28 Homemade Christmas Gifts Kids Can Make (That Grown-Ups Will Keep)

The best gift from a child is rarely the most polished one. It’s the handprint ornament that ends up on the tree every year, the wonky mug that becomes Grandpa’s favorite, or the bookmark a teacher keeps in her desk drawer long after December. That’s what this list is for.

These are homemade Christmas gifts kids can genuinely make, sorted by who they’re for, with a link to a tutorial for almost every project. Younger kids will need a grown-up for the messy, hot or sharp steps, and older kids can take most of these on alone. Pick two or three, rather than trying to do them all.

Jump to: Choosing a project | Keepsakes for grandparents | Ornaments | Gifts for dad and parents | Gifts for teachers | Edible gifts | Siblings, cousins and friends

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How to Choose a Gift Your Child Can Actually Make

• For toddlers and preschoolers: choose handprints, thumbprints, scribble art and anything that is mostly pressing, painting or sticking. The result will look charmingly homemade, and that is the point.
• For early elementary kids: they can handle painting, gluing, simple stamping, decorating and stirring, so ornaments, frames, painted rocks and cookie mix jars all work well.
• For older kids and tweens: let them take charge of friendship bracelets, bead coasters, bookmarks and bath bombs, and give them the final say on design and packaging.
• For anything that uses an oven, melted chocolate or fizzy ingredients: keep a grown-up in charge of the hot or tricky step, and let your child do the decorating, mixing and wrapping.

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Handprint and Keepsake Gifts for Grandparents

Grandparents tend to treasure anything with a small hand or a small face on it. These are the gifts that get framed, hung up and brought out year after year.

• Handprint ornament: a handprint pressed into clay or painted onto a plain ornament, with the year added on the back. Mod Podge Rocks has an easy guide.
• Family handprint tree: every family member adds a handprint to make the leaves of one big tree, which makes a lovely framed gift. See It’s Always Autumn’s family handprint tree.
• Handprint dish towels: a plain kitchen towel turned into a keepsake that actually gets used. Canary Street Crafts shows how.
• Popsicle stick photo frame: kids paint and decorate a simple frame, and you slip in a favorite photo. Mod Podge Rocks has a kid-friendly version.
• Photo magnets: small photos of the kids, the pets or the whole family, ready for the fridge door. Crafts by Amanda has a family photo version.
• Framed artwork: choose your child’s favorite drawing, copy it if you want to keep the original, and put it in a good frame. A nice frame is half the gift.
• Pinecone bird feeders: a gift for grandparents who love watching the garden, made with pinecones, a spread and birdseed. Kids Activities Blog has a simple tutorial.

Homemade Ornaments Kids Can Make as Gifts

An ornament is a gift that gets used every year, which makes it one of the best things a child can make. Wrap each one in tissue paper, or tuck it into a small box with a note about who made it and when.

• Salt dough ornaments: mix, roll, cut, bake and paint. Childhood 101 has a tutorial with kid-friendly ideas.
• Cinnamon applesauce ornaments: a two-ingredient dough that makes the whole house smell like Christmas. See It’s Always Autumn’s cinnamon ornaments.
• Melted bead suncatchers: colorful beads melted into a glowing ornament for the tree or the window. A grown-up should handle the oven step. One Little Project shows how.
• Painted wood slice ornaments: a simple wood slice becomes a snowman, a tree or a message. Projects with Kids has an easy version.
• Paper ornaments: the best choice for younger kids who want something quick and low-mess. Browse my guide to DIY paper Christmas ornaments, or my roundup of DIY Christmas ornaments for kids.

Gifts Kids Can Make for Dad and Parents

Parents often say they want nothing, but a gift from their child is the exception. These are practical enough to be used and personal enough to be treasured.

• Painted rock paperweight: a smooth rock, some paint and a message for dad’s desk. Crafts by Amanda has a “Dad Rocks” version that is easy to adapt for Christmas.
• Fuse bead coasters: a good project for kids who like patterns and tiny beads. One Little Project walks through the steps.
• Personalized Sharpie mug: doodles, initials or a short message turn a plain mug into a favorite. Crafts Kids Love explains how to make one. Follow the tutorial’s advice on setting the design, and hand wash it afterward.
• Painted flower pot: a terracotta pot decorated by your child, with a small plant or bulbs inside. Projects with Kids has ideas for kids of different ages.
• Coupon book: vouchers your child can draw or decorate for things like a hug, a movie night or helping with the dishes. Sunny Day Family has a free printable coupon book.
• Reasons I love you jar: a jar of folded notes in your child’s handwriting, with a reason on each one. The Savvy Sparrow offers a free template. Younger children can tell you their reasons while you write them down.

Gifts Kids Can Make for Teachers

Teachers receive plenty of mugs and candles, so a small, thoughtful gift from the child stands out. These are small enough to tuck into a card or a gift bag.

• Corner bookmarks: little paper bookmarks that slip over the corner of a page, easy to make in different designs. Easy Peasy and Fun includes a printable diagram.
• A handmade Christmas card: a card with a real message from your child often means more to a teacher than the gift inside it. See my guide to Christmas cards kids can make.
• A short story or comic: older children can write and illustrate a short story, fold the pages into a small booklet and give it with a thank-you note.

Edible Gifts Kids Can Help Make

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Most edible gifts need a grown-up for the oven or stove, but kids can do plenty: measuring, layering, dipping, sprinkling and decorating the tags. Write the ingredients on the tag, especially if you’re giving to someone with allergies.

• Cookie mix in a jar: kids love layering the dry ingredients, and the recipient gets cookies without much work. Sugar Spun Run has a giftable version with a printable.
• Hot chocolate spoons: spoons dipped in chocolate and decorated with sprinkles, wrapped up to stir into warm milk. Chocolate Mama Loves Vanilla shows how to package them as gifts.
• Dipped pretzel rods: pretzel rods dipped in melted chocolate and finished with sprinkles, then wrapped in cellophane. A grown-up melts the chocolate and the kids do the dipping and decorating.
• Decorated cookies in a tin: bake a batch together, let the kids decorate them and pack them in a pretty tin. My Christmas treats page has plenty of baking ideas to choose from.

For more ideas to make in bulk, see my mason jar gift ideas.

Gifts Kids Can Make for Siblings, Cousins and Friends

Kids often enjoy making gifts for other children most, because they know exactly what their friend or cousin will like.

• Friendship bracelets: a classic that can be made in a friend’s favorite colors. Red Ted Art shows an easy method using a cardboard loom.
• Scented play dough: a jar of festive play dough is a good gift for younger cousins. In the Kids’ Kitchen has holiday-scented recipes.
• Bath bombs: fizzy, colorful and fun to make together, though you’ll want to supervise the mixing. Red Ted Art has a bath bomb recipe made for kids.

Finishing Touches: Wrapping and Gift Tags

Let your child finish the job: wrapping, decorating the tag and signing their name. My DIY Christmas gift tags roundup includes free printables kids can color in. If you’d like more ideas for the rest of your list, take a look at my main guide to homemade Christmas gifts, or browse my Christmas craft ideas for kids.

Whichever you choose, remember that the point is for your child to enjoy making something for someone they love. The recipient will treasure the wobbly handwriting more than you expect.