Handmade gifts and keepsake craft ideas from children make holiday gift-giving fun! Invite children to help make any of these gorgeous homemade gift ideas!
Homemade gifts kids can make for parents and grandparents are always a favorite with family and friends. Help the kids make handmade crafts and DIY gifts for Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Grandparent’s Day, a birthday, friends, or your child’s favorite teacher with this list of gorgeous gift ideas!
Related: Ultimate Family Gift Guide with DIY and Ready-Made Ideas
Related: Best Christmas Coloring and Activity Books for Kids and Adults
DIY Homemade Gifts Kids Can Make for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, or a Birthday
This beautiful list of homemade gifts has lots of great gift ideas for parents and grandparents. Below you will find easy kid-made gifts for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparents Day, a birthday, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day.
You can also find great gift ideas that kids from toddlers and preschoolers, grade school kids, to tweens and teens can make for friends or a favorite teacher–scroll to the bottom to see them all!
Related: Gifts for Mom That Will Put You in the Good Book!
Kid Made Gift Ideas for Mom, Dad, Grandparents, Friends, and Teachers
The ideas in this collection of homemade gifts kids can make for parents, grandparents, and teachers are best when made by children–with the help of a caregiver. First, scroll through the kid-made gift ideas below and choose a craft or two to make. Next, surprise mom, dad, grandparents, friends, or even your child’s favorite teacher with your gorgeous handmade gift!
***Click on the title of each handmade gift idea to see the complete step-by-step tutorial for each DIY gift.***
Four Season Hand and Fingerprint Tree
Here’s a four-season handprint and fingerprint tree that makes a lovely keepsake gift perfect for year-round gift-giving. Teach children about the rhythm of the seasons that occur within the year while making a homemade gift for mom, dad, grandma, or grandpa that they will treasure for many years to come.
Shell frames with Handprint Keepsake Gift
Children from toddlers and preschoolers to teens can make these handmade keepsake gifts. Put handprint art, footprints, photos, or artwork inside each handcrafted shell frame for a one-of-a-kind homemade gift kids can make that your family will treasure!
Related: Sea Shell Calming Sensory Bottle
DIY Gifts Kids Can Make
DIY Personalized Beaded Necklaces or Bracelets Kids Can Make
Learn how to make a necklace that reads mom, mum, grandma, or nana necklace, or help the kids make a necklace or bracelet with any name, word, or phrase for mom, grandma, a teacher, or even your favorite aunt!
Or, make a mother-daughter gift set. Handmade necklaces are a gorgeous DIY gift idea that kids can make.
Painted Wooden Spool Necklace or Bracelet
Another fun way to personalize a necklace for mom or dad is to paint a wooden spool and string it onto a necklace.
Wooden spool necklaces and bracelets are a quick and easy gift idea that kids can make for a friend, teacher, mom, or dad!
Related: How to Start and Finish Beaded Necklaces and Bracelets
Hand-Painted Candle Holder Kid-Made Gift Ideas
Hand-painted votives are easy to personalize and unique homemade gift ideas kids can make. And we have several tutorials for you to choose from, depending on who you are making it for and why. Best of all, they can be personalized!
Write “Mom,” “Love,” or anything else your heart desires for a unique, one-of-a-kind personalized DIY keepsake gift from the kids. Use the children’s book-inspired hack to motivate children to get started, or try your hand at any of the other personalized candle holder gift ideas from the list below:
- Personalized Candle Holder Gift Ideas
- Faux-Stained Glass Heart Candle Holder
- Quadruple Heart Candle Holder
- Personalized Mother’s Day Candle Holder Ideas
- Personalized Candle Holder Gift Ideas for Dad
- Faux Stained Glass Candle Holders
Related: Glass Paint Heart Tree
Homemade Gifts Children Can Make
Handprint Art with Thumbprint Heart (Kissing Hand)
Invite the kids to help make a handprint art with a thumbprint heart on a gorgeous wooden plaque. This handprint gift idea doubles as a kissing hand that you can put near a classroom door and makes a great gift idea for mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, or your child’s favorite teacher.
