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30 DIY Gifts to Make for Kids

November 15, 2013 by Anna Ranson

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.30 DIY gifts to make for kids

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.]

 First Sewing BasketFirst-sewing-basket-for-children-666x1000

Cardboard box castle

cardboard box castle

Cardboard Box Small World

playing+in+cardboard+box+town

Shaped Rainbow Crayons 

Jigsaw rainbow crayons

Pirate Treasure Chest

DIY pirate treasure chest

Pirate Treasure Map

DIY pirate treasure map

Clothes peg/ pin fairy

DIY clothes peg fairiy

Storytelling  Basket [You can find similar Baskets  here]

Fairy-tale-story-prop-basket

I-Spy Bottle

Phonics I-Spy game

Ocean Waves Bottle [Find similar mini Sealife Creatures here]

Ocean-Discovery-Bottle-666x1000

Treasure Basket [Find good  baskets  to use here]

Baby treasure basket

Baby and Toddler Toys

4+homemade+baby+and+toddler+toys+large

Baby and Toddler Discovery Bottles

baby+discovery+bottle+collage+text

Light Box [use an old set of Christmas tree lights and buy yourself some new ones for this year!]

DIY+Light+Box+Title

Travel Cardboard Roadway

diy+road+way+activity

Rainbow Wooden Gnomes and Fairies

Flower-fairy-wooden-dolls-tutorial-666x1000

Chalkboard Table

indoor+chalkboard+table

Sensory Play Materials: These could be made and packaged in a clear jar with Cookie cutters Set,  rolling pins or mini cake cases attached for extending the play possbilities.

Moon Sand

Homemade-Moon-Sand-Recipe-Sensory-Play-666x1000

Play Dough

4+minute+play+dough

Snow Dough

Snow+Dough+Collage

Lavender Rice

Lavender rice calming sensory play

Cloud Dough

Cloud dough

Rain Stick

DIY-rainstick-tutorial-

Dinosaur Bones [These would be so cute packaged with some Dinosaur Toys  and a Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs Book!]

DIY Dinosaur Bones

No-sew Tutu [Give alongside a music CD Classics for Children or some Ballet Stories for Bedtime]

easy+no+sew+tutu

Dinosaur Small World in a Suitcase [Don’t have a suitcase? Use a show box!]

dinosaur+small+world+play+in+a+suitcase

Arctic Small World in a Suitcase

Arctic+Small+World+Play+in+a+Suitcase+Title

5 Speckled Frogs play set [Use real tree branches and twigs to cut the cost of buying play ones.]

frog+pond+natural+small+world

Alphabet Rocks [Give in a tub alongside some construction vehicles or some alphabet shells and toy sea creatures!]

Alphabet rocks in a truck

Discovery Box Kits [Package the materials from any one of these 15 ideas into a little box ready for open-ended play!]

15 discovery boxes for toddlers and preschoolers

Story Box

little+red+riding+hood+story+box

Sensory Tub (there are many to choose from in this list!) [Assemble it ready in a large tub for unwrapping and immediate play!]

IMG_3124

Want some ideas of things you can buy too? Here are our most popular gift guides for kids:

Top Toys for 2-6 Year Olds+

top+toys+for+2-6+year+olds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top Toys for Babies and Toddlers

Top+Baby+and+Toddler+Toys

Hope all these ideas are helpful! Do let me know what you choose to make !

[This post contains some Amazon affiliate links. Thanks!]

Related Posts

  • DIY I-Spy BottlesDIY I-Spy Bottles
  • DIY Rainbow Peg People & ToadstoolsDIY Rainbow Peg People & Toadstools
  • How to Dye Pasta for Sensory PlayHow to Dye Pasta for Sensory Play
  • DIY Mini Roads SetDIY Mini Roads Set
  • Sensory Storytelling Spoons for We’re Going on a Bear HuntSensory Storytelling Spoons for We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
  • Christmas Tree Pinch PotChristmas Tree Pinch Pot

Filed Under: DIY, Gifts, Homemade, How To, Make, Play Recipes, Resources, Toys, Toys & Games Tagged With: DIY, Gifts, Homemade Gifts

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Comments

  1. Amber @ Mamas Blissful Bites says

    November 15, 2013 at 1:26 pm

    I love these ideas! Thank you for putting this together! You rock!

  2. Kelly @ Mini Social says

    November 15, 2013 at 2:20 pm

    Great post with some fab ideas! The cardboard box ideas will be great for Christmas 🙂

  3. Duygu Gül says

    November 15, 2013 at 7:53 pm

    Awesome ideas, thanks a lot! I guess ‘Alphabet Rocks’ will be one of my son’s favourite!!

  4. Natasha says

    November 15, 2013 at 9:12 pm

    some really great ideas!! i Love the arctic in a suitcase idea!!

    Natasha @ Serenity You

  5. Lucy says

    November 15, 2013 at 9:53 pm

    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).

  6. Kath says

    November 16, 2013 at 6:59 am

    These are brilliant, thanks

  7. PramgaticMom says

    November 16, 2013 at 3:32 pm

    What an amazing list! Sharing far and wide!

  8. Maare says

    December 2, 2013 at 3:33 pm

    Thanks! Really lovely ideas!

  9. Nicole says

    February 28, 2014 at 6:28 am

    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!

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About The Imagination Tree Hello and welcome! I'm Anna, Mama of 4, early years teacher and play enthusiast from the UK! Click here to read more about me.

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