Four Easy Gifts Kids Can Make
Are you running out of time and money but still have several gifts to buy for the kids to give? Or do you want to spend time with your children by making gifts for loved ones? Or possibly, you might simply want to start a new tradition in your family.
Whatever your reason for wanting to keep the kids involved, here are several ideas to get you started.
Foot Printed Towels
Purchase a bath towel and acrylic paint if you don’t have any on hand. Light-colored towels work best. Place a small amount of acrylic paint in a disposable container--like a pie tin or ready-made lasagna pan. The container must be big enough for the child to put his feet into it. Swirl the paint back and forth in the container until the bottom is covered. Lay the towel out flat. With bare feet, have the child step into the container, and then step onto the towel starting at one end and continue the process walking to the other end. Allow to dry for 24 hours. You can write the child’s name and year on an underside corner of the towel with a paint pen or permanent marker.
Tip: If you have two kids, have one do the left foot while the other does the right foot. If you have more than two, do stripes of the different sized feet or randomize the pattern to an all-over collage!
Hand Printed Tablecloth
Purchase an inexpensive cloth tablecloth. Trace the hand of each family member with a permanent marker or paint pen along the bottom of the cloth until there is a border of handprints around the entire cloth. Have each person write his or her name inside different handprints.
Tip: This makes a great gift from grandchildren to Grandma.
Photo Placemats
Purchase standard poster board. Cut into 17 inch by 12 inch pieces--as many as you wish. This the average size of a store-bought placemat. Select several photos you would like the intended recipient to receive. Have children crop the photos into shapes using stencils or cookie cutters as guides. It’s always fun to use special-edged scissors like pinking shears to do so. Have children arrange the photos on the poster board. They can also write a message, sign the mat, or draw a picture. Cut two pieces of the clear Contact™ paper two inches bigger than the mat. Put the Contact paper on the back of the mat first. Trim the excess paper off with scissors. Next, place the clear Contact over the front of the mat. Fold the excess paper over onto the back of the mat. Smooth out any wrinkles by running your hand over the mat. The contact paper will protect the design and can be wiped clean after each use.
Stress Balls
Purchase a variety of water balloons and a small bag of play sand. Use a funnel to pour 3/4 to a cup of sand into each balloon. Knot the top of the balloon closed. Then pass these out to all your muscle-toning friends. Kids and teens will love them.
Tip: You can personalize each stress ball with a permanent marker. If you do, first blow up the balloon, but do not knot. Write your message---keeping it short and simple--then release. Fill the balloon as directed.
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