Salt Dough Handprint & Footprint Heart Keepsake
Here’s a heart-shaped keepsake salt dough craft you can make with a handprint and footprint that makes an easy kid-made gift idea for mom, dad, or grandparents.
You may also like this collection of Keepsake gifts kids can make. It has several other heart-themed crafts that make great gift ideas any time of year–not just Valentine’s Day. And, don’t forget to make a keepsake gift with the kids for yourself while you’re at it!
Related: Slow Falling Hearts Sensory Bottle
Marbled Clay Ring Bowl Keepsake Craft and Gift
Here’s a unique handprint ring bowl or jewelry dish keepsake gift. Rings look beautiful on the fingers or in the palm. And necklaces can be placed in the palm of the handprint–or draped across the fingers. If you look closely, you will notice that the necklace pendant has a piece of my toddler’s artwork engraved on it. Handmade jewelry also makes a lovely DIY gift idea children can make.
Handmade Gifts Kids Can Make
Fingerprint Art Glass Magnets
Invite children to use their thumbs and fingertips to make fingerprint art magnets. Fingerprint magnets make a sweet keepsake gift for anyone, especially parents and grandparents. However, making these sweet keepsake gifts isn’t just for kids–even adults are sure to enjoy making these fun refrigerator magnet crafts for family and friends–or just for fun! Click on the fingerprint magnet craft tutorials below to see the complete step-by-step instructions.
DIY Fingerprint Art Necklaces and Fingerprint Art Keychain Charms
Or, if you don’t want to make magnets, invite children to use their fingers and thumbs to make fingerprint art necklaces or keychains listed. Fingerprint charms are a simple gift idea kids can make for parents, grandparents, and friends.
- Easy Fingerprint art necklaces,
- Fingerprint art backpack and keychain charms
- Thumbprint heart necklaces
- Thumbprint heart keychain charms
- Fingerprint flower necklaces and keychains
Click on the title of each handmade gift idea for the materials list and DIY details.
Related: The Best Fingerprint Art Ideas for Kids
DIY Gift Ideas Children Can Make
Fingerprint and Thumbprint Heart Gift Ideas Kids Can Make
Here’s a list of fingerprint and thumbprint heart gift ideas perfect for mom, dad, or grandparents! Encourage children from toddlers to preschoolers to tweens and teens to make one of these fun heart crafts for someone they love.
DIY Photo Necklaces and Photo Keychains Kids Can Make
Help the kids gather the supplies to make personalized photo necklaces or photo keychains for family and friends. An easy handmade gift idea children can make with the help of a parent or caregiver.
Related: DIY Keepsake Gifts for Him or Her
Hand Sewn Gifts Kids Can Make
Easy Felt Lovebird Softie Beginning Sewing Project
Whether your child knows how to sew or is just learning, these felt lovebirds make an easy gift idea that kids can sew by hand.
Related: Easy Heart Sewing Projects for Beginners
Hand Sewn Pocket Pet Mouse
A pocket pet mouse is a great handmade birthday gift idea that children can make for a friend. A few other great gift ideas for a friend are no-sew Rainbow Fairy Wands, a Name Necklace, or an Alphabet Bead Necklace.
Homemade Gift Ideas Kids Can Make For Mom, Grandma, or a Teacher
No-Sew Felt Flowers on Twig Stems
Help the kids make a single felt flower or a whole bouquet of felt flowers on twig stems for mom, grandma, an auntie, or their favorite teacher with this easy flower craft!
Rose Watercolor Painting
This simple watercolor painting tutorial invites your child to paint a rose for their favorite aunt, grandma, nana, or mom! You can also paint a rose for mom onto a printable Mother’s Day card with the same rose outline. Or, use crayons, colored pencils, or markers to color the Mother’s Day coloring card.
Related: Winter Tree Black Glue Art
Upcycled Tissue Paper Heart Frame Gift Idea Kids Make
An upcycled tissue paper heart frame is an easy craft for both kids and adults. We used a frame with a heart shape to do this simple craft, but any simple wooden frame with a flat surface is perfect for this simple recycled craft project.
