When children give something handmade, it carries a magic store-bought can’t match. With simple materials, kids (with a bit of adult help) can create homemade Christmas gifts for family from kids that are meaningful, memorable, and budget-friendly. Over years of crafting with her own children, the author has tested dozens of ideas—some flopped, others became treasured keepsakes. Here are 7 of the best DIY Christmas gifts for family from kids (simple, cheap, creative) that combine fun, heart, and real value.
Each idea includes tips, child-friendly steps, and optional product tools the author has used (honestly).
1. Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments
Why it works: Kids love pressing their fingers or palms. The result is a durable keepsake that parents and grandparents treasure. This fits diy Christmas gifts from kids to family, particularly diy Christmas gifts for family from kids ornaments and homemade Christmas gifts for family from kids.
Materials & steps:
- Mix 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup salt, and about 1 cup water (adjust to form a smooth dough).
- Roll out to ~½ cm thickness.
- Let the child press their handprint or footprints. Use a straw or toothpick to make a small hole at the top for hanging.
- Bake in oven at ~120 °C (250 °F) for 1½ – 2 hours (flip halfway) until fully dry.
- After cooling, paint the ornament (acrylic paints) or leave natural. Seal with clear matte varnish.
Why the author trusts it: She’s made dozens over the years. In one winter, she forgot to flip the pieces and some warped slightly; now she always flip mid-bake. She also saves a copy (a parental version) for a “memory box.”
Tips for variation / scaling:
- Use holiday colors (red, green, gold).
- Instead of plain shape, kids can draw tiny designs or name and year.
- Bundle 2–3 ornaments as a set (“grandma’s tree set”).
This simple project is ideal for toddlers through early school age with adult help.
2. Painted Rock Gift Tokens & Message Stones
Why it works: Very low cost; kids enjoy painting. These are perfect cheap DIY Christmas gifts for family from kids and simple crafts. Message stones can carry “Love you”, “Best Dad”, or small icons.
Materials & steps:
- Collect smooth, flat rocks (washed & dried).
- Use acrylic paints or paint pens to decorate.
- Optionally add a layer of clear sealer.
- Use craft pens to write short messages or names.
Experience insight: One year the author’s daughter painted stones for each aunt and uncle. One stone’s paint chipped—after that, the author always uses a spray clear coat to protect them.
Presentation tip: Place the rock in a small organza bag, or glue felt on the bottom so it can stand. Use as paperweights, fridge magnets (glue a magnet to back), or decorative accents.
3. DIY Advent Calendar with Little Surprises
Why it works: This is interactive, spans the holiday season, and makes an entire gift experience. It fits diy family Christmas gifts from kids and diy Christmas gifts for family from kids advent calendar.
Materials & ideas:
- Use envelopes, small cloth bags, or tiny boxes numbered 1–24 (or 12).
- Fill each with small notes, candies, tiny drawings, or tokens (e.g. “hug coupon”, “help with chores”).
- Decorate the calendar structure: cardstock, twine, washi tape, stickers.
Helpful product (honest use): The author has used a 12-month refillable blank calendar kit (found on Amazon) adapted for the holiday — the modular pockets and sturdy backing make it easy to transform into a Christmas countdown calendar
Another useful tool: a dual-tip paint pen set (fine + broad tips) makes writing numbers and messages neater, which the author used when helping her younger child letter the envelopes.
Why this idea is powerful: The recipient doesn’t just receive one gift — they get joy across many days. It’s also perfect when children fill small bits themselves (drawings, messages) for a deeply personal touch.
Variation: Use a small wooden shadow box with drawers, or mini clothespins on a garland to hang the envelopes.
4. “Open When” & Message Cards Jar
Why it works: A heartfelt gift — kids write messages or draw pictures, which family members read later. This is diy Christmas gifts for family handmade from kids and easy DIY Christmas gifts for family from kids cheap.
Materials & steps:
- Get a clean mason jar or any clear jar.
- Cut small cardstock rectangles (say 3×4 in or smaller).
