Just in time for the holidays, here are our favorite DIY gifts that kids can make! These are the gifts we make every year at our holiday gift making workshop at The Treehouse!
Every year around this time, we host our Holiday Gift Making Workshop at The Treehouse. This is one of our favorite events of the year where we host 15 kids at our storefront space to create their very own handmade gifts for family and friends.
After running this event for the last 5 years, we have it down to a science with fun games and obstacle courses, delicious holiday treats, and…most importantly DIY gift ideas that: won’t break the bank, are simple enough for kids to do with little to no assistance, and won’t make a giant mess!
Below, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite gifts that kids can make. We’ve tried all of these out with great success and the kids and families have loved them! Looking for fun ideas that kid can give as gifts for siblings? Click the link to find some great ideas!
First, we’ll talk a little bit about how we run this event.
How to Run a Holiday Gift Making Party for Kids
1 – Choose simple gift ideas that don’t have a lot of small pieces
The types of gifts you choose to make with your kids can make or break your event. We’ve tried some ideas that end up being too complicated (which means that you run out of time) or too messy (which means you lose your marbles). It’s definitely important to keep it simple!
2 – Plan and prep ahead of time!
This is the key aspect of hosting an event like this. Spending the time upfront to prep and cut and plan out all of your supplies and materials will save you from fumbling around when you have a bunch of kids running around!
3 – Plan for movement breaks
This is another important part of an event like this! Kids won’t sit still for 2 hours – even if you plan the coolest DIY gifts for them to make. So it’s a good idea to plan some fun holiday games and movement activities that can break up longer periods of sitting.
4 – Plan a snack
This is always a favorite part of the event and there are SO many fun holiday treat options! Check out these reindeer donut snacks from Kris Mills- so cute! Or try this delicious reindeer snack mix from The Cookie Rookie!
5 – Divide kids up into “teams”
We typically split kids up into smaller groups and have them rotate through stations to complete each DIY gift. It’s usually easier to facilitate the crafts when there are fewer kids at each table and it also helps us manage our time during the event. We set the timer for 10-15 minutes at each station.
6 – Include a DIY wrapping and card station
This is something unexpected that we learned after our first year doing this event – kids loved creating their own gift bags as much as they liked making their own gifts! We kept this really simple by placing a bunch of brown paper lunch bags and markers out on the floor for the kids to decorate. They were having so much fun with this that we finally had to pull them away to start on their gifts!
10 Fun Gift Ideas That Kids Can Make
1 || Kid-Made Dish Towels from I Can Teach My Child
These dish towels are the perfect gift for a mom, aunt, or grandma and are super simple for kids of all ages. We liked this one because it requires only a few basic materials and no small pieces!
2 || Striped Painted Vase from I Spy DIY
This fun striped painted vase idea is so cool because it ends up looking like something you’d buy in a store! Kids are so proud of the final product and family members love the thoughtful gift! We also added this DIY Felt Flower.
3 || Glass Magnets from Play to Learn Preschool
This is one gift idea that does involve some small pieces, BUT the activity itself is so simple that it all works out! Kids are able to draw any design they want to create their own one-of-a-kind glass magnet.
4 || Marbleized Glass Ornament from Cut out + Keep
These cool marbelized glass ornaments are another great kid-made gift idea! They are so beautiful and easy to make!
5 || Tic Tac Toe Rocks from Balancing Home
We loved this fun DIY game for kids to give to siblings, cousins, friends, or neighbors!
6 || Wooden Bead Keychains from Fave Crafts
These wooden bead keychains are one of our all-time favorite gifts for kids to make. We’ve used them at our gift making workshop and as thank you gifts to individuals who have donated to our non-profit.
7 || Painted Coasters from Left Brain Craft brain
Another super simple option that turns out as a beautiful final product. These painted coasters are a great gift for an uncle or grandpa who likes to show off their favorite kiddo’s artwork!
8 || Snow Slime in a Jar from No Time for Flash Cards
Kids love making this DIY slime gift and they make a really great gift to give to friends or to use as a party favor at a holiday party!
9 || Tie Dye Bookmark from Happy Hooligans
We’ve made this tie dye bookmark with our kids at The Treehosue multiple times over the years because it’s such a cool process that turns out the prettiest designs!
10 || DIY Washer Bracelets and Necklaces from Craftidly
Here’s another super fun DIY option for kids. Again, there are some small pieces involved, but since the process is so simple, it doesn’t create too much chaos. These bracelets and necklaces turned out awesome and the kids were so excited to give them to moms and aunts!