37 Homemade Christmas Gifts Kids Can Make For Family & Friends

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There is something special about receiving a handmade Christmas gift, and even more so when it’s made by a child.

Below are homemade Christmas gifts kids can make, sorted by who they’re for, so you can go straight to whatever your child needs to make this week.

Making Handmade Gifts With Kids

There is no prouder moment than a child handing over something they made themselves.

It’s also a good use of a hot afternoon in the school holidays or a weekend project in early December. Homemade gifts are usually cheap to make and don’t take long.

Gifts Kids Can Make For Mum

1. Clay Footprint Ring Dish

An adorable ring dish for anyone who takes their jewellery off before bed. The footprint makes it a keepsake rather than just a dish.

2. Fingerprint Pot Plant

Have your child decorate pot plants with fingerprints to make flowers and other designs. One of the few on this list a toddler can genuinely do alone.

3. Handprint Tray

A handprint tray decorated with one or more children’s handprints. All you need is a wooden tray, paint and a sealant.

4. Artwork Candle

An artwork candle turns your child’s drawing into something displayable. Younger kids will need help with the glue gun, but they’ll be thrilled to see their work on it.

5. Rubber Band Vases

These rubber band-painted vases look lovely with flowers picked from the garden or a dried arrangement.

6. Candy Cane And Lime Swirl Bath Salts

Bath salts with a Christmas twist. A good pamper gift and one of the easiest to make in bulk.

7. Hand Painted Glassware

A nice way to decorate simple glassware like coffee mugs and water decanters, and it lets the kids personalise them however they like.

8. Pallet Picture Frame

A DIY pallet picture frame for displaying favourite photos. Have your child pick the photo before they wrap it.

9. Clay Essential Oil Diffuser Necklace

A clay diffuser necklace paired with a small bottle of oil to suit the recipient.

Gifts Kids Can Make For Dad

Dad’s can be the hardest person to make DIY gifts for but there’s sure to be something for every dad in the gifts below.

10. DIY Beard Balm

Something every man with facial hair needs is a beard balm. Useful, and a solid option for the man who has everything.

11. DIY Photo Coasters

My sister is a mother of eight, so these were the perfect inexpensive gift that was also practical. The tiles cost very little from our local hardware store, though check the shed first in case you already have some.

Glue a piece of felt to the back of each tile and let it dry. Cork works too. Print your photos, trim them to size, glue them on, then seal with a clear waterproof varnish.

12. DIY Photo Cube

A great way to gift someone a set of favourite photos. The kids can add pictures of themselves to the cube, which makes a cute display piece.

13. Personalised Can Koozies

You can personalise a can holder with names, slogans, pictures… anything really, and they are a great dad or grandad gift. These were for our Disney cruise gift exchange, and it’s another easy Cricut project kids can do with a little help if they are younger.

14. Clay Vacation Ornament

A lovely gift for the travel lover, marking a special trip or destination. You may need to help with cutting the ornament shape.

Gifts Kids Can Make For Grandparents

15. Handmade Snowglobe

A wonderful grandparents gift with a recent photo of your child inside. Let them pick their favourite photo for their snowglobe.

16. Salt Shaker Snow Globe Ornaments

These salt shaker snow globe ornaments upcycle an old salt and pepper shaker set, or a cheap one from a discount store.

17. Santa Salt Ornament

These Santa salt dough ornaments use a handprint, which makes them the sort of thing grandparents keep for twenty years. Also a great class craft project.

18. Resin Ornaments

These resin paint pour ornaments are beautiful and each one comes out unique. Younger kids will need help with the resin itself.

Gifts Kids Can Make For Teachers

Handmade teacher gifts are made with love for those important people who have shaped our kids’ lives.

19. Teacher Canvas

A handmade teacher canvas with a quote. Works for anyone, not just teachers. This particular gift made my daughter’s prep teacher cry and she hung it proudly in her classroom for years until she moved schools.

More ideas in my gifts teachers really want and class gift ideas posts.

