45 Christmas gifts kids can make, from handprint plates and fingerprint ornaments to artwork coasters, photo gifts and bath bombs. Most of them cost just a few dollars.
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Hey there crafty friends! This post started out as 12 sentimental gifts from kids, and it was way overdue for a refresh. So I kept the favorites that still hold up and added a TON of new ones. Now it’s 45 Christmas gifts kids can make!
You’ll find handprint and fingerprint keepsakes, ornaments, gifts made from the kids’ own artwork, photo gifts, and a few practical and pampering gifts like bath bombs and candles. Lots of them start with Dollar Tree plates, frames or wood slices, so you can make one for every grandparent without blowing the budget. They come from creators I love, plus six of my own.
If you only make one, start with my fingerprint Christmas wreath. All you need is a scrap of wood, some paint and those little fingertips. And if you have more little crafters at home, my Christmas countdown crafts are fun to make together, too.
The Best Christmas Gifts Kids Can Make
I started each group with my own projects, then rounded up my favorites from other creators. Every one links to the full tutorial or video. Grab a coffee (and maybe some paper towels for the little painted hands), because this list is long!
Handprint and Fingerprint Christmas Keepsakes
Little hands grow up way too fast. (I say this as someone whose twins are no longer little, and I’m still not over it.) These keepsakes capture a handprint or a fingerprint so grandparents can pull it out every December.
Pro tip from my own fingerprint wreath: do a couple of test prints on scrap paper before going for the real thing. Way less stress for everyone.
1. Fingerprint Christmas Wreath Keepsake
This one’s mine! I cut a 6-inch piece off a scrap 1×6 board, painted it white (leaving a little wood peeking through), and added a black vinyl wreath I cut with my Cricut. Then the kids dipped their fingertips in red and green paint and pressed them all around the wreath. Pro tip: do a couple of test fingerprints on scrap paper first. No cutting machine? Paint or draw the wreath outline instead.
2. Dollar Tree Handprint Plates
Becky from Your Modern Family uses plain plates from Dollar Tree (or Walmart, Target or the thrift store) and turns handprints into reindeer and more with acrylic paint. She bakes them at 300 degrees for 30 minutes and lets them cool in the oven. A dollar store plate turned into a keepsake? Yes please.
3. Fingerprint Christmas Light Plate
Stef from Non-Toy Gifts has kids press red and green fingerprints around the rim of a white plate with porcelain paint, then a black porcelain pen turns them into a string of lights. Let it dry 24 hours and bake it as the paint bottle says. Perfect for Santa’s cookies, then it stays out all season.
4. Salt Dough Handprint Mitten Ornament
Amanda from Fun Handprint Art presses a handprint into salt dough (just flour, salt and warm water) and cuts it into a mitten shape. She bakes hers at 275 degrees for about an hour, but notes that air drying for a couple of weeks helps prevent cracking. A cute twist on the classic.
5. Salt Dough Santa Handprint
This quick video from Smart Start with Miss Daisy flips a salt dough handprint upside down so the fingers become Santa’s beard. Paint on his face and hat, add a pom pom, and you’ve got the cutest Santa ornament. It’s under a minute long, so it’s an easy one to watch with the kids.
6. Handprint Clay Jewelry Dish
Rebecca from Simple as That cuts Crayola Air Dry Clay around a child’s traced handprint, adds a little clay heart, and drapes it over a bowl to dry into a dish. Give it 24 to 48 hours to dry before painting. Mom or Grandma will use this one every single day.
7. Handprint Christmas Tree Kitchen Towel
Autumn from It’s Always Autumn stacks green handprints into a Christmas tree on a white kitchen towel, with a star from her printable template. Heat set it with an iron once it’s dry. She says it’s best as a decorative towel, so Grandma can pull it out every Christmas.
