While most of us try getting our gift shopping out of the way, sometimes we find ourselves faced with a last minute addition to the gift list. Are you ready if your son brings home his girlfriend and her son? Maybe your kids invite friends to the big holiday party and forget to tell you until the last minute. Last minute homemade gifts give you ways to make gifts quickly that no one will think you pulled together quickly.
Make an Activity Mat
An activity mat is the perfect gift for little ones just learning how to walk or crawl. You can make your own version from lightweight pieces of foam board, readily available at most craft and hobby stores. Use one large piece as the base for the activity mat and cut four smaller pieces for the top of the activity mat.
Choose two contrasting colors for the top, such as a dark blue base with green and white pieces on top. Arrange the pieces in a checkerboard pattern on the top and use craft glue to hold the foam together. Cut letters or numbers from sheets of different colored foam, which helps teach the child numbers or letters. For example, give each block a different number and use shapes like stars and hearts to go with each number. Glue a small piece of Velcro to the back of each piece with a matching piece on the activity mat.
Toolbox Case Gifts
Purchase a wood toolbox from any home improvement store or hardware store. Paint the wood box with a coat of bright or pastel paint and let dry. Paint the child’s name across the front of the box, free handing the design or using a stencil. Make sure that you spell the child’s name properly before presenting the handmade gift. Fill the box with colored pencils, markers, or crayons.
Bath Mitt
Purchase a bath mitt from your local dollar store. Cut a mouth, nose, and eyes from sheets of extra fabric or terrycloth and stitch the pieces onto the mitt as a mouth. Let loose your creative side by adding dinosaur horns or wings to the bath mitt with additional fabric.
Block Puzzle
Purchase a set of wood blocks and arrange the blocks in a square shape. Apply decoupage glue to the back of the puzzle pieces and add a picture or magazine cutout to the glue. Once the glue dries, carefully run a utility knife in between the pieces, cutting through the paper. Present the gift with the puzzle side facing up and show the child how to rearrange the pieces and create the finished image.
Many of the last-minute gifts described here truly are last-minute because they take an hour or less to create. Imagine the smile on that special child’s face when he or she opens a personalized gift from you.
Jennifer Eblin - Jennifer Eblin received a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Dayton before re-enrolling and finishing a B.A. in History. During ...
