grandparent gifts

[disneyg]

Does anyone have a cute grandparent gift the kids can give? Every year I try to make something that has their hand or foot prints or something that they help make. I'm stumped this year, any ideas would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks, Kathy

 

[heathrow42]

Scrapbooked pages with their school pictures, or other pictures from the year? You can even let the kids help, choose pictures or placement and stickers ..and if you don't want to give them an album (with just one or two pages) you can get frames at the local craft store and just frame the pages. it's a scrapcentric answer, but then i've just been reading all the scrappy threads

There are plenty of things that you can have photos made into or put on.. tshirts/sweatshirts, mugs etc. You can even take 12 photos and have a calendar made, using 1 photo for each month.

Hope this helps,
--heather

 

[Spinning]

not sure the ages
But we made no sew pillows this year for gifts.
I bought some pretty fleece and cut it into squares. I then cut thin strips all the way around the kids tied double knots then stuffed. Completed really quickly! comfy too!

We also bought clear glass ornaments and use paint pens. The kids then painted/drew pretty pictures on them...

 

[JulianneP]

If you want to stick with the handprint idea....I had my kids paint their hands with fabric pain and do a print on oven mitts. We did it for their grandmothers and their aunts. They were a big hit last year. Some of them actually used them others just hung them in their kitchen for show.

 

[DisneyBean]

How about making a handprint wreath? Green handprints in a circle with a red bow?

A Rudolph head? Trace shoe and cut out -- add eyes and a red nose. Cut out two handprints for the antlers!

A handprint tree? Three rows of handprints -- fingers facing down -- one handprint on the top, two on the middle row and three on the bottom. Decorate with a star on top and various colored fingerprints as ornaments!

A poinsettia bouquet? Cut a bunch of red and green handprints. Glue the green to the outside of a dessert-sized paper plate. Glue the red handprints next, with the palms touching in the center of the plate. Add a yellow circle or glitter to the center of each flower, add a stem and insert a bunch into a flower pot!

Salt dough ornaments? If you want to carry the handprint theme here, they could trace their hands into the rolled dough, bake and then paint!

You can make these on paper and frame or on aprons, t-shirts, sweatshirts, etc.

Have fun! Let us know what you decide!

D

 

[Lisa P.]

Our kids are all teens and they still enjoy making things for their grandparents & aunts. Their crafts have gotten a little more challenging as they've grown. This year, they've made layered candles, handmade stamped card assortments (Thank you, Congrats, Happy Birthday, Thinking of You, etc.) and stamped, filled candy bags. The candle jars may be painted, if we have time.

In the past, they've painted on canvas carry totebags with handprints, stencil prints of ivy and the recipient's initials. When they were little, they put their handprints on throw pillows (pretty lace on one side, prints on the other) or made baked clay ornaments. We've bought inexpensive wooden plaques and painted "Grandma's kitchen" or something similar, then decorated with fitting buttons & trinkets to the recipients' style. Have fun!

 

[disneyg]

Thanks all for the ideas! I have to keep these so I'm not searching next year! kathy

 

[clh2]

Kathy - did you figure this out yet? We had our family Christmas get together yesterday, and my niece and nephew made "stepping stones" for the grandparents to put in their gardens.

They came in a kit, the cement needed to be made, and there are glass pebbles to decorate the stepping stones with. The kids also "scratched" in their messages. It might be a little late now, because they take about 3 days to dry before you can unmold them.

 

[christineann]

We've done tote bags, too, and one year we did large clay pots, one with their hand prints and another with flowers made of thumbprints. Be sure to use waterproof paint or spray a sealer on a pot done with water soluble paint.

 

[mcnuss]

How about a calendar with photos from thoughout the year?

 

[chessie]

I love these ideas. I am the grandmother. I like to make gifts for the parents and other family members. I love the hand Christmas tree and the Rudolf. They just might be part of my scrapbook page along with the Santa photo. You could also turn the hand poinsettia into a sunflower for a summer craft. I have a hand print wall hanging on burlap of my son. Now that he has passed, that hand print is even more precious to me.