8. Fingerprint Christmas Lights Photo Frame
Mary Catherine from Fun-A-Day starts with dollar wooden craft frames painted white, then the kids add fingerprint Christmas lights all around the edge. Let the paint dry overnight first. Pop in a photo of the kids and it’s a keepsake and a picture in one.
9. Thumbprint Reindeer Frame
Stacey from Glued To My Crafts started with a $1 unfinished wood frame from Walmart and a washable brown ink pad. Brown thumbprints all around the frame become reindeer with a thin black marker, wiggle eyes and sequin noses. Cheap, cute and very doable for little ones.
10. Fingerprint Rudolph Wood Slice
The Keeper of the Cheerios paints a snowy scene on a 6-inch wood slice with a little craft stick fence. Brown thumbprints above the fence turn into Rudolph and his antlers. I love a wood slice for keepsakes, and this one would look so sweet on a mantel or tiered tray.
11. Handprint Tote Bags
Samantha from Nifty Mom picked up a 3-pack of canvas totes from Michaels for $10 and had the kids paint handprints on them. Her tip: slide cardstock or cardboard inside the bag so the paint doesn’t seep through. Hers are flowers and suns, but green handprint trees would make them Christmasy.
12. Christmas Handprint Popsicle Stick Puzzle
This short from A Pop of You tapes ten jumbo popsicle sticks together, paints a handprint design across them, then separates the sticks into a puzzle. It’s a quick one, and it doubles as a little puzzle for Grandma and Grandpa.
Christmas Ornaments Kids Can Make
Ornaments are my favorite gift from kids, because they come back out every single year. Write the child’s name and the year on the back and you’ve got a keepsake.
Want more? I have a whole roundup of kid-made keepsake ornaments, and my clay pot gingerbread ornament and Santa hat clothespin ornaments are easy ones for kids too.
13. Snow Globe Keepsake Ornaments
Kimberly from The Best Ideas for Kids has kids draw on vellum or clear plastic with a black Sharpie, then rolls it up and slides it into a clear plastic ornament with fake snow. Her trick: use a pencil to help it unroll inside. How cute is that?
14. Fingerprint Christmas Light Ornament
Melissa from South Georgia Style gives each child one fingerprint on a plain ceramic ornament, then a Sharpie turns every print into a Christmas light bulb on a string. Let the paint dry about two hours before drawing. So sweet for siblings, and she says it works for preschoolers and up.
15. Reindeer Thumbprint Jar Lid Ornament
Brandy from Gluesticks uses mess-free Kwik Stix paint for a thumbprint reindeer, then frames it in a regular canning lid and ring with a ribbon. Her son was two when he made it, so this is a good one for toddlers. You know I love a jar lid craft!
16. Snowman Handprint Ornament
Beth from 123 Homeschool 4 Me presses painted fingers onto a solid ornament ball to make snowmen, then adds hats, scarves and noses. She recommends acrylic paint over washable, and sets the balls in canning jar lids to keep them from rolling. Toddlers through first graders can do this one.
17. Fingerprint Penguin Wood Slice Ornament
Louise from Messy Little Monster paints wood slices light blue, then a black thumbprint makes each penguin body and a white fingerprint makes the belly. A few Sharpie details and some dabbed-on snow finish it off. She made these with toddlers and preschoolers in mind.
18. Clay Pot Christmas Tree Ornaments
Projects with Kids paints 2-inch mini clay pots green, then the kids dot on ornaments with Q-tips and glue a little wooden star on top. Q-tip dots are perfect for little hands. Want another clay pot ornament? My clay pot gingerbread ornament is a fun one too.
19. Melted Crayon Ornaments
Heather from The Heathered Nest peels old crayons, drops the slivers into clear glass ornaments and melts them with a hairdryer while turning. Two big tips: use glass, not plastic, and soak the crayons in water so the labels peel right off. A grown-up should handle the hairdryer, but the kids can pick the colors.
