Kids love to give their parents and grandparents gifts but when you can’t commandeer the family car, that’s hard to do. Still, teaching children to be gracious at giving is hard to do when they aren’t afforded that opportunity.
That’s why in December, I plan crafts that kids can give as gifts. They cost a little more than the average paper plate and pipe cleaner crafts but they’re worth it. My children get so excited about giving Mom and Dad a Christmas gift. I keep wrapping paper handy or take the crafts home and wrap them there. It’s a fun way to teach giving and the value of a gift from the heart. To get you started, here are four Christmas gift crafts that I’ve used successfully.
Festive doorhangers: I buy the foam kind but you can try the wood ones if you prefer. Each child gets one of the hangers plus foam stickers, ribbon and markers. I write on the board some short sayings like “Merry Christmas” and “Peace on Earth.” (This helps the kids who aren’t proficient at spelling.) They decorate the door hangers, then wrap them up as gifts.
Marshmallow nativity scenes: You need the multi-colored mini marshmallows for this craft. (Buy extra marshmallows because half of the nativity will become snacks.) They also need small boxes, like empty herbal tea boxes for the nativity scene. Some other tools they will need are glue, toothpicks and markers with a small tip. We start by decorating the inside of the box. Sometimes I give them construction paper or a manger scene that they can glue to the inside back of the box. I show them how to arrange the marshmallows inside the box. Pink is for Mary, brown is for Joseph and the white is for baby Jesus. (However, they can arrange them how they want to.) They draw faces on the marshmallows then glue them into place. (Remind kids not to eat glued marshmallows.)
Salt-dough Christmas ornaments: Find a simple salt dough recipe and let kids make ornaments. A circle design is perfect for a snowman face or as a scripture medallion. Poke a pencil through the top of the dough circle to make room for the hanging ribbon. Allow kids to decorate the dough ornaments after they dry. It’s fun with paint and markers! Always a plus for kids.
Handprint aprons: I received a handprint apron from my child’s school and loved it. I buy inexpensive, canvas aprons and let the kids go to town. We start with paint handprints then we write the word, “Mom” in the center. (Or Grandma, as the case may be.) I let the kids stamp painted images like ornaments or angels on the apron and we let them dry. Moms love these gifts!
Have fun with these Christmas crafts that double as gifts!
4 Christmas Gift Craft Ideas
