I remember walking into my kitchen and seeing it lying on the counter. It was beautiful. It was wrapped in paper painted with my daughter’s tiny hand prints, and tied with red yarn and a yellow rose from my own garden. Inside was a picture of my two-year-old and me, in a wooden frame that she had painted herself. My eyes began to tear with the realization of the time, attention and love that went into this creative birthday gift.
Creative birthday presents that are handmade by small children make perfect gifts. There are many wonderful ideas that are easy, inexpensive and fun. For babies, toddlers and small children the most personal thing they can create is a hand or foot print. With one of these print projects, you can create special gifts that are memorable and cherished.
First, you need to make some prints.
You will need;
o Old baking pan for your paint
o Washable, non-toxic paint
o Sponge or brush
o Art paper or roll of paper
o A basin of warm, soapy water
For feet, brush or sponge paint on the foot, or dip the foot in the paint. Stand the baby on the paper, lifting the child up and down. A toddler or small child can actually walk on the paper.
For hand prints, you can paint the hands or let the child “grab” the paint themselves. Help them press, and then lift their hands on and off of the paper.
After you’re finished, use the warm, soapy water in the basin to wash off the paint.
Once you have a few “good” prints, let them dry completely and then cut them out. Save your originals and color copy the best prints at your local print shop or on your home printer. These copies are easier to work with and allow you to make multiple creative birthday presents.
Once you have your copies, use the prints and a little creative writing to;
o Glue a print and a birthday wish on the inside cover of a homemade picture or music CD.
o Decoupage the print(s) on a finished piece of wood or ceramic tile to make a plaque.
o Using card stock or construction paper, use prints to make homemade birthday cards.
o Scan the prints and use iron-on transfer paper to create personalized t-shirts, aprons, sweatshirts, pillowcases, etc.
o Frame the print(s), and add the special date in calligraphy
You can also make homemade wrapping paper. Wrap presents in large finger-paint pictures or large pieces of rolled paper that the child has freely painted with their hands or feet. For more fun, play music and ask the children to “dance” on the paper with their painted feet.
Use twine, yarn or ribbon to tie the gift wrap. Cut out a print, punch a hole near the top and thread it through the ribbon for a matching gift tag.
Crafting these creative birthday presents is a great way to spend quality time with your child. The result is a unique keepsake that really shows how much you care.