[Kim]

I am looking for ideas for handmade holiday gifts to help my granddaughter with. She is 3.5 and last year we made ponytail holders from fold over elastic ribbon. We measured, she cut all of the ribbon and I tied them. I cut card stock rectangles, with rounded corners, to slide through them and she stamped her name on the cards.

[Robin]

One year we traced a gingerbread cookie cutter onto brown sandpaper. I cut it out, Sophie then glued buttons, sequins, buttons and rickrack onto it. Punched a whole in the top and added a hanging loop. They were cute for the tree.

[KellyNYC]

Felt Ornaments or hair clips embellished with sequins, or smaller pieces of felt, embroidered, etc. My daughter has helped me trace the templates, pick out thread colors and place the embellishments.

[with love Heidi]

What about wheat bags or boo boo bags. You sew up 3 sides of the bag (4×4 for boo boo bags and as large as you want for the heat bags, 12×10″ or so). she can help fill them 2/3 full, you sew up the end, you then make tags with instructions for her to decorate. She could probably help choose fabric if you had time.

[Nicole]

Runcible Spoon made heat bags from soft fluffy white polar fleece,star shaped,for little ones to put in their mittens on cold mornings waiting for the bus.

Just divine.

~Nicole~

[LisaMM]

My daughter recently made with her grandmother cardboard picture frames that she decorated with colourful ribbons and buttons and placed a photo of herself inside the frame and gave it as a gift. Have fun. All the items were from the ‘scraps box’ at home, nothing was purchased.

[Lightning McStitch]

I remember a Danish friend showing me how to do these little paper baskets when I was a kid. Great for putting a little gift in, or for hanging on the Christmas Tree.

Here’s a well written blog to demonstrate: http://gingerbreadsnowflakes.com/node/28

[cybele727]

What about salt dough ornaments? They can help dump ingredients in, do some rolling and use cookie cutter to cut shapes, and decorate.

http://www.busybeekidscrafts.com/Salt-Dough-Recipe.html

Jenny

[Lightning McStitch]

Oh that’s a flashback to the past. I can remember exactly what that stuff tastes like ! 🙂

[Kim]

Thank you, great ideas!

[cybele727]

I had to find a gluten free version for our holiday party for friends who have kids with severe gluten allergies. As we don’t have tons of toys (or any uber masculine “boy” toys–more gender neutral stuff) and there will be 10 kids here ranging in age from 11 to 3, we need a good entertainment craft for the kids. Even the 3 year olds can wield some cheap pain brushes!!!

[Tamara]

Christmas decorations for the tree the following year are great and easy. Hair ties, maybe look at the shoelace tutorial on the Oliver and s blog? A simple bag or pencil case minus a zip? I’m wondering if she is able to tackle the icecream sandwich covers?

Cupcakes! Decorated with Christmas themed decorations! Always a special treat from a little person.maybe a mini stocking? That’s all I can think of right now – have five minutes to get out the door for school.

[with love Heidi]

What about the Mother/daughter totes, with things/paint/stencils to decorate? Or a basic library bag, might be easier to make.

[Lightning McStitch]

If you’d consider outsourcing… for that many kids you may be able to get the greenware pottery painting people to come to you. Then they take it all away to fire it and bring it back a week later. Great way to make hand painted plates, platters, cups or christmas tree ornaments.