Artsy Crafty kit for dd1 (10) for Christmas!

[weegiemum]

My dd1 is exceptionally good at arts and crafts - she cross stiches, paints, makes things (current project has been a zombie costume made from old clothes/fake blood and old mascara for Hallowe'en), prides herself on never having sent a card that isn't home-made, has won several art and craft competitions (including a city-wide Christmas card competition!).

She has asked for a "craft kit" for Christmas - a box full of "stuff" to do things with.

I know she wants beads, wire, pliers etc for jewellry making.

But not sure what else to get? Had wondered about stamping stuff and a heat gun. We are already quilting together, and she has loads of sewing/knitting gear (is knitting a handbag at the moment!). SHe has a watercolour box and paper/brushes.

Literally every spare waking moment is spent making something. You can't make her watch TV (except Sarah Jane!) cos she is too bust making/scrapbooking/painting/knitting/sewing/drawing etc

Any suggestions of other things I could introduce her to? Personally I make cards and glass and silk paint as a side to everything else so she has seen all that and hasn't expressed much of an interest in it all.

Fimo? Cooking things? Oil Painting? (we already have several of her acrylics hung in the house - they're GOOD!), tapestry?

Help! I'm running out of ideas?

One idea is that, as last year she figured out the whole "Santa" thing I shoudl just take her to HobbyCraft and see what she likes??

How old is she? Would candlemaking be a possibility?

Wow, she sounds amazing!

Do you have a sewing machine? Would she like to make her own clothes? Could you get her some patterns and material, plus all the other stuff and make a pack out of it?

I've one like that at home too, she has an adult jewelry making kit (pliers etc) which she loves, you can never get her enough beads, & I'd recommend the bags of mixed glass ones from here ttp:www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/

yes to Fimo, lots of scope for that to be used in jewelery, DD loves making her own beads etc

& have you thought of card making for her??, my DD spends hours making cards - but as you probably already know, don't bother with the kits, make up your own, its better value & you get for better choice of bits & bobs :)

www.beadsunlimited.co.uk/

maybe a die cutting machine - she can use it for card making - scrapbooking - applique - i use mine for jewellery making too.

crochet?
rugmaking?

she sounds great

Trying to think of things you haven't already mentioned but it is difficult and all I can come up with is

quilling
pottery

- this website might be worth a look for boxes of bits to be creative with.

What about a magazine subscription - something like Craft Beautiful which covers projects for all sorts of crafts.

Or books - if she starts looking at crafting books there are so many to chose from that is years worth of presents!!

Wish my boys were even slightly interested in crafts. Sadly they aren't though - Hobbycraft is their idea of Hell!!

As this has just floated back to the top of the posts,I will add

my own DD who as I said sounds very much like your own, has more recently taken a big interest in cake decorating, something I do myself & shes loving making her own cakes & biscuits, decorating & then eating them :)

so if you've not already looked into that, then maybe a nice set of piping nozzles, piping bags, food dyes, cake glitters, edible foils, & other cake decorating bits & bobs might go down well, also clay maker tools can be good for shaping icing, & you can buy stamps etc to start of shapes, though it doesn't sound as if your DD will need those, & maybe a good book for ideas to start her off ...... maybe also buy a nice cake tin to keep them all in, so it makes it more of a gift

I was very much like your dd when I was younger.

I remember my mum's dress maker friend giving me lessons, I made a suit out of pink material, still in the attic 20yrs later!

Wow! I love your daughter! You haven't mentioned knitting. She might enjoy knitting small items to glue or sew onto her hand made cards as well as to her sewing projects. Beads and buttons are excellent to decorate knitted items (for example cupcakes). I would also buy her a gigantic bag of assorted buttons (over 1000) because then the possibilities are endless!

I am lusting after a glass gilding kit. Or anything with gold leaf really.

Sugarcraft is also good fun and relatively easy to start up.

What about crochet? this book has good reviews.
Or a whole range of felt the felt fairy is good
Also there are some gorgeous stamps here that Staranise linked to on the poncetastic christmas thread - lots of craft stuff going on there. HTH.
Your dd sounds great!

What about moasics? She could make a mirror frame or even decorate some furniture in her room.