20. Kid-Made Shrink Film Ornaments
Chelsey from Buggy and Buddy has kids draw on shrink film with Sharpies, punch a hole, and bake them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. The film shrinks a LOT, so have the kids fill most of the space with their drawing. It’s like magic watching them shrink in the oven.
Gifts Made from Kids’ Artwork
Got a stack of drawings on the fridge? These ideas turn the kids’ own artwork into ornaments, coasters, keychains, tea towels and even the wrapping paper.
And once the gifts are made, my roundup of gift wrapping ideas has plenty more ways to wrap them.
21. Kids’ Artwork Tea Towels
This is another one of mine. I wanted my daughter (age 5 at the time) to draw right on the towel, but the fabric kept slipping and she got frustrated. So, Plan B: she drew Christmas trees on paper, I slid the drawing under the thin flour sack towel, and traced it in green fabric marker. Easy peasy, and I knew Grandma was going to love it.
22. Kids’ Artwork Gift Wrap
This is such a fun way to get the kids in on the giving. Roll out white craft paper, stamp holiday shapes with a black ink pad (pick stamps with lots of white space to color in), and hand the kids colored pencils. Pro tip: the white paper is pretty see-through, so double it up or wrap the gift in plain paper first.
23. Rock Painting Kit in a Jar
Here’s one kids can put together for a cousin or friend. Paint smooth river rocks white (try the dollar store, or just go outside), let them dry, then pile them in a large mason jar with a bunch of Sharpie markers. Tie on a ribbon and a mini ornament. The recipient gets to decorate the rocks however they want.
24. Embroidered Kids’ Artwork Ornament
Stephanie from Swoodson Says turns a child’s drawing into a stitched felt ornament. She transfers it with Stick n Stitch stabilizer, back-stitches the lines, then the stabilizer washes away in warm water. The grown-up does the stitching, but this is heirloom-level stuff.
25. Kids’ Art Clay Ornaments
How to Nest for Less scans a child’s drawing, shrinks it to size and Mod Podges it onto a 69-cent clay ornament from Michaels. The rest of the supplies cost under $5. Cheap AND sentimental, my favorite combo.
26. Children’s Art Wood Slice Ornament
Kimberly from Crafting Cheerfully prints a child’s drawing on T-shirt transfer paper and irons it onto a predrilled wood slice ornament on the lowest heat setting. Add the name and year with a Sharpie. It looks so polished!
27. Shrinky Dink Drawing Keychain
Louise from Messy Little Monster has kids draw with Sharpies on white shrink plastic. Cut it out and punch the hole before baking, then add a keychain. Now Dad or Grandpa can carry the kids’ art everywhere they go.
28. Shrinky Dink Handprint Keychain
7 Days of Play traces (or paint-prints) a handprint onto shrink plastic and bakes it down into a teeny keychain. Seeing that little hand get even littler is the best part. The written steps are on her blog too.
29. Sharpie Art Coasters
Christie from Childhood101 has kids decorate plain ceramic bathroom tiles with Sharpies or ceramic markers. Bake them at 250 degrees for two hours, seal with Mod Podge and stick felt on the back. Hardware store tiles are so cheap, so you can make a whole set.
30. Watercolor Coasters
Jaime from Make and Takes cuts the kids’ watercolor paintings to size and Mod Podges them onto hardware store tiles that cost a few cents each. A clear acrylic spray seals them, and felt scraps make the pads. These look surprisingly grown-up.
31. Gift Tags from Kids’ Art
Rebecca from Simple as That scans the kids’ drawings (a phone photo works too), bumps them to black and white, and prints them on white or kraft cardstock. Darker lines work best. Pair these with my kids’ artwork gift wrap and the whole gift is kid-made.
32. Handprint Christmas Wrapping Paper
Amy from True Aim Education flattens brown paper bags and lets the kids stamp handprint snowmen, Rudolphs and wreaths all over them. Her tip: spread the paint thin on the plate so the prints aren’t goopy and dry faster. Free wrapping paper? I’m in.
