Thinking about making some cool DIY Christmas presents or homemade birthday gifts for kids? Good idea! After all, so many of today’s toys are not quite made the way they used to be. Plus, a homemade toy or DIY children’s gift is so much more special. Make something original, unique and sure to be enjoyed by all. Parents absolutely love it when people take the time to make something for their little darlings, so if you have some gifts to buy for friend’s kids, nieces, nephews and/or grandchildren, why not consider making them this year?
DIY Christmas Gifts for Kids
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1. Kiddie Workbench
I think this may be the cutest DIY idea for kids Christmas presents that I’ve ever seen. This cool little workbench is adorable, but also easy and inexpensive. I made one of these for my nephew’s birthday gift last year and both he and his father enjoy having him be able to work right next to Dad in the garage. They sent me a picture of the workbench right next to his Dad’s workbench with my little darling boy standing there with his little leather tool belt I made him last year and you would not believe how unbelievably cute it was! By using an upcycled old end table, some pegboard, and your inner creative genius that we all possess, you can make this awesome DIY workbench for kids in about an hour.
2. Glittered Lace Crown
Do you have a little lady in waiting? Make your little princess’s dream come true with this super sparkly DIY glitter crown that can be made in any color she fancies. Try a purple on like this, pink, blue, gold or one of each. Perfect birthday party favor idea for girls and dress up gift we love to give for birthdays, these crowns are quick DIYs both you and your child will have fun making. We made some for my Daughter’s Birthday and all the little princesses got to embellish their own crown, it was a terrific group craft. An easy homemade gift idea for girls, make a few of these to wrap up for inexpensive but adorable DIY Christmas gifts.
3. Cozy Car Caddy
DIY kids gifts are just SO incredibly cute, and this one does not fail to have me say awwww…. So colorful, so practical and so adorably handmade, this DIY car caddy is a quick sewing project idea for boys (or girls) Pockets for storing cars are numbered, so kids can learn to count along with having a nice organized place to put away toys. I used them as gifts for a group of children I needed last minute inexpensive Christmas gifts and the kids loved them.
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4. CD Shelf Doll House
I have always remembered the dollhouse my father made for me as a little girl and thought how nice it would be to do the same for my daughter. However, I am afraid I don’t have the amount of time it takes to make an elaborate dollhouse as he did, nor do I have the woodworking skills to do so. However, when I saw this fun and easy DIY idea for a homemade dollhouse made from a CD shelf, I rethought this. I can do this one! (and I did) Half the fun of making a dollhouse is decorating it inside with little tiny furniture, appliances, and people. If you are a crafter like me and need a cool but easy dollhouse to put your handmade little accessories in, here’s the one.
Looking for cool DIY gift ideas for your friends and family, too?
Be sure to check out The Ultimate DIY Christmas Gifts list which includes:
DIY Present Ideas for Men
Awesome DIY Gift Ideas Mom and Dad Will Love
31 Best DIY Gift Ideas for Her
27 Expensive Looking Inexpensive DIY Gifts
27 MORE Expensive Looking Inexpensive DIY Gifts
Gifts to Make For Kids
5. Handmade Sock Dolls
Turn a pair of ordinary socks into a soft, huggable doll that any child will adore. These handmade sock dolls are budget-friendly, endlessly customizable, and make a heartfelt homemade Christmas present. Get the full step-by-step tutorial here at DIY Joy.
One Mom might see a pile of scrap wood, but this Mom sees FREE toys! DIY is a way of life around here, my kids are used to playing in the garage. My youngest son is constantly creating and building projects using our scrap wood. So with a little help from chalkboard paint, the scraps from our new deck became this chalkboard town that my Son drew himself, talk about rewarding!
6. Hopscotch Mat
On rainy cold days indoor games are a must, my kids had 3 snow days this year already and they don’t like TV much so this indoor hopscotch mat was the perfect solution to our Winter woes. I found some cheap canvas material and felt at Joann’s fabric store and used my 50% off coupon, which made this DIY project so affordable. The children were non-TV occupied for hours on end while the Winter weather howled on in the background.
