Here are 30 ideas for DIY gifts to make for kids that are playful, creative and won’t cost too much in time or materials.
With the Christmas season approaching it can all get a little out of hand with gift buying for our kids and those of our friends and family. I’ve noticed with my own children that they often play with the more unusual or homemade gifts just as much as, if not even more than, the extravagant store bought ones. DIY gifts are much cheaper, can be tailor made to suit a child’s particular interests and can be simple and quick to pull together at the last minute (great if you’ve forgotten that your child is going to a birthday party!)
Some of these are larger and will take longer to make, but most are very simple as I have a very short creative attention span (I like to make things very quickly or else I never finish them!) Some of these gifts are smaller and would make great stocking stuffers or take home gifts for parties. Click through to see the full post and tutorial for each idea, and find further ideas for how to use them in play.
[I’ve added some Amazon affiliate links to help you find some of the resources you will need.]
Storytelling Basket [You can find similar Baskets here]
Ocean Waves Bottle [Find similar mini Sealife Creatures here]
Treasure Basket [Find good baskets to use here]
Baby and Toddler Discovery Bottles
Light Box [use an old set of Christmas tree lights and buy yourself some new ones for this year!]
Rainbow Wooden Gnomes and Fairies
Sensory Play Materials: These could be made and packaged in a clear jar with Cookie cutters Set,
Dinosaur Bones [These would be so cute packaged with some Dinosaur Toys 
No-sew Tutu [Give alongside a music CD Classics for Children
Dinosaur Small World in a Suitcase [Don’t have a suitcase? Use a show box!]
Arctic Small World in a Suitcase
5 Speckled Frogs play set [Use real tree branches and twigs to cut the cost of buying play ones.]
Alphabet Rocks [Give in a tub alongside some construction vehicles or some alphabet shells and toy sea creatures!]
Discovery Box Kits [Package the materials from any one of these 15 ideas into a little box ready for open-ended play!]
Sensory Tub (there are many to choose from in this list!) [Assemble it ready in a large tub for unwrapping and immediate play!]
Want some ideas of things you can buy too? Here are our most popular gift guides for kids:
Top Toys for Babies and Toddlers
Hope all these ideas are helpful! Do let me know what you choose to make !
[This post contains some Amazon affiliate links. Thanks!]
I love these ideas! Thank you for putting this together! You rock!
Great post with some fab ideas! The cardboard box ideas will be great for Christmas 🙂
Awesome ideas, thanks a lot! I guess ‘Alphabet Rocks’ will be one of my son’s favourite!!
some really great ideas!! i Love the arctic in a suitcase idea!!
Natasha @ Serenity You
Some lovely ideas here!
Just a quick note about the baskets you link to on Amazon (for the treasure baskets) – a couple if months ago I bought one of those exact same ones to make a treasure basket for my 7 month old. Sadly I had to return it as the wicker is very roughly twisted and very sharp with lots of big broken pieces and splinters sticking out – far too dangerous for little ones as the broken bits of wicker sticking out would have done serious damage to a small child’s eye if they fell onto it. I found it was difficult to find a good basket of the right size for a little treasure basket, but eventually found the solution in a banneton (bread-making basket, can be found in cookery shops and from Amazon).
These are brilliant, thanks
What an amazing list! Sharing far and wide!
Thanks! Really lovely ideas!
I’m in love with all of your ideas. You’re a blessing. Thanks for sharing your creative gift. I want to do these for my little one plus all of her lil cousins!