DIY Photo Gifts Kids Can Make
Grandparents can never have too many photos of the grandkids. These frames and ornaments let the kids do the decorating, and a grown-up handles the glue gun if needed.
For even more ideas, check out my DIY photo gifts roundup.
33. Dollar Tree Sled Photo Ornament
This one’s mine, and it starts with a Dollar Tree wood sled ornament. I painted the runners red, stained the top, and framed a little 2×3 photo with popsicle sticks. Use Elmer’s glue instead of hot glue and the kids can help with every step. Grandparents will love seeing those snowy sledding faces every year.
34. Gold Frame Photo Ornaments
Grab those little unfinished wood frames from the Dollar Tree craft aisle! I gave mine a gold finish with Rub ’n Buff in Antique Gold (that part’s for the grown-up), then the kids can pick a family photo or one of my free printables and help glue it in. Add a ribbon hanger and they look boutique-worthy.
35. Homemade Photo Cube
Karyn from Teach Beside Me cuts a 5×7 photo across six 2-inch wooden cubes and Mod Podges it on, so it becomes a little photo puzzle. Her trick: hold the cubes together with a rubber band while you cut. Grandparents will have fun putting it back together.
36. Popsicle Stick Christmas Tree Photo Ornament
Stacey from Glued To My Crafts glues three jumbo popsicle sticks painted green into a triangle tree around a printed photo. A cardstock star and trunk and a twine hanger finish it off. It costs pennies, and the kids can do most of it themselves.
37. Colorful Popsicle Stick Picture Frames
Jane and Sonja from Sustain My Craft Habit use 10 jumbo craft sticks and a wooden clothespin for each frame, all painted in bright colors. The clothespin holds the photo, so it’s easy to swap. Their tip: let the paint dry completely before gluing. Kids can pick every color.
38. Photo Ornaments with Glitter
Cas from Clutterbug slides photos inside clear ornaments with floor polish and glitter. The big tip: the photos need to be laser prints, not inkjet. She got hers printed at Staples. The kids can pick the photos and the glitter colors.
Practical and Pampering Gifts Kids Can Make
Not everything has to hang on the tree! These are gifts people will actually use: bath bombs, candles, tea towels, a treat pot and a play dough kit for the little ones on your list.
39. Snowman Clay Pot Treat Gift
Sarah from Ruffles and Rain Boots paints a mini terra cotta pot as a snowman with black adhesive gems for the face, then fills it with a bag of mints. It’s about $3 and 12 minutes. Such a cute teacher or neighbor gift the kids can make all by themselves.
40. Potato Stamped Tea Towels
Jess from Make and Do Crew cuts potatoes into stamps (that’s the grown-up’s job) and the kids stamp red and green fabric paint onto plain IKEA towels. They work out to about $1 a towel! She says kids five and up get closer to the photo results, but a little wonky is part of the charm.
41. Kids’ Bath Bombs
Red Ted Art has a bath bomb recipe with no citric acid: 2 cups of baking soda and 1 cup of cream of tartar, with optional dried lavender. The kids spritz it with water, press it into silicone molds, and let them dry a day or two. A gift they’ll be so proud to hand over.
42. Christmas Tree Bath Bombs
Louise from Messy Little Monster presses her bath bomb mix (baking soda, cornstarch, Epsom salt and citric acid) into a Christmas tree silicone mold. Fill each mold about three-quarters full and let them dry overnight. Toddlers and preschoolers can help with the mixing and pressing.
43. Bath Bomb Ornaments with a Surprise
Liska from Adventure in a Box packs bath bomb mix into clear plastic ornament halves around a little surprise, then lets them dry overnight in the molds. Hang it on the tree, then drop it in the tub to find the treasure inside. So fun!
44. Rolled Beeswax Candles
Tara from Little Pine Learners has kids roll beeswax sheets around a wick, no melting needed. A hair dryer warms each sheet for about 10 seconds so it rolls easier. Her tip: don’t press too hard at the end or you’ll flatten the honeycomb.
