Ho-ho-ho! It’s that time of year again! I thought it would be fun to browse through our past activities and find gifts for you and your kids to make this holiday season, as well as share some of our favorite crafty store-bought gifts that have withstood the test of time — I hate it when I buy something that gets used with enthusiasm at first and then tossed aside.

As we come up with new gift ideas I’ll post them here, so do check back every now and again :-)

GIFTS TO MAKE

Magnified gem magnets make great teacher gifts and stocking stuffers.

Christmas themed magnets are a hit, too.

Silly creature pillows are ton’s of fun for the little ones you know.

Paper heart garlands make lovely hostess gifts.

Indoor game mat for the kids to play on when it’s too cold or rainy to go out.

A holiday quilt to snuggle under (another easy one is here) is always a hit.

Decorate a pillow with fabric markers to give to someone you love.

Make finger puppets for the toddlers you know.

Make festive jewelry for Mom.

Knit a hat for Dad.

Make no-sew scarves for everyone.

Embroider pillows with your friends’ names.

GIFTS TO PURCHASE
Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Crafts: This has turned into my go-to source when I’m not sure what tools to use, or when I just want to browse pretty pictures & get back my crafty mojo.


Invasion of the Bristlebots: the folks at Klutz sent me this for Bjørn (9) to test out and it was a HUGE success. The robots are super easy to assemble & you can have hours of fun building mazes and paths and road-blocks for the little critters. Awesome fun — though make sure to keep little brothers out of the way, because they tend to lessen the fun a bit when they steal your guys (just my observation…).


Paper Fashions Fancy (Klutz): Maggie (11) has 3 of these sets now, the first was a birthday gift, and the next two were from Klutz to review. Can I tell you how she BEAMS when she sees mail from Klutz? This series is particularly good for girls aged 8 to 12. I love the fact that if you buy one, you know the others will be a hit for birthdays and future holidays. I’ve written a more detailed review of the kits here.


Nature’s Art Box: We’ve had this one for years and love to go back to it when we’re planning outdoorsy fun (which is pretty often with this family!). The pine cone craetures that we make Every Year, was an activity Tomas and I started doing when the kids were too small to handle a glue gun.


Making Stuff for Kids: I just received a sample copy of this one and Maggie pretty much snatched it away from me as soon as I opened the package & wouldn’t give it back. I’m assuming it’s good. The bits I was able to sneak peeks at over her shoulder looked fun and the instructions clear enough for an older child (8+) to do on their own. Child independence is important to me, so that was a big plus in my book.


Outi of White Country in Finland has just had her Christmas book published and it is fabulous, just as one would expect after reading her blog. It’s a bit on the spendy side if you are ordering from the US, but I highly recommend it for my European readers. Also? It’s in Finish, but like the Paumes books that I adore, is so full of beautiful pictures that if you are anything like me, you will love it, too.