For one reason or another, many of you will be making some gifts.  Maybe you can’t afford to purchase gifts.  Maybe you just want to add a handmade touch to your gift-giving.  Maybe it’s the last minute, you forgot to purchase a gift, and you have supplies on hand but not finished items.  Whatever your reasons for wanting/needing to craft gifts, I hope you’ll find some useful ideas here.

(And if you’re planning to make some and buy others, or if you’d just rather purchase your gifts, check out the rest of the gift guide.  There are some pretty neat products/companies here that I discovered while putting it together.)

Obviously, there are hundreds (thousands? millions?) of tutorials and patterns “out there,” and I can’t possibly link to them all!  What you’ll find here is a list of ideas for things that can be crafted, with one or a few links to specific tutorials.

(By the way, most of these should be relatively simple.  I’ve assumed that if you have mad skills in some particular area, you have no shortage of things you can sew, knit, or whatever your specialty is.  This list is for the rest of us so, while there might be simple sewing, knitting, or crochet skills required for some, there’s nothing too involved.)

• hand puppets {tutorial/patterns}
• portable play kitchen {images}
• marshmallow shooter {tutorial, another example}
• coloring books {gorgeous complex alphabet pages, printables1, printables2, printables3, printables4, printables5, make-your-own page tutorial}
• coloring book carry case {tutorial}
• ribbon dancing ring {idea}
• cleaning caddy {In small caddy, include a small spray bottle, cleaning wipes (or knit or crochet them), dust mitt, duster (or this one), hand broom.  (If you want, add mop shoes, and/or add a pretty label to the bottle.)}
• doll {Black Apple doll, photo doll, various patterns (for sale)}
• activity book {style1, style2, style3}
• ball {pattern}
• make-your-own-game kit {include a spinner, various dice, blank index cards cut in half, a small tri-fold display board, etc.}
• plush alphabet {tutorial}
• felt flash cards {tutorial}
• stickers {tutorial, lick-and-stick}
• child-sized camp chair {tutorial}
• toy storage {crocheted hammock, sewn hammock, toy chest, fabric-covered box, toy bags, wall pockets}
• road mat {tutorial1, tutorial2}
• slime/putty/etc. {slime, “Gak,” “Silly Putty” (Make it magnetic!), “Floam“*}
• dress-up components {little-girl purse, mask idea, fireman’s hat (crochet), princess hat, crown, superhero cape, wig(s), apron, boa, dinosaur head (crocheted) (or sew one), sword, shield, armor, scepter, bonnet (or this one), chef’s hat}
• flower/leaf press {tutorial}
• bug jar

*Most of these are brand names, trademarked by their respective companies.  The brand names are included here only for reference/clarity and, obviously, you will not be creating a brand-name product.

Back to the gift guide