30 DIY Gifts for Parents that Kids Can Make

There is something so inherently precious about gifts that were homemade by your children. They become keepsakes and cherished treasures of those younger days, and children feel great pride in presenting them to you! Here is our list of awesome gift ideas for parents that kids can make.

Tie Dye Bookmark

Is there an avid reader in the house who might appreciate a new bookmark? Combine some science and art with this cool craft! Using just Sharpies and rubbing alcohol, your kids will love watching this craft come together, and the end result is a beautiful bookmark that any bookworm is sure to love!

Plastic Perler Bead Bowls

Perler beads have to be one of my favorite craft items, and it seems as though the possibilities are endless when it comes to making different things with them. For a sweet, colorful gift, use perler beads to make a useful bowl to store items in. It is super easy to make and can be made any size depending on how many perler beads you have on hand.

Lego Photo Pen Holder

Who doesn’t love a craft that involves Lego? Lego pieces symbolize childhood, so any craft or gift that involves them is sure to be a nostalgic keepsake for years to come. This adorable Lego photo pen holder is both multifunctional and sweet, with a place to put your child’s photo in the center and an area to hold your pens and pencils.

Personalized Notebook

While this gift idea also doubles as a great teacher gift, any parent would be thrilled to receive it as well. Notebooks are handy to have, especially if you’re someone who likes to make lists or write lots of things down. And the sky’s the limit when it comes to how you want to personalize the notebook; you can simply let your child run wild with their designs to create a beautifully decorated notebook! 

Four Seasons Fingerprint and Handprint Tree Art

One of my favorite crafts to do with my kids is handprint and/or footprint crafts. Those little hands and feet are only going to be little for so long. My son’s feet are almost the same size as mine these days! So for me, a gift like this beautiful four seasons fingerprint and handprint tree would be something that I would treasure, and it’s a fun craft that the kids would love doing.

Lavender Lotion Bars

What better gift idea than something that helps a parent to relax and unwind! These lavender lotion bars are pure indulgence, with their gorgeous lavender scent and moisturizing effects. Using natural ingredients like coconut oil and beeswax, these lotion bars are really easy to make and safe to use on even the most sensitive skin. Pour the mixture into whatever shape you want and simply allow them to harden.

Upcycled Holiday Coasters

This is a super fun craft to do with little kids because they can be so independent in doing it, and they feel really proud of that when they’re all finished! These upcycled coasters are a great gift idea, and you can make them with whatever color or theme you choose. All you need are some old coasters, some colorful wrapping paper or tissue paper, and glue! 

Clothespin Wine Charms

Are you planning on having a large get-together or party anytime soon? If so, then these cute little wine charms would be a great craft to get your kids working on before the party. They are super easy to make, and the kids can be as creative as they like! Then, on party night, give each guest their own wine charm, compliments of the kids!

Wooden Block Key Chains

Let your kids have the last word with these wooden block key chains! Have them spell out whatever word or short phrase they like, and then they can turn that into a cute keychain that is as useful as it is sweet. 

Computer Wrist Rest

Is there someone who spends a lot of time working on their computer? They might appreciate a new wrist rest to help them maintain proper posture when working at their desk. This is another craft where your child can be as creative as they like while they decorate this easy-to-make wrist rest. 

Hand-Painted Candle Holder

These hand-painted candle holders are the perfect thing for any child to make for their parents! Nell at Rhythms of Play shares several different versions of how to make these candle holders, some more difficult than others, along with a storybook for each style of candle holder. They make the perfect gift, and each one is so unique and beautiful!

Egg Carton Jewelry Box

While I cannot attest to how long this gift will stand the test of time, I have to admit that it is just so adorable that even if it didn’t hold up for very long, it would be worth it! An egg carton really is a great thing to use to store tiny trinkets and pieces of jewelry, and one made by a beloved child is just all the more precious. Follow these simple steps to make your own egg carton jewelry box!

Scratch Art Family Portrait

I love scratch art; in the words of my kids, “it’s so satisfying” to scratch away the black to reveal that beautiful array of colors underneath. Making a scratch art family portrait is a fun and thoughtful gift idea that your kids will enjoy making. Pop a frame around the finished piece of art, and you’ve got a lovely unique gift that anyone would love.

Sharpie Art Coasters

I have found a craft that combines two of my other favorite crafts from this list – the Sharpies and rubbing alcohol along with some upcycled coasters! Use the same strategy with combining Sharpies and rubbing alcohol for that beautiful tie-dye effect to create some gorgeous upcycled coasters. 

Handprint Jewelry Dish

Oh me and my fascination with handprint gifts! This is just too sweet for words, a little jewelry dish made from your child’s handprint! Made from marbled polymer clay, each little dish is a unique blend of colors and swirls, and the little fingers bend upward to gently hold your most cherished items. This is a truly heart-warming gift that anyone would love to receive.

Memory Gift Books

I am convinced that a child’s memory is as long as an elephant’s, because my daughter never forgets a thing. She regularly reminds me of memories that happened years ago that I had long forgotten, but in her mind she recalls every detail. So, why not take advantage of those awesome memory skills and have your child create a memory book? They can use their artistic skills to recreate all sorts of different favorite memories as a wonderful keepsake.