45. Gingerbread Man in a Jar Play Dough Kit
Noirin from Playdough to Plato makes cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger scented play dough and packs it in a mason jar with googly eyes, buttons and pipe cleaner icing. One batch fills two or three jars, so the kids can make one for each friend or cousin. It smells like Christmas!
Tips for Making Christmas Gifts with Kids
A few tips from me and the creators in this roundup:
- Practice your prints first. Do a couple of test fingerprints on scrap paper before pressing them onto the real thing. That’s what we did for my fingerprint wreath.
- Keep the paint thin. Amy at True Aim Education spreads the paint thinly on the plate so her handprint wrapping paper prints aren’t goopy and dry faster.
- Trace instead of fighting the fabric. When my daughter got frustrated drawing on a slippery towel, she drew on paper and I traced it. Same sweet drawing, way less stress. Here’s my kids’ artwork tea towel.
- Protect the back of fabric. Samantha at Nifty Mom slides cardboard inside her handprint tote bags so the paint doesn’t seep through.
- Fill the space on shrink film. Chelsey at Buggy and Buddy reminds kids to fill most of the sheet, because the shrink film ornaments get a lot smaller in the oven.
- Let the grown-up do the hot parts. Hairdryers for the melted crayon ornaments, ovens for the plates and shrink film, and the glue gun are all grown-up jobs. The kids can still pick the colors and photos.
Ways to Make Them Your Own
There’s no real wrong way to do any of these. A few ideas:
- Use handprints and footprints for other holidays. A handprint plate or tote is just as sweet for Mother’s Day or a birthday.
- Switch up the colors. Silver and blue fingerprint lights look so pretty on a white plate or ornament.
- Make it a set. Pair a handprint towel with a stamped one, or a photo ornament with a matching frame.
- Add the name and year to the back of anything you can. Future you will thank you.
Christmas Gifts Kids Can Make FAQs
What Christmas gifts can kids make for grandparents?
Keepsakes with a handprint, a fingerprint or a photo are always a hit. Try a handprint plate, a handprint Christmas tree towel, a fingerprint lights photo frame or my Dollar Tree sled photo ornament.
What Christmas gifts can toddlers make?
Fingerprint and thumbprint crafts are perfect for toddlers. The reindeer jar lid ornament was made by a two-year-old, and the fingerprint penguin ornament and shrinky dink keychain were made with toddlers and preschoolers in mind.
How do you make painted plates last?
Use paint made for ceramics and bake it to set. Stef at Non-Toy Gifts uses porcelain paint and bakes her fingerprint light plate as the paint bottle directs so it’s dishwasher safe.
How do you keep salt dough ornaments from cracking?
Amanda at Fun Handprint Art bakes her salt dough mitten ornament at 275 degrees for about an hour, but she notes that air drying for a couple of weeks helps prevent cracking and bubbling.
Pin These Christmas Gifts Kids Can Make for Later
Which One Would You Try?
Okay, I need to know. Are you making handprint plates, fingerprint ornaments or bath bombs with your crew this year? Tell me in the comments which one you’re trying first!
A huge thank you to all the creators featured here for sharing such sweet ideas. And if you make one, come back and tell me how it turned out!
More Christmas Roundups You’ll Love
- Kid-Made Keepsake Ornaments: even more ornaments for little hands.
- Mason Jar Christmas Gifts: cookie mixes, cocoa jars, scrubs and more.
- Heartwarming DIY Photo Gifts: more ways to give the grandparents photos.
- Gift Wrapping Ideas: tutorials, ideas and printables for wrapping it all up.
- Grinch Crafts: green, goofy and a little bit grumpy.
- DIY Mother’s Day Gifts for Grandma: save this one for spring.
Raisin (my crafty pup) and I thank you for stopping by. Happy making, friends!