Wow! I have been blown away by the response that my first roundup of DIY Christmas gift ideas has received. With as much as I love putting time and love into DIY gifts for family and friends, I hope these posts will inspire others to do the same. The ideas out there for toddlers/young children are endless, so I put together nine of my favorites here, both for their attractive design and their ability to teach and inspire creativity in a fun way.
Row 1
1. Create your own alphabet book using pictures of your toddler and their favorite things. This is a keepsake that will teach your toddler his ABCs, with the added bonus of preserving memories. // 2. Remember geo boards? Toddlers will enjoy playing with the rubber bands, while you will enjoy knowing they are working on fine motor skills and learning shapes. If you're concerned about push pins coming out, put a little hot glue on the bottom side of the tacks before hammering them in. // 3. How fantastic is this super hero fort kit? Supplies to make a fort and glow sticks to light it up - how could this not be a hit?
Row 2
4. This A-frame tent is great for play, or for a quiet reading corner. Check out the version that I created - it was way too inexpensive and easy to be as big of a hit as it has been with our little one. // 5. Create a fun storage solution for dress-up clothes/items and fill it with fun, random things from the thrift store, dollar spot, etc. I love the idea of combining these ideas for how to fill a dress up box with this idea for under-bed storage. // 6. Use up one of those cardboard boxes in your arsenal to create a fun, simple washing machine. Teaching kids to enjoy chores? This one doubles as a gift for you, mom :)
Row 3
7. Lucy has been really into matching lately - I would love to make this matching game for her as a stocking stuffer. It would be great to incorporate images of words she's working on currently, or letters/numbers/colors so we get the added bonus of continued learning. The wooden pieces will hold up much better than the cardboard version and also happen to be much more attractive. // 8. Create a busy board with switches, knobs, buttons and more. // 9. This one will take a lot of effort, including hunting down the right entertainment center for a good price, so start now! Having children doesn't mean your home has to look cluttered and unattractive - create a longer-lasting, more attractive, wooden kitchen for the same price or cheaper than buying a plastic one. Lucy's Lolly is making one for her for Christmas, and I can't wait to see the outcome!
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I made a fort kit for the boys a few years ago. They loved it and it is SO easy to do.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I just love that it encourages creativity and imagination. I'm just patiently sitting back and waiting for Lucy's fort building days to begin.
DeleteWhere do u even find the kitchen stuff like the sink and faucet and stove top stuff?
ReplyDeleteOne of the best places I've found for this kind of thing is the Habitat for Humanity Restore. They have all kinds of home odds and ends for resale; the best part is that the proceeds go toward building new homes. You could get creative, too - my mom bought a stainless steel dog bowl as the sink for the one she's making.
DeleteThis post has lots of great ideas: http://www.younghouselove.com/2012/01/claras-christmas-kitchen/
You could also scour Amazon and eBay. A simple search for stove knobs turned up several results: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=stove%20knobs
Hope this helps!