Four homemade gift ideas kids will love making

If you ask any parent, they’ll probably admit that homemade gifts from the heart are more special for a birthday than any expensive item you’ll find in a store. What’s more, sitting and making the gift with your child will provide the opportunity for some quality time with mom, dad, and granny, too!

Help your child surprise a parent, a friend, or a family member with one of these special, yet simple, gifts.

Wool tin pencil holder

This homemade gift idea is simple to make, yet practical because it can be used to store pencils, keys, or spare coins.

 What you’ll need:

• Child-friendly paint (we like Teddy Powder Paint)
• 2 or 3 aluminium tins
• Strips of coloured wool, cut in the same length (older kids can measure and cut themselves)
• Non-toxic glue stick
• Coloured rubber bands (optional)

 Directions:

1. Before starting, make sure the tins have been thoroughly cleaned.
2. Set up painting stations and let your child mix and paint the tins. Then, allow to dry.
3. Cut the various colours of wool the same length (using child-friendly scissors if your little one is helping)
4. Run the strands of wool over the glue and then stick around the base of the tins, turning it as you go.
5. You can alternate the wool with coloured bands if you like.

Lion mask card

There’s no doubt that your little one will love making their very own lion mask card.

Download your card template here.

What you’ll need:

• A4 paper and a piece of cardboard to print the card on
• Crayons or paint
• Scissors
• Hole punch
• Elastic string
• Scotch tape
• Craft stick (optional)

 Directions:

• A4 paper and a piece of cardboard
• You can print out the mask on regular paper, but you must glue it onto cardboard to make it last longer.
• Help your child colour or paint the lion. (If you chose to print the coloured version, skip this step)
• Cut out the mask and help your little one cut the eye holes.
• Punch holes into the sides of the mask where the little circles are.
• TIP: To reinforce these spots, put scotch tape over the marked holes and fold the tape towards the back of the mask.
• After punching the holes on the pair of marked circles, tie the ends of an elastic string on each hole.

Funny face biscuits

What you’ll need:

• Anzac biscuits (to make them, use this recipe)
• Icing

Decorations including;

1. Smarties, raisins, or Jelly tots for the eyes
2. Liquorice pieces, mini marshmallows, or a quarter Kit Kat for the nose
3. Sweetlips, or sour snakes for the mouth
4. Uncooked spaghetti for hair
5. Various sprinkles

Directions:

1. Once you’ve made the biscuits, allow to cool while setting up decorating station.
2. Make the icing. Simply mix icing 2-3 tablespoons of icing sugar with a little water or milk to make a firm paste that can be used to glue the decorations to the biscuits.
3. Set up your decorating station. Give your kids their own biscuits, glue, and decorations to decorate the biscuits.
4. Set the biscuits aside to set and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
5. When it’s time to give them as a gift, either pop them in a plastic packet wrapped with pretty ribbon or put them in a jar or box.

Wooden keepsake box

We love this sentimental gift box idea from US-based mommy blogger Darcy. She started the blog, Darcy and Brian with her husband to document her pregnancy and parenting journey as a mom of two.

This box makes a great gift on its own, or you could fill it with something else such as chocolates.

What you’ll need:

• 50 popsicle craft sticks
• Tacky glue (or thick white glue)
• Glitter glue
• Anything you like for the handle (such as a large stone, piece of metal, or even wood)

Directions:

1. Glue four craft sticks together in a square
2. Continue layering the craft sticks on top of each other and gluing them into place until the box is as deep as you want it. (Try to save 15 for the cover and 11 for the bottom if you are sticking to 50 sticks total.)
3. On the last layer, place craft sticks side by side all the way across. This will be the bottom once the glue is dry and you flip the box
4. To make the cover, start the same way you did for the box. Glue four sticks in a square. Then lay the sticks across the whole top and let it dry.
5. Next, glue a stone (or whatever you’ve chosen for the handle) in the middle of the cover. Decorate the cover as you wish and use glitter glue to write a personal note on the box.