Gifts Children Can Make

Handmade gifts are a fun way to encourage children to give to others. Gifts children can make are usually simple and inexpensive, but are often treasured by the recipient. Making gifts is also a good way to teach children the importance of giving, rather than monetary value of the gift.

Enhance your child's gift making with a craft kit, like the Galt Silk Painting Set, or try one of these fun and simple ideas for gifts children can make.

Designer Candles
You will need:
White pillar candles in various sizes
Dull pencil or yarn needle
Permanent marker
Fine tipped paintbrush
Acrylic paint
Colorful ribbon

Draw designs on the candle with a permanent marker. Stars, Christmas trees, and snowflakes are nice for Christmas candles or try flowers and swirls for spring. This gift children can make can be adapted for most any season or occasion!

Use the dull pencil to carefully etch out the pictures. Brush paint into the etched grooves and let set for about 5 minutes. Clean away excess paint with a cotton swab. Decorate with a coordinating ribbon tied around the middle of the candle.

"Hand"y Kitchen Accessories
What grandparent doesn't love showing off their grandchild's artwork, especially when it's a dear handprint? These adorable gifts children can make are sure to please!

You will need:
Solid colored dish towel and oven mitt
Fabric paint in coordinating colors
Paint pen for fabric

Brush fabric paint on your child's hand and make prints across the towel and mitt. Get creative and use fingerprints to make a candle and flame or handprints in a circle to represent a wreath. Finish off your creation by adding your child's name and the date with the fabric pen.

Designer Picture Frames
Picture frames are simple gifts children can make for any occasion. Use a plain, wooden frame and add your own embellishments with a hot glue gun for a cherished one of a kind gift creation. A few ideas:

Glue small dog bone treats around a frame for a dog lover.
Paint jigsaw puzzle pieces in bright colors and glue creatively around the frame.
Use colored buttons in various shapes and sizes
Craft stores offer a wide selection of sparkly and decorative embellishments to create even more unique picture frames.

Luxurious Scented Bath Salts
You will need:
4 cups Epsom salt
2 cups rock salt or sea salt
¼ tsp glycerin
Food coloring
Essential oil fragrance (vanilla, peppermint, strawberry, etc.)

Combine all ingredients using 2 to 3 drops of food coloring and 5 or 6 drops of fragrance. Mix well and spread out to dry. Spoon the bath salts into decorative jars and enhance with a colored ribbon. Clean, dry baby food jars or candle jars work well for this easy gift children can make. You can also let your child paint the jar with acrylic paints or stitch a fabric piece to cover the top for an extra personal touch.

Helping Hand Flower Pot
This is an adorable gift children can make for relatives, teachers, and more! It can be used as a photo holder or in the kitchen to hold a recipe!

You will need:
Small flower pot or decorative pail
Florist foam to fit bottom of pail
Moss
Assortment of small, stemmed silk flowers (5 to 8)
Short wooden dowel
Heavy cardstock
Wooden spring clothespin

Decorate the flower pot with paint or stickers, then place the foam in the bottom. Cover with moss and arrange flowers in the foam. Trace a hand onto cardstock and cut. Use hot glue to attach the clothespin to the hand and then glue the hand onto the top of the dowel. Insert the dowel into the center of the pot with the clothespin upright and to the back of the display.