DIY gifts you can make at home
When the holiday season comes around, a good amount of stress usually comes with it. Whether it’s fighting the crowds at the mall or the rising price of toys — instead of ‘decking the halls’ most of us are usually ‘racking our brains’ trying to find the perfect gifts for our little ones. And in the midst of all of that stress, we tend to forget the most important aspect of the holidays, simply being close to those you love.
But there is a better way. Making your own gifts at home is not only simple and cost-effective, it’s also a great way to bond with your children! So with that in mind, let’s take a look at some of our favorite homemade Christmas gift ideas that you can make together as a family.
Shell picture frames
Everyone from little children to bigger toddlers will love making these fun picture frames. Start by taking your kids to the beach to pick out their favorite sea shells. Then visit an arts and crafts store to pick up some craft glue and picture frames in their favorite color. Glue on those shells, stick in an adorable picture of them for the grandparents and voila!
Personalized beaded necklaces
This is a fun one, and super simple to do: all you need is a piece of string and your toddler’s favorite color and style of beads. Because of the teeny-tiny sizes of those beads, this is a better gift for older kids to make, under adult supervision of course, to make sure those beads go on the string and not in the belly! Get beads with letters on them to spell out their names or sweet messages across the necklace.
Homemade comic book
Here’s one to really get those creative juices flowing! Everyone loves comic books, right? So why not have your kids create their own! Sit down with your little one and have them create a superhero version of themselves, complete with superpowers! Brainstorm possible adventures for them to go on, and then sit with them to draw and write out each scene! This is a pretty involved gift, which will no doubt keep them busy for hours on end!
Painted ornaments
Encourage your kids to get into the Christmas spirit by creating their very own tree ornaments! These can be made with anything from styrofoam balls to popsicle sticks, and can be decorated with buttons, paint, googly-eyes, anything! They’ll just need a little help tying and hanging the string to them. The best part is that they’ll be able to see these miniature creations years in the future!
Advent calendar
Countdown to the big day with an Advent calendar! For this one, you’ll need a large, empty shoebox, a couple paper towel rolls, tissue paper and some gift wrapping paper. Cover the box in the gift wrapping paper, and fill it with cut up pieces of paper towel rolls, laid vertically. Tape all of the rolls to each other, and to the box around them. Fill the box with mini prizes like chocolate truffles, tiny toys and anything else your little ones will love. Cover the whole box with tissue paper, and you’re ready to start counting down!
At Doona, we specialize in making parenting simple. With innovative, functional and stylish creations like the Doona Car Seat & Stroller, that transforms in seconds; and Liki Trike, the most compact folding tricycle on the market — we’re giving modern families the tools they need to get back to doing what they love: spending quality time with each other. Happy holidays!