- Kids write or draw a “Open when …” note or message (e.g. “Open when you’re sad”, “Open when you miss me”, “Open on Christmas Eve”).
- Fold or roll each card, tie with string or ribbon.
- Fill the jar and decorate the lid (paint, ribbon, tag).
Trustworthy tip from use: The author’s children made a jar for their mother when they were young; years later, she rediscovered the jar and cried reading some of the notes. It remains one of her most cherished gifts. That emotional value matters more than high cost.
Variation: Color-code or label the jars by recipient (mom, dad, grandparents) or theme (gratitude, jokes, memories).
5. Beaded or String Tassel Bookmark Kit
Why it works: A lightweight, useful gift. Great for diy Christmas gifts from kids to family, especially diy Christmas gifts for family from kids crafts or simple homemade gifts.
Materials & steps:
- Use sturdy cardstock or thin craft wood (pre-cut) as the base of bookmark.
- Kids decorate with paint, stickers, stamping, or washi tape.
- Add tassel, beads, braided thread, or ribbon at top.
- Seal edges (mod podge) so it lasts.
Product recommendation: The author uses a wooden bookmark craft kit (Amazon) that comes with blank wood tags and cord — it saves time in cutting shapes. Also, a beading starter kit (mixed beads, elastic thread, findings) is very helpful for kids — no need to buy beads separately. (These are the two product tools for point 5.)
Why they help: They streamline prep. Instead of the parent cutting many shapes, kids start decorating immediately. The beading kit ensures enough materials for multiple bookmarks and some extras.
Presentation: Bundle a bookmark + handwritten little poem or note. Use packaging like cello bags and raffia ribbon.
6. Felt or Fabric Gift Tags & Mini Gift Bags
Why it works: These are cute, cheap, and let kids be creative. It fits diy Christmas gifts from kids to family and diy Christmas gifts for family from kids simple.
Materials & steps:
- Cut felt or fabric scraps into tag shapes (trees, stars, rectangles).
- Kids decorate with fabric glue, sequins, buttons, embroidery floss, glitter glue.
- Punch a hole and add twine or ribbon.
- Create small matching drawstring fabric bags if desired to hold tiny treats or trinkets.
Experience insight: The author once helped her child make fabric tags and forgot to back them — the glue soaked through. Now she always adds a backing layer or uses a stabilizer.
Packaging tip: Present a set of 5–10 tags together as a “family gift tag kit,” with a small family picture or a note.
7. Wood Slice Photo Frame or Ornament
Why it works: Blends nature and photography. Great for diy Christmas gifts for family from kids handmade and diy Christmas gifts for family from kids ornaments.
Materials & steps:
- Use a thin wood slice (~3–4 cm thick, sanded).
- Glue a small printed photo (of child + family) to the slice using matte glue.
- Add decorative embellishments (tiny pine cones, twine, small holly sprigs).
- Seal with clear spray varnish.
- Optionally add a loop for hanging as ornament or stand support for frame.
Product tool idea: The author uses a mini wood burning / pyrography pen kit (Amazon) to write names and year delicately along the wood edge. This gives a rustic, professional finish. (That’s the single recommendation in point 7.)
Why she trusts it: In her experience, the wood slices properly sealed remain stable and durable. She advises doing a test piece to confirm that the photos and glue don’t warp or crack the wood when sealed.
Variation: Instead of photo, kids can draw or paint directly on the slice, or glue pressed leaves or botanicals.
Final Thoughts
The heart of Christmas isn’t wrapped in fancy paper — it’s wrapped in love, laughter, and the effort we put into something made by hand. DIY Christmas gifts for family from kids are more than crafts; they’re little stories, fingerprints of affection that grow more valuable with time. Every crooked brushstroke, misspelled word, or uneven glue line holds a memory — and that’s what makes these gifts timeless.
From salt dough ornaments that preserve tiny handprints to message jars that speak from the heart, each of these projects brings families closer. They remind us that handmade doesn’t mean imperfect — it means personal.
