Homemade gifts can be a fantastic way to save money while showing someone you care. Homemade presents are lovely for birthdays and can ease the pressure of spending at Christmas, especially if you can create things in batches for multiple recipients. If you’ve got young children, getting them to help can make the gift more memorable and get them excited about the holidays. Here’s a look at some gifts children can help with.
Gingerbread Men
Gingerbread men are easy to make; they last well in a sealed tub, and kids will love decorating them and getting messy. Young children could help with mixing and rolling the dough, cutting the shapes, and adding things like sweets and chocolates for decoration. Older children could try making gingerbread men alone and even get more creative with gingerbread houses.
If you want a head start, you can make gingerbread dough and freeze it in a sealed tub for when needed.
Brownies
Brownies are another great gift. Rich chocolate brownies are very indulgent and feel like a real treat. Add festive flavors like ginger, mint or orange, and get the kids to help you decorate boxes to gift them.
Truffles
Homemade truffles are easy to make, and young children will love getting messy rolling the ganache into balls and dipping them in chocolate or cocoa.
Try flavors like Irish Cream, mint, orange and white chocolate to create fun festive chocolate boxes.
A Calendar
Very young children love getting messy with paints and crafts. Buy some calendar sheets and have fun with finger painting and collaging to create a cool family calendar. Add some family photos for a thoughtful gift for grandparents.
Jewelry
Jewelry can be a lovely gift that’s fairly easy to make. Friendship bracelets make fantastic gifts for younger family members and friends, and beaded bracelets and necklaces can be beautiful for grandparents. Very young children can help with things like choosing colors and threading beads, and older children could try to make some jewelry on their own. Look at The Bead Traders for everything that you need to get started.
Bath Bombs
Bath bombs are another easy gift that children can make. You can buy a bath bomb kit or create your own using a mold, a few simple ingredients and some natural colorings. Let the kids try hiding small toys or figures inside gifts for their favorite people.
Bookmarks
Bookmarks are easy to make and decorate, creating the perfect small gift for bookworms. For a lovely, frugal gift, buy books from charity shops and add a cute homemade bookmark.
Salt Dough Tree Decorations
Kids love making salt dough decorations, and family members will love putting them on their trees every year.
Making gifts with children isn’t just excellent for the recipient. It can also be a fantastic way to enjoy a day together and get excited about the holidays while you save money and create something unique. When choosing which gifts to make, think about your child’s age, attention span and interests, and ask them what they would like to have a go at.