Last Wednesday, our holiday giveaway request was for ideas for economical gifts teachers can give their students. Thanks for sharing your fabulous ideas! I was especially delighted to learn that books are frequently being given as gifts.
This week’s giveaway request is for gifts students can make for family members. To enter this week’s surprise giveaway, describe your most successful student-made gift project. And if you’d like to sprinkle in some tips for managing the gift-making process, that would be just dandy too!
Remember to respond to this post by the end of Sunday, November 28, so your name will be entered in the drawing. Be sure to check your email—you could be our next winner!
Smiles,
Diane
Hooray for Rolanda S., our giveaway winner!
I enjoy making calendars for their family gifts. I use hand-print art, photos, and writing samples. Everyone loves it!
For the 3rd year we have made hand print calendars.
We work with our 3rd grade buddy class on the project that starts in September.
Each week we get together to do another page.
While the students are waiting their turn to get into the paint, the partners read or do another activity realated to whatever we are working on in class ( word search, number game, we did a turkey puzzle this past week).
The students really seems to enjoy this project.
One year I had the students make pillowcases. They made angels using fabric paints and their hand prints for wings. Then I wrote on the pillowcase “Sleep in heavenly peace” they turned out adorable. I usually do all of my gift making as a center during center time. This way I can be at that center working with them individually. It works out really well.
We make ornaments and sometimes magnets with the kids pictures in them and the kids decorate.
I buy shiny blue bulb ornaments, and have the children make a white painted hand print on the bulb. While the paint is still wet we sprinkle on clear glitter to look like snow. Once dry, we add a ribbon for hanging and a printed poem:
“Sometimes you get discouraged because I am so small & always leave my fingerprints on furniture and walls.
But every day I’m growing- I’ll be grown up someday
And all those tiny fingerprints will surely fade away.
So here’s a final hand print just so you can recall
exactly how my fingers looked when I was very small.”
I also do calendar. I was able to find a free website that allows you to upload your own pictures. I take pictures of the students and then upload them to the website that places the photos in various places on the calendar. I then place the calendar in a picture frame that I purchase from the dollar store. The calendar is a year at a glance so parents are able to display the calendar at work or home. My parents loved it last year!
I save incomplete puzzles/puzzle pieces throughout the year. I spray paint the pieces green. (If I need more pieces, I buy puzzles at thrift stores or garage sales.)
When the pieces are dry, I have my students glue them on cardstock or cardboard in the shape of a wreath. We add a bow as well as little red hole-punch dots for berries. Some years we put magnets on the back; other years we make them into ornaments.
Thank you Diane for asking a question that I wanted suggestions too. I look forward to everyones ideas.
For the last 2 years I have made a felt Christmas banner. During worktime we call the children over and work on then. This year we are making tree handprints. Paint the childs hand green and press onto a felt square. You will need 2 handprints. Paint a brown trunk on the bottom of the tree handprint. Have the child use glitter paint to decorate their tree with their thumbprints. Write Merry Christmas and the year on the bottom. Then glue the top of the felt to a dowel and add ribbon for hanging.
We have made these the last 2 years and the Parents love them. Although they are a lot of work and take a lot of time.
I take pictures o f the children in holiday hats and place them into frames the children decorate. I can get most of what I need at the dollar store. I also do their hand prints in red or green pain and attach a poem.
I use any scrapbook paper, materials, etc, to make Christmas cards. I also bring in my cricut, the kids really get a kick out of using it.
I make picture ornaments with my pk3 & 4 year old students each year. I diecut oval picture frames out of foam with a matching cardstock backing. During center time,the students enjoy selecting and gluing the craft “gems” and large-size sequins. I also take 2-3 picture poses so that each can select his/her picture to insert in the frame. A ribbon hangar is attached. Wrapping is also a much-enjoyed student art event. (They love tape!)
I have my students make “egg carton” Christmas Trees. We cut the egg carton apart and then use the pieces to form a tree. We glue the pieces to tag board.Then we glue garland in between the pieces and around the outside of the tree form. Students then use small beads and other sequins to decorate the tree. On the back…we tape a pop top or a Christmas bulb hanger so the tree can be hung on a wall. They really turn out pretty.
We make the applesauce ornaments and take pictures of the children and put them in frames that they make and decorate.
We make handprint wreaths w/a bow & a poem or decorate pinecones with glitter,beads and dyed pasta shapes
I have the children (3-5 year olds) make a hand print calendar. Each month is a different hand print with a poem. Jan. Two hand-prints and the poem about leaving your finger prints all over the place. Feb. They place the hand prints to form a heart shape and another poem. After the hand prints dry they add more detail to their page with markers, color pencils or crayons. It takes about a week and half to get everything done. then I get them laminated and bound. The parents love the finish product and the children are so proud of the work they put into it.
We make cinnamon and applesauce ornaments, ornaments they thread on pipe cleaners to make candy canes, a calendar and a wreath. We make a bag and decorate it to look like Rudolph and then put all their goodies in it and staple it up with a note not to open until Christmas. I just love Christmas!
One year my 3rd graders made a keychain for their parent. We made paperbeads with Christmas paper and then added different types of beads that I purchased from a craft store. I also provided the students with small charms to embellish their keychain.
I had them make calendars for the parents using new art styles each month. We started early in the year. We made out own wrapping paper and wrapped them. Each made a card to add to it.
Older kids (4th / 5th grade) often find gift making too “cute”, but I have found an activity that fascinates them. They always ask to do more than one and for other holidays. I have them create a card or box using Iris Folding. The internet has numerous free resources. We have used wrapping paper or ribbons scraps. Simple patterns can be used with younger children. Happy Holidays, Y’all!