20. Glitter Handle Mug

A little bling on a plain white mug makes this glitter mug quick, cheap and easy. A good teacher gift.

21. Personalised Acrylic Bookmarks

These personalised acrylic bookmarks are made with a Cricut. It’s a simple Cricut Joy project, which is an easy machine for kids, or use a more advanced cutter with supervision.

22. Cricut Keychains

These personalised keychains are made using a Cricut machine or similar. My kids are quite skilled with using my Cricut Joy these days, but you may need to help younger kids.

23. Homemade Christmas Soaps

These homemade Christmas soaps are easy, look great and are practical. A good option for a whole class.

24. DIY Gingerbread Body Scrub

Not edible, but made entirely from the pantry. Pamper products are expensive and this gingerbread body scrub costs almost nothin

Gifts Kids Can Make For Friends & Siblings

Kids love making gifts for their friends and siblings and mostly these are small gifts or trinkets that don’t take long to make, so they can make several.

25. DIY Name Sign For Door

A name sign for the door suits teens and older kids. Easy and inexpensive. Younger kids will need help with the gluing but they’ll do most of it themselves.

26. No-Sew Rainbow Scarf

A colourful no-sew scarf made from warm fleece. Practical and no sewing machine required.

27. DIY Kid’s Wallet

Teach basic sewing with this simple project making kids’ wallets. Even better with a little loose change tucked inside.

28. Pom Pom Rug

A cute home decor gift kids can genuinely make. This one takes a while, so it’s a good project to work on together or for siblings to do jointly. These pom pom rugs are like walking on clouds and cost almost nothing.

29. Melted Crayon Art

A funky crayon art canvas the kids can help make. This one involves an iron, so it’s an adult job at that step, but the result is worth it.

30. Cookie Cutter Ornaments

Cookie cutter clay ornaments are easy for kids to make and personalise. Write the year on the back and they become a keepsake rather than a decoration.

31. Pom Pom Bauble Ornament

A pom pom bauble ornament is the simplest gift on this list. Two minutes each, two supplies, and a three-year-old can do it alone.

32. Peppermint Bath Bombs

Peppermint bath bombs encourage a bit of festive self-care, which everyone needs at this time of year.

33. Painted Wood Slice Ornaments

Drill a hole in a few wood slices and let the kids decorate them with paint pens or acrylics. Add the year on the back.

34. Friendship Bracelets

Yarn friendship bracelets in their favourite colours. Simple, wearable, and kids can make dozens of them.

Edible Gifts Kids Can Make

The easiest category to make in bulk, and the one that never ends up unused in a cupboard.

35. Cookies In A Jar

A cookie mix in a jar is a cheap gift kids can make for lots of people at once, and the recipient gets to bake it after Christmas.

36. Chocolate Mug Cake Mix

Layer the dry ingredients for mug cakes into mason jars. Budget-friendly and easy to make in large batches.

37. Hot Chocolate Spoons

Hot chocolate spoons are a delicious gift kids can put together for classmates, and it gets them some practice in the kitchen.

Or make something from my Christmas baking: rum balls, reindeer crackles and choc peppermint balls all keep well and package up nicely in a cellophane bag with a ribbon.

More Homemade Gift Ideas

If you want more, here are a few that don’t need a tutorial:

• Sugar scrub
• Mason jar recipe mixes
• A coupon book with chores or quality time tasks: a daddy-daughter date, a cleaned bedroom, help in the garden
• A t-shirt decorated with fabric paint
• Framed artwork
• A decorated photo frame with a school photo in it
• A heartfelt letter

Don’t Forget The Wrapping

Half the charm of a handmade gift is the presentation, and it’s the bit everyone forgets at 9pm on Christmas Eve.

Grab my free printable Santa gift tags to finish them off, or the Christmas paper craft bundle if you want more printable extras.

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Most of these don’t need to be reserved for Christmas. They’re good gift ideas for any occasion, or just craft projects to do through the year. Your kids may well want to make some for themselves.