Fingerprint Charms

Super sweet and very easy to make, these little fingerprint charms make a great gift for anyone, and they can be used in many different ways – as tags on a gift, to hang from a string, on a dog collar, or anywhere else. Using some self-drying clay and paint, your child can create these charms easily. They’ll get some good fine motor practice while making them, and then they can pass them out to whoever they like.

DIY Gift Jars

Gift jars make fantastic gifts because you can fill them with whatever you like to follow whatever theme you’re wanting. Whether it is for Christmas, a birthday, retirement, feeling sick, or anything else, you can customize these jars to suit your needs. Fill them with whatever treats you choose, and then have fun decorating the lids to fancy them up!

Indoor Plant Watering Bottle

This is a beautiful way to recycle an old wine bottle – turning it into a water bottle for watering indoor plants! Your kids can simply paint the outside of the wine bottle with the colors and designs of your choice and then apply a clear coat of varnish to seal the paint. Now you have a lovely bottle to use when watering your plants.

Embroidered Coffee Cup Cozies

Sometimes those coffee cups are just too hot to handle! For anyone who enjoys a nice hot cup of coffee, but doesn’t enjoy scalding their hands while holding it, these cute embroidered cozies are the perfect solution. This is a great craft to introduce some early sewing skills to your kids, and they’ll have a blast choosing what designs to put on their cozies.

Fingerprint Frames

My two favorite things – photos of my kids and their fingerprints! These wooden photo frames make the perfect gift for any parent, grandparent, relative, etc! You can pop in a favorite photo of your child, and then let them have fun decorating the frame with their little fingerprints. If it’s a holiday gift, you may choose to ‘string’ the fingerprints together on the frame to make them look like Christmas lights.

Puzzle Piece Brooches

Who would’ve thought a puzzle piece could function as a piece of jewelry?! These lovely brooches are made simply from old puzzle pieces, and the end result is gorgeous! Grab some puzzle pieces and paint, and your kids can let their inner fashionista emerge as they create some beautiful accessories!

Personalized Coffee Mugs

Starting your day with a cup of coffee is lovely; starting your day with a cup of coffee in your very own personalized mug is even better! Your kids’ writing isn’t always going to be as adorably messy as it is now, so why not memorialize it on a coffee mug to cherish for years to come? Let them be creative and write whatever sweet message they choose for the person they’re giving it to.

Handprint Suncatchers

Suncatchers are lovely to have in a sunny window where they can shine in all their colorful glory. These suncatchers are even sweeter because they’re in the shape of a little hand! Your kids can use their handprints to create some stunning salt dough suncatchers. Sprinkle some glitter when they’re all finished, and they will look beautiful hanging in the window.

All Natural Candy Cane Bath Salts

Beauty and spa products that are all natural and homemade are my favorite, because you know what’s in them, and you know you’re not putting a bunch of chemicals on your skin. These all natural candy cane bath salts make a great gift, and your kids will have fun helping you put the ingredients together. Using simple ingredients like Epsom salts, rose petals, beet powder, and peppermint essential oil, these bath salts look as pretty as they smell when they’re all finished!

Fabric Resist Art Pillows

This craft is a little more time consuming, and will require some adult support, but the end result is a lovely gift that anyone would treasure. Your kids can help with creating the design on the pillow using some craft glue, and then through a series of simple steps, you will be able to help them create a beautiful fabric resist art pillow.

DIY Emergency Kit

It never hurts to be prepared, so a DIY emergency kit is both a thoughtful and practical gift. The nice thing about this gift is also that it is totally customizable. Choose whatever things you think would be best in the emergency kit, and get your kids to help with this process too. Then it is simply a matter of decorating the can, and you’ve got a super great gift to give!

Hand and Footprint Potholders

Turn a simple kitchen item into a sweet gift with this great craft idea from Fun Handprint Art. Grab some potholders from your local dollar store, along with some fabric paint. Then, simply paint your child’s foot or hand and stamp it onto the potholder. Add their name and the date, and you’ve got a gift that any Grandma would cherish! 

Running T-shirt

Is there a jogger in the family who might enjoy a personalized running shirt? This is a super cute idea that the kids would probably love to help with. Grab a regular t-shirt from your local store and some fabric paint (stencils are optional, depending on what design you want). The kids can then use the fabric paint and stencils to create a personalized running shirt!

Footprint Butterfly Flower Pot

I received this as a gift for Mother’s Day from my kids when they were really little, and to this day it is my favorite flower pot. I absolutely adore the look of their little hands and feet on the sides, and it reminds me of those younger days when they were so teeny tiny. I don’t know a parent out there who wouldn’t love a gift like this!

There are so many fantastic ideas out there for gifts that your kids can make to give to their parents. And, the wonderful thing about getting them involved in the process is that they’re learning about the importance of giving to others, they’re using their creativity, and they’re putting their time and energy into something that is meaningful. These are all wonderful things to learn in life! What gift idea do you think you’ll try first? Be sure to come back and share with us your homemade gifts!