10 Do-It-Yourself Gifts for Parents
Help the little ones make presents for their parents
by Leslie Frederick and Meg Gleason
Channel your inner elf and foster the spirit of generosity in your young grandchildren by helping them create something special for Mom and Dad this holiday season.
Holiday Sand Art
Measure one cup of kosher salt into a paper cup. For a Christmas theme, add a few drops of red food coloring to salt and stir it with a fork until blended. Create green salt following the same directions. Layer the green salt, red salt, and plain white salt in a clear jar all the way to the top and close the jar with its lid. Tie a ribbon around the jar to make it even more festive. For Chanukah, use blue food coloring and layer blue and white throughout. For a sophisticated look, run a sharpened pencil vertically along the inside edges of the jar to make wavy patterns.
White Button Snowflake
With chalk, draw lines to create a snowflake on black paper. Glue white buttons on the lines. Place the snowy masterpiece in an inexpensive frame or cut out the shape and add a cardboard back and a safety pin to create a piece of jewelry.
Sock Sachet
Use a frilly baby sock and stuff it with cotton balls that have been misted with perfume. Tie the top with a ribbon to create a pretty sachet for a drawer.
Snow Family Pencil Holder
Measure a piece of blue construction paper to wrap around an empty can. (Make sure the top of the can is free of sharp edges.) Glue cotton balls onto the paper to create 3-D snowmen. Glue the completed art onto the can.
Holiday-Card Bookmark
Recycle old holiday cards into bookmarks. Cut the cards into rectangles. Punch a hole at one end and thread ribbon or yarn through the hole for a literary look.
Celebration Coupons
Create coupons redeemable for hugs, kisses, or simple household tasks. Illustrate the coupons and assemble them into a book with a celebratory cover.
Generational Handprint
Trace your hand onto a sheet of paper. Then, trace your grandchild’s inside your handprint. Color in the handprints and frame for a precious keepsake.
These three crafts require a bit more effort. Click on the idea for the full instructions.
Confetti Calendar
A personalized way to mark the year ahead.
Orange Pomander
Keep the house smelling holiday fresh.
Custom Cookie Jar
Who wouldn't love a jar of sweets, made with love?
5 comments so far...
| Anyone who does not create at least ONE handmade item with their grandchildren each year is missing out on making a memory in their grandchildrens minds. You don't have to be a world-class artist, just a prepared and loving fellow crafter! Find out what their favorite toy, movie, tv series, cartoon, animal,etc., is. Do a little research on the web, get some information on the fav and print out. Go to a few sites and see if there are any coloring pages, etc., there,and see what is more age-appropriate to your g-child. Or, just go oldschool and make anything from cotton ball snowmen to cookies-in-a-jar. You are what you create in your g-children's minds. Let it be a good,kind, and loving memory.
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| We will be making memories together.
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| I have "Grandma's Christmas Workshop" before Christmas giving the moms a day off to shop, etc. My 4 younger grandchildren, 5-9 yrs., bake, crafts for themselves, craft for parent present, and we make a Christmas play video. I edit it for them to give on Christmas Eve. These are the most precious 8 hours of the season.
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| as far as making cookies we found something very easy quick yummy and fun. we made cookies from diffrent boxed cake mixes. WOW they were great the kids loved it. u just add 1/2 cup oil and 2 eggs to cake mix no water. It mikes great cookies with add ins like chocolate chips nuts and such, makes about 2 doz. cookies
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| Making christmas ornaments is easy and fun. 2cups flour, one cup salt and 1 1/2cup water! Roll out to 14 inch and cut out shapes, bake at 350 degreees for 45min to an hour. Paint and seal with spray gloss, they last forever and it's a gift your grandchild made with their own hands.
I made them with my three year old Grand daughter and she loved helping me from the beginning and was very proud of "surprising" her Mother and Mimi with them.
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