Give from your heart with these handmade gifts for children. We have something for everyone, from simple gifts to sewing and crochet patterns.
Click to read also: Sewing Tutorials for All Ages

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Holiday Guide: Handmade Gifts for Children
What You'll Find on This Page
I love giving handmade gifts for people of all ages, but especially children who I find particularly appreciate the “made just for you” aspect of this type of gift. This post features tutorials for all sorts of handmade gifts, from quick and easy ideas to more involved projects.
Quick and Easy Handmade Gift Ideas
Sometimes you want to give something handmade but you don’t have very much time. These quick and easy projects are just the solution you need!
Easy Handmade Gift Ideas for Children
These handmade gives are quick and easy to make. Kids love them!
How to Make a No-Sew Doll Carrier Your Child Will Love
All you need to make these adorable doll carriers is elastic, felt, and a hot glue gun.
DIY Stenciled Shirt Tutorial
Turn a basic shirt into something special using stencils. This is an easy fabric paint project, even if you've never tried anything like it before.
DIY Harry Potter Monster Book of Monsters Tutorial
These monster books are Harry Potter inspired, but friendly enough for even the youngest recipients.
How to Make a No Sew Fleece Blanket with Fringe
All you need to make this blanket is a single layer of fleece and a good pair of scissors. Fabric stores are full of cute fleece prints, so this is easy to customize to suit the gift recipient's tastes.
Easy DIY Hot Glue Earrings Tutorial
Hot glue earrings are quick and easy to make and wonderfully light to wear! This is one of my favorite DIY gifts for teens and tweens.
Hot Chocolate in a Jar Gift
You can't go wrong with hot chocolate in a cute jar. This is an easy gift to make in bulk.
DIY Homemade Peppermint Lip Balm with Printable Labels
DIY lip balm is sure to be a hit with teens, but adults love it too.
Spa Mason Jar Gift Idea for Teens
Spa jar gifts are also easy to make in bulk, and bound to be popular with all ages.
Frozen Bath Bombs
Kids love these gorgeous winter themed bath bombs.
DIY Leather Keychain – Personalized!
DIY Rustic Butterfly Decoration from an Old Book
These butterfly decorations make lovely teen or tween gifts. They are a little reminiscent of the flying keys from Harry Potter.
Infinity Cube Fidget Toy DIY
Fidget toys remain popular. This one feels magical and is easy to make.
DIY Wooden Shape Puzzles
Learn through play with these wooden shape puzzles.
Hand Sewn Gifts for Children
Hand sewn gifts can be quick and easy or very involved, but I find that they are always popular with children. Here are a few of our favorite projects.
Hand Sewn Gifts for Children
This list of hand sewn gifts has something for every child, at every age! Simple sewing projects and more complex ones.
How to Make a Weighted Blanket Sewing Tutorial (Sensory Friendly)
Weighted blankets are soothing for all ages! If you don't like the plastic fillers, I have a post full of alternate fillings you can use for weighted blankets.
Large Baby Block Rattle – Beginner Sewing Projects
This baby block rattle makes a wonderful first Christmas gift for babies.
Baby Doll Carrier Tutorial to Sew for Kids
Even toddlers can easily use this sling style doll carrier. It's easy to customize based on the child's interests.
Easy DIY Patchwork Doll Quilt Tutorial
Doll quilts are rewarding because they come together so quickly!
Easy And Free 18 Inch Doll Printable Shirt Pattern
These doll shirts come together quickly and fit most 15-18 inch dolls. Make several for a child who loves changing outfits.
I Spy Quilt
This I Spy quilt doubles as a quiet time toy. Make it small for a doll or large enough to cuddle under.
DIY Mini Busy Book Sewing Tutorial: Bear's House
This mini busy book is a quick hand sewing project. It's small enough to fit in a stocking, and then in your purse for on the go entertainment.
How to make Zoo Animal Finger Puppets
The zoo animal finger puppets are also small enough to fit in a stocking, and they make wonderful car toys for road trips.
Felt Spaceship Toy Sewing Tutorial
Capture your child's imagination with this cute felt space ship, complete with an astronaut who can be removed for adventures.
How to make a DIY Hobby Horse - Red Ted Art - Make crafting with kids easy & fun
Create the classic hobby horse for a young child with this tutorial.
Teddy Bears with Pattern
These little fleece bears are easy to make in bulk, and perfect for young children to snuggle.
How to Make a Monster Kids Can Decorate
Artistic children adore these monsters that they can decorate, wash, and decorate again!
Dragon Cape Tutorial from The Knight Craft Book
Foster hours of pretend play with a dragon cape.
Dishtowel Kids Apron Pattern and Tutorial
Sew this simple apron to go along with a play kitchen, or to use for real life baking.
Soft lounge pants for little girls
Gifts can be practical and cute! This tutorial shows how to sew pants using pants that your child already wears as a pattern.
DIY Hand Warmers for Kids
Stitch these cozy hand warmers out of scraps to continue the warmth theme for handmade winter gifts!
How to Make a Felt Crown
Felt crowns are easy to make and inspire hours of pretend play.
Sleeping bags for Barbie
This Barbie doll sleeping bag is quick and easy to sew. Roll it up and slip it into a stocking.
Dragon Toy Sewing Pattern
Grab the free pattern for this adorable toy dragon and stitch it in your child's favorite colors.
Snowball Sewing Pattern
These snowballs are ideal if you live in California like us! But even in cold climates it's fun to have a warm snowball fight.
Frida Kahlo Rag Doll Craft
Teach a little history when you gift this Frida Kahlo doll.
DIY Girl Gift: Handmade Scrunchies
Scrunchies are also wonderfully practical gifts. You'll love how easy they are to sew!

Crochet Gift Ideas
Crochet is time consuming, but I find it soothing and therefore perfect for handmade gifts.
Handmade Crochet Gifts for Kids
Crochet projects are super portable, and these are gifts I often work on while I am waiting for my kids' various extracurricular activities to end. You'll find a wealth of books and tutorials across the internet, but here are some free patterns to get you started! We recommend Clover Amour Crochet hooks - they are comfy and hold up well to hours of use.
Amigurumi and Waldorf Inspired Baby Doll Crochet Pattern
This sweet baby doll comes together surprising quickly! I also have patterns for doll overall shorts - this basic set and this fancier version.
Free Mermaid Crochet Pattern - Red Ted Art - Make crafting with kids easy & fun
This sweet mermaid is also quite easy to make, and sure to be a hit with imaginative young children.
Easy DIY Crochet Cat Pattern for Beginners (Free)
I adore the chunkiness of this cat, and he comes together quickly!
Warm Kids Crochet Mittens: Winter Spun Pattern
These cozy mittens come together quickly for small hands. Make them in each child's favorite colors.
Polymer Clay Gift Ideas
My kids love making polymer clay gifts. Sometimes I make them too! Here are our favorites:
Polymer Clay Gift Ideas
Oven baked polymer clay is easy and forgiving to work with, making it an ideal medium for handmade gifts.
DIY Polymer Clay Earrings and Charms
Metal clay cutters make tiny charms like those on these earrings easy!
Rainbow Tangle Beads
Tangle beads are easy to make an really beautiful!
DIY Polymer Clay Yoda Tutorial
This tiny yoda is an ideal gift for Star Wars fans! The post includes step by step instructions.
What are your favorite handmade gift ideas for children? Please let me know if you have tutorials that would make good additions to this post!
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MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
I remember when you first shared so many of these projects.
You’ve been a great blog friend for a long time now!