Place photographs, artwork, or a quote inside, and you have an easy (and beautiful) gift idea kids can make–a keepsake to treasure for years to come.
Related: “Falling in Love” Sensory Bottle
Kid Made Gift Ideas
Heart Prism Suncatcher
A heart prism suncatcher is another easy fine motor pony bead craft for children from preschoolers to teens and even adults.
These heart prism suncatchers make wonderful kid-made gifts for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, or any other special occasion!
Easy Sea Glass Suncatcher
Easy DIY sea glass suncatchers are GORGEOUS! I love the fire and ice look that my daughter created. They look beautiful in any light–but they are magical when the sun hits them.
My daughter and I also made these beautiful wind Chimes using these beautiful sea glass beads, making a great gift idea that children can make.
Related: Easy Sea Glass Wind Chime
Homemade Gift Ideas Children Can Make
Heart Lanterns
My daughter and I made the heart lanterns in the photo below with real fall leaves. However, you can easily substitute whole leaves, construction paper, or tissue paper hearts to make these lovely luminaries.
Fill them up with words of gratitude as a hostess gift for Thanksgiving, or fill them with goodies and candles for a DIY Christmas or Valentine’s Day gift from the kids!
Related: Turkey Leaf Lanterns
Scented Bath Salts
Got a few minutes? Then you have time to make these. Scented bath salts are a super easy gift that kids can make.
Scented bath salts are a simple gift idea that children can make for parents, grandparents, or a teacher! Think of bath salts like a spa in a bottle–a gift that she is sure to enjoy!
Handmade Cards Kids Can Make, Color, or Paint
Printable Mother’s Day Coloring Card
Or, use this printable Mother’s Day Coloring Card that can be personalized with crayons, colored pencils, or markers and a message for mom inside.
Printable Mothers Day Coloring CardRose Pinecone 3-D Card
Invite your child to make a beautiful rosebud card for mom, grandma, or nana. Rosebud pinecone cards are wonderful homemade gift cards children can make for Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day!
Related: Reverse Fingerprint Christmas Tree Card
Homemade Friendship Gifts Kids Can Make
Wooden Bead Bracelets Kids Can Make
Wooden bead stretch bracelets make an easy friendship gift idea. No prior experience is necessary, and they also make a great gift idea children can make for mom.
An older child will be able to make simple beaded bracelets independently with minimal guidance, while a younger child will most likely need a little help.
Related: How to Start and Finish Beaded Necklaces and Bracelets
DIY Acorn Marble Necklaces Handmade Gift Idea Kids Can Make
Acorn necklaces made with natural acorn caps make a unique piece of handmade jewelry and DIY gift ideas kids can make. This handmade nature craft also looks gorgeous hanging in a window as a suncatcher. Or, make acorn marble ornaments with your children to decorate your Christmas tree!
Gifts Kids Can Make for Teachers and Friends
Ponybead and Prism Suncatchers
A gorgeous DIY suncatcher is a homemade gift idea children can make for parents, teachers, and friends. They are simple to make and look beautiful hanging in windows.
Kid Made Gift Ideas for Teachers
Many of the DIY gifts kids can make listed above can be made by your children and given to a teacher. However, these apple tree teacher gift ideas are apple-so-lutely perfect kid-made gift ideas for teachers!
Apple Button Tree
An Apple button tree makes a great gift idea for your child’s favorite teacher. You may also like to try our gorgeous hand-sewn button apple tree.
Handmade Gift Ideas Children Can Make for Parents, Grandparents, and Teachers
We hope you enjoyed this great list of homemade gifts kids can make for Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or a birthday.
Younger children will need some assistance with these homemade gift ideas, while older children will be able to make most of these kid-made gift ideas independently.
Don’t forget to check out our Ultimate Family Gift Guide with DIY and ready-made ideas for year-round gift-giving.
Learn more about Rhythms of Play HERE!
Beautiful
Thank you, Molly!
Where do the game this stuff?
