Friday 14 December 2018

CRAFTS: 4 DIY Gifts for Children to Make for Loved Ones

CHRISTMAS: 4 DIY Gifts for Children to Make for Loved Ones
DIY gifts are an easy, affordable and thoughtful gift to give on any occasion and as there are so many people to buy for at Christmas what better time to get creative? Now that Isabella is older it is even easier to turn a crafty afternoon into a special gift for a loved one. Isabella and Poppy both get to have fun with paint, stickers, glitter etc., as well as producing a beautiful present. I think it is really important to teach Isabella (and Poppy when she's older) all about the gift of giving and her not be a bit oblivious to it all as we buy all of the presents for everyone. When I was a child I loved nothing more than spending my pocked money on presents for others and that love for buying, making and creating gifts for others hasn't been lost into adulthood. I would like Isabella to grow up appreciating the gifts she receives and understanding what makes a thoughtful present for someone else.

That is exactly why I wanted to put together a range of DIY gifts for children to make loved ones this Christmas, as it allows them to take pride in their creations and appreciate that Christmas isn't just about receiving presents. Most of these ideas would also work perfectly for any present giving event, from baby showers to birthdays and anniversaries.


1) Personalised Wooden Name Blocks - These name blocks could spell out a child's name, say Merry Christmas, a short quote, family surname, congratulations, the options are endless. All you need is alphabet stickers, wooden blocks, a paint brush and some paint. I have always used left over tester pots of paint we have accumulated from decorating our house, but you could use acrylic paint. Once you've stuck the necessary letters on the blocks you're children can completely cover them in paint. I've always found that it is easiest to leave one side blank whilst all of the other sides dry and then paint the remaining one. I have written a whole tutorial all about how to make these Personalised Wooden Name Blocks previously, so if you're interested in making them then head over to that post.
2) Family Portrait - This is one for the slightly older children to create, as they will need to be able to draw people of some description. I remember when Isabella drew her first person; my heart melted and I cried with pride. I just couldn't believe that my first baby was able to draw something that was actually recognisable! At any opportunity she loves to draw people and I think I well up almost every time she does; they are just so adorable. To utilise this cuteness and capture your child's skill level at different ages why not create a family portrait. Using a piece of white card Isabella drew our family using pencil to start with. That allowed us to practice getting the positioning right and then she drew over the pencil lines using Little Brian Paint Sticks. If you've not tried using these before then I'd highly recommend you do because they will change your parenting life! They are mess-free, easy to use and are so versatile - we use them every week without fail in our house. Poppy and Isabella both love painting with them and the number of activities, gifts and crafts you can create using these Paint Sticks is incredible. I've turned over a little side table, wrapped cling film around the outside, at Isabella in the middle and she's drawn all over the cling film with the paint sticks. Another activity they both love doing is decorating leftover cardboard boxes from deliveries. We'll transform them into aeroplanes, cars, sleighs, anything they want and with no mess involved. You can also draw on glass, tin foil, we even decorated our pumpkins with them this year! 

3) A Painted Glass - You could do this with any glass: gin, champagne, glass hot chocolate/latte mug, whisky, tumbler or simply a standard glass, making this a gift for anyone you know. All you need is glass paint (I picked some up from Hobbycraft), a paintbrush and a glass to get started. I let Isabella and Poppy free with the glass paint and this gin glass and they came up with this colourful creation! If you have older children then they could make it a bit more uniform, perhaps add stripes, swirls, polka dots, items the recipient really likes etc. Make sure you follow the instructions for the glass paint you use, but for mine I had to let the paint dry for 24 hours and then bake in the oven for 40 minutes to make the paint dishwasher safe. It was that easy and I even added a monogram to make it that bit more personal.

4) Personalised Canvas - This is another easy, affordable yet personal gift to give this Christmas. I picked up a small canvas from Poundland for, you guess it, one pound and the other things you'll need are acrylic paints and alphabet letter stickers. This is the perfect one to partner with the wooden blocks because you can use the same alphabet stickers. Again, you could spell out anything on these Personalised Canvas', including 'We Love You', 'I Love You', 'Family is Everything', 'Love You Grandad', 'Live, Laugh, Love' etc. All you need to do is stick the letters where you want them on the canvas (ensure they are stuck down really well), let your child paint all over the canvas especially focusing on completely covering around each letter, allow the paint to completely dry and then peel off the stickers.
Do you enjoy making gifts for your loved ones at Christmas?


Feel free to leave a comment - I love reading every single one :)


Helen x


*This post contains PR samples - as always all opinions are my own and 100% honest. 
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16 comments

  1. These are really lovely ideas for children to be involved in. Mine like arts and crafts so would really enjoy making gifts for friends and family.

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  2. These are so lovely, and teaches the children gifts do not have to cost a fortune. One of the best ones we did was a tree made from the trios painted handprints for fathers day once and framed it. It is really beautiful

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  3. Ahhh so sweet! I think the handmade gifts from the littles are always the loveliest and they really love making them too :)

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  4. Some fantastic ideas here. Sometimes I always think the best presents you can get at Christmas are the most personal ones!

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  5. This is so sweet. Homemade presents always make so much more of an impact.

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  6. Very creative! I am loving the family portrait and those wooden blocks. These are all so fab!

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  7. Ah they are lovely ideas! Grandparents always love a personalised gift

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  8. I love handmade gifts. The glass is especially gorgeous and easy to make as well. Personalised gifts always mean so much more

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  9. Aww what lovely Christmas gift ideas. I love receiving handmade gifts. These are all so creative too :)

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  10. I used to love the name blocks but would definitely love to try the other ones when I have kids one day in the near future

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  11. What lovely ideas, thanks so much for sharing. Gifts made by children are extra special.

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  12. Wow these are looking like some great ideas. Definitely need to pass them onto my sister. That family portrait is so cute

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  13. I enjoy making gifts for my loved ones. I love a personalised gift.

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  14. I absolutely love homemade presents. I think they're just the best! Your wooden blocks are too cute :) I also love the idea of the family portait. Although I do lots of crafts with my children, I wouldn't have thought of doing that :)

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  15. Aw I think homemade gifts from the kids are lovely! The family portraits are really sweet, what a lovely idea.

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  16. These ideas are gorgeous. Painting a portrait is a lovely idea and the paint sticks you used look great too. That's going to contain the mess isn't it

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