mending pile, you’ll never see it again anyway?

Not to worry, upcycle that thing into sweet smelling sachets for dresser drawers. Or you can turn them into ornaments simply by adding a loop to the top.

• This is a very easy process with basic sewing skills, I promise. I have said before that I’m not very crafty – I go for easy and quick to finish.

Procedure for Upcycled Sweater Sachets

To prepare the sweater pieces for the sachet:

1. Pick a shape – we did a heart here but you could do any shape.
2. Cut a paper template and pin it onto a sweater that you’ve laid out flat. (This is step 1 in the photo below.) You’ll want to cut two layers of sweater, one for the front and one for the back of the sachet. Keep that in mind as you lay out the sweater onto a flat surface.
3. Using sharp scissors, cut 1/4″ away from your template all around it until you’ve completely cut it away from the sweater. That quarter inch will be your seam allowance.
4. Turn the pieces of sweater so right sides are together and put a few pins in the layers to hold them i place.

To Sew the Sachet:

1. Using quilting thread (its a bit thicker than regular thread), go around the edge of the sachet,1/4″ –  that seam allowance you left. (Step 2 in the photo below.)  Use a simple running or back stitch. Here’s how to learn basic hand stiches from Schneider Peeps Creative Simple Living.
2. Leave about an inch open, with no seam sewn – this is where you will insert the herbs and stuffing. To make sure the knit sweater will hold together over time, I suggest you go back and sew a quick blanket stitch up and over the edges of the seam. 
3. Make sure you’ve knotted your ends and secured your hand-stitching.
4. Next, turn the sachet right sides out so that you can stuff it with lavender or some other fragrant herb. To keep the organic material from sneaking through the knit, I suggest you cut a small square of muslin or cheesecloth and place the herbs inside.
5. Close your small packet of herbs with a knot or with a quick running stitch around the edges, drawing up the sides until they’re closed and knotting your thread.
6. Place the packet inside the sachet and flatten in a bit by pressing with your fingers. If you’re making an ornament, you can fill in around the packet by stuffing the sachet with raw wool or quilt batting.
7. To close up the hole, turn in the edges so that they point down inside the sachet 1/4″. You can pin it to keep it closed, if you like, but I usually just hold it as I sew. Close the hole with a whipstitch. 

Easy Handmade Gifts: Homemade Firestarters

These make excellent gifts for the kids to make because they only require tape, toilet paper tubes, dryer lint/cotton rags and Christmas paper.

Gather Supplies

If you want to make several firestarters, gather your dryer lint over a few weeks, as well as your toilet paper tubes.

If you have cotton rags, you may also use those but be careful not to use polyester or other synthetic material in anything you’re going to encourage people to burn. These man-made fabrics are really just glorified plastic.

Procedure for Homemade Firestarters:

1. Stuff the toilet paper tubes until they’re packed pretty tightly with lint (Step 1 in the photo below).
2. Cut some Christmas paper to fit the length of the tube, with a little extra, just in case.
3. Place the tube on the edge of the paper and secure it to the paper with tape in the center (Step 2 in the photo).
4. Roll it up until the tube is completely covered and close with tape (Step 3 in the photo). 
5. You can leave the ends fluted like candy wrappers by leaving them long (step 4) and tying ribbon at each end of the tube. 

Just an fyi, these firestarters catch fire quickly and burn for several minutes, depending on the materials used.

Label and Gift:

If you’d like to make these yourself, we’ve made a label for you to use  – simply save and print. If you want to change the size, just go to PicMonkey.com and you can size it there for free or create your own.

Easy Handmade Gifts: Patchwork Christmas Picture

Have fabric scraps laying around, even after making the rag quilt wreath ornaments?

Make a patchwork Christmas Picture! These look really nice when put inside a standard picture frame, the most common sizes being 4×6 and 8×10.

 

Patchwork & Button Picture Notes

Bear in mind that a larger picture is, the more time it will require to complete. However, the work is simple.

I like to have at least four circles of colored fabric scraps in both nickel and quarter sizes of each fabric so that I have a good variety from which to choose.

You can create any holiday image but I like the ever popular Christmas tree. If you’re doing a tree, visualize a triangle in the center of your plain colored fabric while you place your fabric circles in various shapes to fill in that triangle image in your mind.

• If you’re doing a tree, arrange the circles in rows so that they form a kind of pyramid (Step 2 in the photo). Fill in with buttons or sequins, if you’re using them.

I like the dimension of slightly crumpled fabrics, especially once the picture is framed, so I don’t always iron the finished piece.

To make the whole thing go quicker, you can also use a hot glue gun to affix the fabric circles and buttons.

 

Need it Done Even Quicker?

To make the whole thing go quicker, you can also use a hot glue gun to affix the fabric circles and buttons.

I fight with hot glue like a true BFF, as much as I love it. I get it everywhere it’s not supposed to be and I burn myself. Every. Time.

Besides, I like the look of the simple stitch in the center of each circle so I sew mine on. To each her own.

Kids Making Gifts: The Most Important Part

Don’t you or your kiddos stress over this or any of these items. They’re meant to be fun and quick.

They don’t require expert hands to make them look great. Your child just needs love in their heart for the receiver of the gift, a few supplies, and about an hour’s worth of time from start to finish.

Easy Homemade Gifts: Whole Foods and Treats 

I hope I don’t need to explain the great gift that homemade food can be. We all know how it feels to have a homemade pot of chicken soup with fresh, crusty bread. Or sweet treats made with wholesome ingredients and lots of affection.

As Kathie from Homespun Seasonal Living teaches us in her fabulous book, Gift it From Scratch:

“Homemade gifts are not cheap, but rather priceless and made with that which cannot be bought, love.”

I recently reviewed Kathie’s book and encourage you again to check it out. To get you motivated to break out your mixing bowls and whole foods ingredients, I’ll provide some links that will set your mouth to watering.

Foodie Gifts Kids Make

Traditional Petticoat Tail Shortbread – oh, how I love shortbread.

How about Hot Cross Buns – oh, no, they’re not just for Easter (think St. Lucia’s Day)!

Or Sourdough Maple Loaf Bread? 

Oooh, I love this Cranberry Punch and if you put it in some of these gorgeous bottles, they’re lovely without wrapping.

Or how about some Water Kefir Soda  The possibilities coming out of your kitchen are endless!

May God grant you patience and peace of mind as you juggle your family and those last minute gifts for kids to make!

If homemade gifts, holiday traditions and fun things to do with your family are on your To-Do list this season, grab your copy of our newest book, Homestead Holidays! This book will take you all around the calendar year on the homestead with traditions from around the world, recipes, crafts and so much more. Presented on three different levels of holiday commitment, you can choose to just try our suggestions, or follow the instructions for an all-out celebration!

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