Homeade Gift Ideas for every age

I love giving homemade gifts!  I don’t do it as much as I like, but I just love watching the receiver open their gift that I know I have spent long hours making all the while thinking of them.  The problem is, kids don’t always appreciate the time and energy and love that go into making something for them.  I don’t know that I can solve this problem, but I did find a good book by Glenn Beck that addresses this very issue. It is called A Christmas Sweater.  It is written for kids and it has a lot of pictures.  It is a story of a little boy and his awareness of how much more precious a handmade gift is rather than one bought at the store.

I checked around for pricing and was amazed to find it on Amazon for only $9.47 right now (normally $17.99) and it is eligible for Free Super Saver Shipping!  Have I ever told you how much I LOVE Amazon?  Anyway, the book received 4 out of 5 stars.

So here are some of my favorite finds for homeade gift ideas, and don’t worry – -some of them are very easy so you won’t have to slave your December away making them!

Baby

Very cute and soft ball for baby by Grand Revival.  Here is a link to her tutorial.

Toddler

I know your toddler has emptied a wipes container, a tissue box, or un-rolled a roll of toilet paper.  The Toby Show came up with this adorable solution by cutting up her old fabric scraps and putting them in a used tissue box.  Genius, I say!

Preschooler

What preschooler doesn’t like puppet shows, or at least putting on a show where he/she needs a grand entrance through their own curtain?  I love this idea from Sycamore Stirrings.  She just used a tension rod to hold up piece of fabric that she sewed a casing in to put the rod through.  If you are a non-sewer, you could even use a bunch of saftey pins or that no-sew glue stuff.  Easy and adorable!

School Age

A crayon roll for on the go coloring from Skip to My Lou, tutorial here.

A coloring book featuring…ME!  Here is a tutorial from fototiller.com on how to do this in photoshop.

Older school age

Another idea from Toby Show – Story Dice.  You roll the dice and then have to make up a story about the pictures you get.  I can just hear my kids’ imaginations soaring with this one!  If you don’t want to paint your own, fo’ne’tic’lee speaking created a very cute free printable here using clip art.  You just print, cut and then mod podge it to the wooden blocks.  She also made a cute storage bag to hold the dice in.

Even older school age (and adults)

Of course – the marshmallow shooter!  Here is a great tutorial from Her Cup Overfloweth.

Adult

I am an avid fan of soaking in the bath.  This is my kind of gift!  Thanks Martha!  Here is her tutorial.

Have fun making something for your loved ones this Christmas!  We would love to know your homeade gift ideas!  Let us know!