Craft things for DC's to make presents for others

[ManicMinor]

We are not the most craft-y family in the world (two boys who are not into drawing or sticking), but have grandparents on both sides who LOVE presents that the children have made.

So far, we have resorted to some craft kits, which have gone down very well -

plate decoration

alphabet beads for necklaces or bracelets

Hama bead signs of the zodiac

Anyone got any other suggestions - either craft kits or something that can be made from scratch? The GPs are not so into consumables, they like stuff they can keep.

fridge magnets
coasters
have a look at baker ross for fab ideas

Ooh, thanks - I like the look of these ceramic fridge magnets and these magnet pictures.

we had some fab acrylic coasters one year, everyone got them and they are still in use

Cool, I love those (and a bit easier to do a decent picture as they are a bit bigger!)

You could get some Shrinkles blank sheets like this have the DCs draw/stamp/colour a stocking/tree/Santa/whatever, cut round it and use a hole punch to put a hole near the top. Then shrink them in the oven and put a ribbon through so it can go on their Xmas tree.

Cinnamon christmas ornaments are super easy to make and gorgeous. There's loads of recipes on the internet, you want one that includes white glue (aka pva) as well as applesauce and cinnamon and then they last forever. Those gold / silver paint pens are good for decorating them.

The Martha Stewart website has loads of good crafts that actually work - I rather like these snow globes which again are nice xmas decs, and (I know you didn't want consumables) fish in a bag soap

We are going to try these www.thekarpiuks.com/look-what-we-made-hand-print-santa-ornaments/ this year from the grannys, aunties etc

Tavker

LOVE LOVE LOVE the snow globes! how cleaver!!!!

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1446303314/ref=ox_sc_imb_mini_detail?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3AS7RFKQRLPYD

this book looks good am considering getting it.

Goodness, it's a whole new world! I think the Tilda book is beyond our capabilities, but the snow globes look perfectly do-able.

How old are the kids? This website has great ideas, like tshirt art with toy car tyre tracks. Or any squiggles - we use aluminum foil to draw bunch of squiggles with fabric paint, then flip it over onto tshirt. Huge hit on Father's Day and shirt looks very abstract and hip.

Or, tea towels using halved apples as pattern makers or a felt bracelet? here

Could also make some non-sew felt ornaments like this www.johnlewis.com/felt-so-good-flower-christmas-tree-decoration/p463440 or this if you just hot glue them for the kids.

Boys are just 3 and just 6 - 6yo is very careful, so can probably manage something more complex, 3yo is still in the scribble stage! Love the idea of printed t shirts for their dad, but tea towel is more likely for GPs (not sure I have ever seen my dad in a t shirt in my life!!).

Lol, you could try finding one coloured pajamas for your dad and they could produce a few strokes for the breast pocket ;-)

Painting a rock is a good one - mine do one for their gran every year - she keeps them lined up on her summerhouse shed window ledge, you can see the improvement in technique over the years..... we started out age 4/5 with spots and stripes and are now, age 11/12, on to owls and penguins!

Painting a rock is a fab idea - thank you so much! We are the least crafty people ever but ds2 enjoys it and I have an elderly aunt who dotes on the boys and already has quite a few painted rocks - she will love them! Thanks again

You can do pretty cool rock designs using melted crayons. Needs close supervision though. You heat the rock in the oven and then hold different crayons on it so they melt and the wax runs down them in stripes.

There's lots of other things you can do with melted crayons (including making, erm, crayons - different coloured layers in funky ice cube trays, although not so good for grandparents) - but also you can do 'stained glass' hangings and stuff. I seem to remember there being lots of stuff on a Martha Stewart craft site.