Hi Angelina, I’m not really sure what you mean. If you are looking for the directions click on the title of each project. You will find complete directions and the material list.
I love all of these great ideas! Thank you for sharing this information with me. It is very helpful and helps me understand how to make beautiful things with my children.
I’m so glad that you found it helpful Pratibha!
helpful and FULLY AWESOME!!! ( and yes, i am a kid, as you can tell from the all caps.)
Hi Abby! I’m so glad that you think these homemade gift ideas are helpful and fully awesome!! You just made my day 🙂 I hope you make everyone happy with the gifts you make! I love watching the look on people faces when they receive a handmade gift!
hello!
Hello Kelsey! Can I help you with anything?
these are all so amazing… thank you!
So glad you approve!
Oh my gosh!
I needed to make my family gifts, and I got some great ideas from here!
(Yes, I am a kid. I am the only one in the family will make gifts!)
Thank you so much!
You are so welcome Kendall! I was always that kid too… maybe one day you too will make tutorials! Happy holidays!
The heart-leaf mason jar lantern craft looks awesome! I like to make gifts with hearts 🙂
Thank you, My! I’m so glad that you like our heart leaf lantern! My daughter and I had a wonderful time making it together! We hope you enjoy them!
wow
amazing
Thanks, Ayesha!
I’m so glad you like all of these fun homemade gift ideas!
These are so amazing! I was looking for something I could help my little sister make for my mom for her birthday, and these are great! Thank you!
Thank you, Starr! You just officially made my day! How sweet of you to help your little sister make a gift for your mother! You win the daughter of the year award! 🙂
OMG!!! Super cute and easy especially for kids.
Thank you!!
OMG!!! Super cute and easy especially for kids. I wanted to make one for my teacher. I just had to replace it with teacher. Thanks so much you win the creativity award in my book!
Thank you, Emmanuela! I’m so glad that you like the creative homemade gifts listed here! And, I appreciate the creativity award–Woot!!
I thought that these ideas were great… next time can you have some stuff to make if you don’t have a lot of stuff in your house? Still, great ideas.
Hi Mary!
Are you asking us to make some homemade gifts with common household items? If yes, we are working on a few new ideas for Mother’s day and Father’s day… stay tuned!
These are great Ideas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love them!
I’m Elizabeths daughter, by the way
I’m so glad you like them! Thank you for the vote of approval!
Anything with a hand print, footprint, finger print, etc. is always a winner. As cool as the candle holders and all that stuff is, in a few years you’ll appreciate their little hands and feet way more than some pretty candle holder.
I agree, Jenny! Fingerprint art, handprint art, and footprint art are my favorite homemade gifts from children, too! But when you craft as much as we do, you need to find other types of gift ideas that kids can make as well. Every one of the crafts that you see here has been made by my daughter and I. 🙂
So my parents are getting married on the 24, and I have no clue what to make them. I see you’ve been replying to alot of comments, so can you please help me? I’m only 11 and I’m a girl, but I’m allowed to use hot glue and other stuff like that. Please reply soon!
Thanks! -DD ( Geordan )
Hello DD, I recommend that you ask another adult to help you, and suggest that you ask that adult help you make Thumbprint heart magnets! They are super easy to make and are a lovely handmade gift.
Hi your gifts are amazing I just love the ideas and I’m a kid 9 years old
Hi Chervee!
I’m so glad that you enjoy the crafts and homemade gift ideas shared here. Make sure you ask an adult for help with them!
I love these!!!!!!!!!! It’s so helpful and so much fun to make! Thanks so much! (I am a kid too)
I’m so glad to hear that you like this list of homemade gift ideas. I hope you found something to make for someone special!
Thanks for suggesting ideas for an upcoming gift
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed our list of homemade gifts that kids can make for moms, dads, grandparents, teachers, and friends. Happy gift crafting!
All these things are soooooooooooooo amazing that I couldn’t choose which one I can do for my BEAUTIFUL parents!
Hi Matilda! I’m so glad that you are so inspired by all of these projects. May I suggest you make the gifts that make your heart sing? Homemade gifts made in joy are always the best!
Nell