Easy And Kid-Made Gifts For Family Tutorial
When you google “kid-made gifts” or some equivalent, you will get a list of a bunch of glue this on top of this ideas. A few examples are sea shells on a picture frame, thumb print key chain, or stickers stuck onto cardstock.
These work fine for little kids, but what about the older kids? Children ages 5 and older can make, actually make gifts that are useful, exciting, and thoughtful. Yes it will look a bit messy as they learn how, but they are still so proud of their accomplishment and rightly so!
What if this year, we had our children make gifts that can really be called Christmas gifts. They take a little more time than just gluing something on to something else, but they are more special for the person who is receiving the gift, and the person who made the gift.
Let our children’s gift really mean something this Christmas season with my simple felt doll tutorial! Complete with materials list!
But I Don’t Have Time To Help My Kids Make Awesome Christmas Gifts!
Now this is a legitimate concern. I have 6 children, I am well acquainted with the “not having enough time” problem. We are very old friends in fact!
Christmas brings lots of happy memories but Christmas is also known as the “business time of year” for a reason.
The only way that I know of to make time for higher quality gift making is to prioritize it on our calendar.
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”
Steven Covey“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”
Another way to make time for the high quality gift making is to not make the gifts super complicated. Kid made Christmas gifts that are higher quality does not mean crazy complicated, and time consuming. It can of course, but it does not need to.
Today’s easy, kid friendly, doll tutorial is one of many Christmas gift ideas that will accomplish the task of higher quality, and still not be time consuming and super stressful.
A few evenings/mornings/afternoons together listening to Christmas music while crafting together should do the tick for everyone on your list. Or if you have a large family or extended family, then name drawing might be the way to go.
After saying all of that, please keep in mind there are some years where this will not work. For example, health problems, moving, death in the family, a new baby, house remodel, and many other life events is certainly more then a legitimate reason to skip your kids making Christmas gifts that year.
Otherwise I really would love to challenge you to make helping your kids make meaningful Christmas gifts this year.
The good news is I have the materials list for the felt doll and the tutorial coming right up!
Let’s get started on the kid-made gift!
Materials List For Easy Kid-Made Gift Doll
I put in my title cheap and easy because we will be using the magical felt fabric which you can get for under 50 cents a sheet. Synthetic stuffing is cheap too but I like to stuff my dolls with the left over felt. If you don’t have enough scrap felt, you can use old worn out clothing, towels, pillow cases etc. Making this cheap kid friendly handmade gift for Christmas even cheaper!
- Needle with large eye or hole, and a pointy tip.
- Two pieces of felt of whatever color you choose.
- Thread or embroidery floss.
- Pencil and paper.
- Pins or safety.
- Regular copy paper.
- Fabric and paper scissors.
- Synthetic stuffing, wool, or scrap fabric.
Kid-Made Gift For Christmas Blanket Stitch Tutorial
Todays tutorial is the blanket stitch, but you can also use the easier whip stitch or an even easier basic up and down stitch.
Step 1 Making and Cutting the Template
Draw out a simple doll shape. Decide whether you want pants or a dress. Cut out the paper pattern and pin it to the felt. Cut out two pieces.
Step 2 The Blanket Stitch
I started sewing at the right bottom edge of the skirt. Knot and thread your needle. Find out how here. Pull the needle from in between the two pieces. Close the two pieces and push your needle in close to where you are.
Poke the needle back in close to where you just came out, pull all the way through keeping the floss over the two pieces of fabric.
Move to the left. poke your needle through, wrap the floss around the needle from right to left, and pull the needle through.
That’s how to sew the blanket stitch while putting two pieces of felt together!
Step 3 Stuffing The Felt Doll
Keep sewing. Something I learned while sewing this easy felt doll was, that it is much easier to stuff the arms and the head, just after you sew each one. I did not do this so I used a pencil to reach the arms and the head and it worked just fine, but it really would have been much easier if I had stuffed as I went, especially for a child.
Step 4 Finishing Up
As you sew along the left side of the dress, stuff the dress part as you go.
Knot, and you are done!
Easy Kid Crafts For Christmas Gifts
This one easy felt doll can be made again and again for those on your child’s list. This kids made gift can be gifts for the following:
- kids made gifts for mom and dad, because they needs a snuggle friend too!
- kids made gifts for grandparents, so they can take something back home with them to remind them of their precious grandchild.
- kids made gifts for friends, because dolls are the best toys to have, the open endedness play goes on longer than childhood itself, not to mention it is a classic child’s toy for a reason! (Why yes, I did make up the word open endedness!)
- kid made gifts for family, siblings are also the perfect recipients for a felt doll Christmas gift!
Kid Made Gifts For The Family
Today you have learned that there are gifts your child can make for her/his loved ones that take a little more time without becoming a mountain that can’t be climbed! You now have the list of materials you need to make a kid friendly Christmas gift with your child, as well as the tutorial to accomplish it!
Whom ever this meaningful kid friendly, handmade gift is for, it will bring joy to the maker and the receiver. This year’s gift giving has gotten a little more meaningful hasn’t it?
Thank you so much for coming and have a merry Christmas with your precious family!