7. Printable Dominos Activity for Kids
If you have a printer this is an excellent DIY craft gaming project you can make your for kids to play all year round. You use little rectangle cards larger than real dominoes and put shapes in the domino cards so they can be matched up as in the regular game. The dominos make an excellent teacher’s aid as well.
8. How to Build a Puppet Theater
My children and I attended a puppet show in England last Summer and they were mesmerized. I realized this was a very cool thing we were missing Stateside. One day while reminiscing about Punch and Judy and Lambchops, we decided to just make our own. Dad cut the wood for us and we attached some black paper to the front, then my daughter found an old Halloween costume which made lovely theater curtains. The kids are now writing the plays, learning to ad-lib like the pros and its standing room only in the playroom.
9. DIY Snake Tie
I made a bunch of these this year for Christmas gifts and everyone loved these awesome handmade snakes that are created from ties. Creative DIY gifting at its best. I found a bag of men’s ties at Savers and remembered this fantastic DIY gift idea I saw on Pinterest. The sewing instructions were super easy to follow, its a fantastic little DIY project for the novice hobby sewing person or the well-versed seamstress. You cannot find an easier cuter DIY gift for kids.
10. Crayon Monster Art Tote
hideousdreadfulstinky
This is a simple lovely DIY craft for the little ones on your Christmas list. I got some felt from Michael’s craft store and followed the simple instructions in the link. I added some colored pecils to the finished project and they looked amazing. This will definitely be something I will make again and again.
11. No Sew Super Hero Capes
My boys wore their capes until the felt went fuzzy at the edges, which I’m counting as a success. There’s no stitching at all, so a kid can pick their own emblem and glue it down themselves. Jolly Mom lays the whole thing out, and she has a good eye for crafts that survive real play.
12. Simple Modern Toy Box with Lid
Ana White’s plans are the reason I’d trust a first-timer with this one. It’s a clean box with a real lid, monogrammed on the front so it reads as furniture instead of a bin. Grab her cut list before you buy lumber, it’ll save you a second trip.
14. No Sew Dragon Sock Puppet
A green sock, a few felt spikes, and there’s a dragon living on your kid’s hand by lunchtime. I let mine choose the spike color, which took longer than the craft did. Kids Craft Room walks through it a step at a time, and no sewing means they can build their own alongside you.
16. DIY Race Track Mat for Kids
We had toy cars on every surface in the house until this turned up. It’s a fabric track that rolls out for playtime and goes back in the cupboard after. Little Inspiration has the layout and the stitching sorted.
17. DIY Balloon Animal Ornaments
Balloon animals, cast in pastel and hung on the tree. It is a genuinely funny thing to unwrap every December, and they photograph far better than they have any right to. Little Inspiration explains the shaping and how she seals them so they keep their colour.
18. Super Hero Mask
Two minutes with felt and a pair of scissors buys you about a year of wear. I’d use elastic across the back rather than ties, unless you enjoy working knots out of hair. The template is over on Confetti Sunshine.
19. DIY Glitter Play Dough
Plain play dough is fine. Glitter play dough is the one my kids actually ask for by name. Store it airtight or you’ll be mixing more by Friday, and The Chronicles of Home has the proportions right.
20. Wood Instruments
Loud enough to be exciting, solid enough to survive the toy box. That’s the balance most homemade instruments miss entirely, and ours still has all its pieces. Hello Bee breaks down which parts to cut and, more usefully, how to sand them so nobody picks up a splinter.
21. DIY Toilet Paper Roll Loom
Four cardboard tubes and some tape make a loom a child can genuinely knit a scarf on. It costs nothing. That it held my attention as long as theirs is the part I didn’t see coming, and A Mom’s Take shows the setup.
22. CardBoard Camper Play House
Here’s the one they’ll remember longer than whatever plastic thing sits next to it. Ours lasted a whole winter before it finally gave out, built from a box that was headed for the recycling anyway. The Merrythought posted the entire build.
23. Miniature Dolls with Beds
Tiny dolls tucked into matchbox beds, blankets and all. My daughter kept hers in a coat pocket for the better part of a year, which is the whole appeal when you’re five. Esther Alvarez shares how she keeps the scale from going wrong.
