{"id":6847,"date":"2017-02-15T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-02-15T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.elfster.com\/?p=6847"},"modified":"2023-05-09T10:37:40","modified_gmt":"2023-05-09T14:37:40","slug":"crafty-homemade-gifts-that-toddlers-can-make-to-playfully-inspire-the-joy-of-giving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/2017\/02\/15\/crafty-homemade-gifts-that-toddlers-can-make-to-playfully-inspire-the-joy-of-giving\/","title":{"rendered":"Crafty Homemade Gifts That Toddlers Can Make to Playfully Inspire the Joy of Giving"},"content":{"rendered":"
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With a little paint, kids make meaningful gifts | Image courtesy flick\u2019r user Valentina Yachichurova<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My little cousins, 2 and 4, are preschool crafting fiends. They come home with pages upon pages of pasted art, funky scribbles, and other staples of <\/span>the toddlers\u2019 craft repertoire<\/span><\/a>. When I enter their kitchen, I\u2019m met with a fridge door covered in construction paper, cotton balls, tinted macaroni, and what I can only imagine was a glitter bomb. <\/span><\/p>\n

Last weekend, I was at their house on a mission to spend the afternoon crafting gifts that the little ones could give to their mom for her birthday. I was determined to create something surprising, unique, and useful that my aunt would genuinely appreciate\u2014and that had absolutely no construction paper or school glue in sight. <\/span><\/p>\n

Little Keith was so excited when I entered with my Mary Poppins-style bag of supplies that he immediately went to the pantry to grab the plastic \u201ccrafting table cloth\u201d to spread out over the kitchen floor. Then we all sat down together and got to work.<\/span><\/p>\n

Household Toys Make a Scarf Mom Will Actually Wear<\/h4>\n

As a two year old, little Keith is still working on his fine motor skills, and not making an incredible mess when using craft paint, so this DIY infinity scarf idea plays directly to his strengths. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Easily DIY an abstract infinity scarf | Image courtesy Etsy seller SewnCraftily<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I came prepared with a 6×3 foot rectangle of lightweight jersey fabric that I picked up at the craft store around the corner and asked Keith to bring some car toys to our \u201cstudio.\u201d While he was busy collecting his favorites, I taped the neutral-colored fabric flat on the covered floor using packing tape, and added \u201cstripes\u201d with the tape every four inches or so across its surface before filling some paper plates with a thin layer of paint. Keith rushed back with a couple of large plastic cars and some smaller metal racers, and we were soon rolling their wheels in the paint and making car tracks on the fabric.<\/span><\/p>\n

I chose the paint colors carefully, in tones I knew my aunt loved to wear. If we were to make this craft again, I\u2019d get even more creative with lego blocks and other toys to stamp shapes on the fabric too. When we liked the way our abstract design looked, we moved on to craft number two and let this one dry. I threw the toys into a sink full of warm, soapy water immediately after we finished and gave them a good wash with my hands to remove all the paint.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s best to leave your scarf to dry for a few hours so the fabric paint can completely harden. Then you can remove the tape and heat-set the paint using the instructions on the back of the bottle. Back home, I also sewed the short edges of the rectangle together to form the classic infinity scarf loop. You could also use fabric glue for this step if sewing isn\u2019t your forte. The result is a gorgeous abstract infinity scarf that looks like something you paid for on etsy\u2014not a fridge-cluttering toddler craft.<\/span><\/p>\n

Air-Dry Clay Gets a Sophisticated Makeover<\/h4>\n
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Air-dry clay makes excellent small dishes | Image courtesy Etsy seller TheFloweringMaple<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It may be difficult to find a use for a clay handprint, no matter how adorable they are. But, with a little bit of experimentation, I\u2019ve found a new way to revitalize the old medium of air-dry clay to make a ring dish that my aunt will really enjoy using.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let the kids knead and play with the clay until it\u2019s soft. Then, using a rolling pin to flatten it out to a somewhat even 5mm thick, use various stamps and other textured objects to let them imprint the clay with their favorite designs or patterns. Draw lines with the end of a toothpick, drive over the clay with a tractor toy, or use fingertips to create a polka dot pattern. This process is super forgiving, and you can easily try again if you don\u2019t end up loving the results the first time. <\/span><\/p>\n

When you\u2019re happy with your patterns, place a small bowl upside down onto the clay and use a butter knife to cut around its edge, creating a circle. Let the kids help you press your clay circle gently into the bottom of the now right side up bowl and let dry overnight. In the morning, carefully lift your clay dish away from the bowl. If it\u2019s still a bit wet on the bottom, turn your dish upside down on a drying rack for another few hours. Paint the edges of the bowl with gold nail polish or acrylic paint for a boho-chic vibe and your DIY ring dish is complete.<\/span><\/p>\n

Personalized Towels Make the Kitchen a Little Brighter<\/h4>\n

Kids have been making their mark on dish towels for centuries. They\u2019re inherently messy, and there\u2019s no end to the dirty kitchen towels that a household can go through in a week. Any mom can use more clean towels! Hence, this craft idea was born:<\/span><\/p>\n

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Hand-painted dish towels are surprisingly easy to DIY | Image courtesy Etsy seller LoftStudios<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Supplies: <\/b><\/p>\n