25 Holiday gifts (you and) your kid can make

I fully realize that we haven't even hit Thanksgiving yet, and here I am talking about Christmas, sorry T-Day. But thinking ahead in the case of handmade gifts is pretty necessary (believe me, I've learned the hard way). This year, I have a 4 year who old seems exited to make as many holiday gifts as we can. Here are 25 ideas for you to try with your kids, and to get you inspired to spend some time making things together. 

Mixes in Jars. We've been making jars of hot chocolate mix for family and friends for the past two years. My kid loves to help me measure and dump the layers into the jars. Try  giving hot chocolate mix, BBQ rubs, cookies, and soup mixes.

Salt Dough Ornaments. We made a bunch of these last year, and I loved playing with the dough as well. Try mixing food coloring into the dough ahead of time instead of painting - so much fun. Recipe here.

Stamp your kids art on cards. Follow these easy instructions to get one of your kid's adorable doodles made into a stamp. Then have them stamp it on cards to give as gifts! I love getting stamps made at RubberStamps.net

Monogram a mug. Check out this cool tutorial from DesignMom. I seriously want to get my hands on one of the Porcelaine Pens she talks about. I mean, you could draw anything on a plate or mug. How cool is that? Move over kid....

Make a piece of fine art. I love this idea and tutorial for making a limited edition print using scratch foam.

 

  
Fabric Fun. Armed with a scanner, you could make yards and yards of fabric out of a little doodle done by your kid over at Spoonflower. You can actually get a piece as small as a fat quarter. I'm particularly fond of a hot pink spider my kid recently drew, and can just picture it as a fabric pattern. Then think of the possibilities! Older kids could sew napkins, table runners, pillows, aprons.... 

Mix up some glitter dough. You could pre-mix this fancy, scented play-doh recipe or help your kid assemble it as a dry mix in a cute jar. Pair with some cookie cutters and you've got a kid friendly gift that your kids will also love putting together. Try the Martha Stewart glitter for extra pizazz.

Bake something delicious. Since my kid loves to bake with me, we have enjoyed giving neighbors loaves of this Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread or this Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread for their freezers (for a breakfast or tea time treat after the holiday sugar rush wears off).

Good clean fun. Kids will love mixing up batches of home made bubble bath. Both of these recipes look great. One, from The Green Parent and the other from DesignMom. I love the idea of packaging them in squeezable bear bottles. Older kids could even make fun labels.

Shrink it. I still have a Shrinky Dink ornament I made when I was 3. I'm excited for my kid to try this craft this year.

Recipe Dish Towel. This is a super cute idea that would be perfect for a family member who has everything. I love the idea of asking the child how their favorite recipe from grandma is made, and putting that on the towel instead of a traditional recipe.

Secret Hollow Book. Probably better suited for older kids, since it involves an exact o knife, but oh so fun to make and receive.

My Favorite Tunes. My kid is really starting to express her musical tastes. Right now she loves any song that is in French or Italian ( Lou Monte, and Edith Piaf: thanks Pandora). This year, we want to make a CD collection of her top 10 songs from this year to give to her friends. Any relief from 'kid music' is greatly appreciated in my house. 

Marble magnents. A friend made me these a few years ago and I love them. Your kids could do a whole set of magnets featuring the faces of family members, their favorite book or cartoon characters, or any other fun theme.

Stash buster yarn bowl. I love the look of this yarn bowl from Blissfully Domestic and am sure that a kid would love to make it. Not only does it look super cool, it could really help get rid of a lot of my yarn stash!

Custom Calendar This is great, computer-free idea for making custom calendars, and a great way to purge some kiddo art!

Button wreath ornament. Kids large and small love to string stuff on wire or string, and I love how simple these ornaments look. Buy a bag of bulk buttons from the craft store and string away!

Name magnets. Have your child shape the letters in their friends names using fimo clay, add magnets to the back and you have a unique personalized gift that also spells F-U-N.

Patchwork notebook. This would make an adorable gift for anyone who likes to journal, and a fun way to use up extra sheets of scrapbook paper or old magazines.

Ruffle Scarf.  Made from a tee shirt, this scarf would be fun for an older kid to make for their friends.

Snowman Pencils. Making a batch of these to give out to classmates or friends would be super easy and fun.

Kid art on everything. Using sites like Zazzle or Cafe Press your child's art can be placed on mugs, ties, shoes, notecards, sigg bottles, and even iphone cases. And don't underestimate the simplicity of giving a nicely framed piece of your child's art as a gift. 

Make a Silhouette picture. Here's a super kid friendly and low tech way to make a silhouette picture. Love this.

Interview you child on a certain topic, especially if they are too little to initiate a story on their own (what is your favorite thing to do with Grandma?, etc) Then, using a site like Blurb, make a great bound book featuring your kid's interview. Pair it with photos of your little one to make for a lasting keepsake for special people in your child's life. Or scan in drawings done by your child. There are some fun ideas about writing stories with your kid, here, and to get the conversation going try these fun conversation cards.

Finally, wrap your handmade creations in homemade gift wrap . Another fun way to re purpose a lot of the kid art you have hanging around your house!