24. Mini Notebooks
These little handmade notebooks are perfect for kids to doodle, journal, or jot down ideas, and they come together with just paper and a few supplies. They make a charming, inexpensive homemade gift that children love to fill up. Get the full step-by-step tutorial here at DIY Joy.
25. Rainbow Cloud
Hang this where a draught will catch it. I put ours near a window and the ribbons never really stop moving, which babies find far more interesting than anything that sits still. Dream a Little Bigger runs through how it goes together.
26. Home Made Puppets
The gift is the puppets. The better gift, I found, was spending the following Saturday making the rest of the cast together. Krokotak has the shapes, and the site is a deep well if your kids like cutting and gluing.
27. Indian Tipi for Kids
Put this up and you’ll have a reading corner inside ten minutes. Mine was colonised before I’d finished tying the bunting on. La Chica de la Casa de Caramelo talks through the poles and the cover, which is the part that needs care.
28. DIY Recycled Cardboard Dollhouse
Cardboard means nobody panics when a wall gets bent, and you can furnish it as elaborately as your patience allows. Ours got repainted twice before Christmas. My Cakies spells out the cutting and the folding.
29. Sumo Wrestler Bowling Pins
hellomess
Plastic bottles, paint, and an afternoon gone. I keep a few bottles back for this, because the painting is itself the craft and you get two activities out of one gift. Set them up at the end of a hallway and let them roll.
30. DIY Avengers Pillow Cases
Bedtime goes easier when the pillowcase has a superhero on it. I don’t make the rules. All for the Boys shows the stenciling, which is far simpler than the finished thing looks.
31. Travelling Lunchbox Dollhouse
Best travel gift I have come across in years, and I do not say that lightly. It opens out into a dollhouse and then snaps shut for the car without shedding a single piece on the way. Handmade Charlotte worked out the interior layout.
32. Play Food Dessert Tray and Cake Stand
meetthedubiens
Felt cupcakes on a little pink stand, ready for whichever tea party gets announced. Ours have taken years of handling and still look fine. Cut every piece first and the sewing goes quickly.
33. Felt Tool Box
It’s the safe version of the toolbox in the garage, which is exactly what my two year old was after. Every tool is soft. Serving Pink Lemonade has a separate pattern for each one.
34. Mason Jar Super Hero Banks
Saving up is a much easier sell when the bank is one they chose themselves. I can vouch for that. These are jars painted as Superman and Batman with a slot cut into the lid, and Fireflies and Mud Pies covers the painting.
35. Rainbow Dancing Ribbon Rings
Ribbons on a wooden ring. That’s the whole thing, and my youngest never tired of it. Perfect for a toddler who wants in on the music, and Laughing Kids Learn has the steps up.
36. Glove Monsters
Finally, something to do with the gloves that lost their partner in the wash. I had a drawer of them. Felt eyes, a stitched grin, and you’ve got a monster, and Craftaholics Anonymous wrote up the method.
37. Altoid Buggies
An old tin, lined and decorated into a carry case small enough to live in a coat pocket. My daughter kept beads in hers. Pebbles and Piggytails shows how she finishes the edges so nothing catches.
38. DIY Wooden Crate Storage and Display for Hot Wheel Cars
Drill round holes in a crate and suddenly every car has its own garage. We made ours from a crate that had been sitting in the garage, and it fixed the cars-underfoot problem in an afternoon. Frugal Fun for Boys has the measurements.
39. Feel Better Felt Band Aids
For patching up dolls and bears, which is taken very seriously in my house. Keep them on a ring or they’ll be scattered across the floor by Tuesday. Glued to My Crafts explains the cutting.
40. Angry Birds Bowling Game
No child who’s played the game needs this one explained. Mine set them up the moment the paint dried. Cans, green paint, and a stack worth knocking down, with Homemade Beauties by Heidi laying out how she painted hers.
41. Wool Felt Stick Horses
Sewn well enough to survive being galloped down my hallway at speed, which is the only durability test that counts. Lia Griffith’s template is why the head reads as a horse rather than a lump.
42. DIY Dyed Rainbow “Grimm” Style Wooden Blocks
Open-ended toys get played with for years, and dyed blocks are about as open-ended as they come. Ours are still in the rotation. Fun at Home with Kids talks through the dye and, importantly, the drying.
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