Caring Gifts for Parents and Grandparents

Gifts from the Heart – From Kids to Parents and Grandparents

Handmade gifts from the heart are treasures that will always be cherished by parents, grandparents, and those who have a special connection with kids. Here are some fun and affordable ideas to make these memories.

Add a memory page to scrapbooks

Create a memory page to add to a loved one’s scrapbook. Buy a package of blank scrapbook pages and choose a theme. Make each page special with stickers, markers, colored pencils, construction paper, photos, magazine pictures, and fun descriptions to fit the theme.

Create coupons for tasks

Create coupons for tasks you can do, such as a free evening of babysitting, a week of taking out the trash, pet sitting, lawn mowing, ironing, or anything else. Use materials from the memory page project to make your coupons unique.

Shape decorative soaps with cookie cutters

Grate bars of plain white soap, mix with water and food coloring, and knead until the mixture forms a stiff dough. Flatten it out on a sheet of waxed paper and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. You can press small leaves or flowers into the soaps before they dry.

Make a personalized placemat or one-of-a-kind poster

Look for images of the recipient’s favorite celebrity, sports figure, or hobby in magazines or print them out from the internet. Assemble several of these and glue onto a large sheet of construction paper. Overlap the images to create a collage or spread them apart and write details about each image in the margins. Office supply stores can laminate the result for a personalized, glossy, one-of-a-kind poster or placemat.

Design bookmarks

Cut colored paper into 2” x 7” strips and add designs with colored pencils and markers. Find out your gift recipient’s favorite author, artist, or historical figure. Then look the person up in a book of quotations. Select a quote, type, or write it out, and add it to the bookmark. Laminate it for protection.

Make a photo magnet for the fridge

Cut a piece of cardboard from a cereal box to match the size of your photo. Glue it to the back of your photo for support. Glue a small magnet to the cardboard and you’ve just made a photo magnet for the fridge.

Fashion a colorful pin with beads and safety pins

Buy a package of large safety pins and a small bag of multi-colored beads. Open one safety pin. Then dangle several more safety pins from it through the eye at the bottom of those pins. Then thread colored beads onto the dangling safety pins. The more color and whimsey, the better.

Check out this article for more craft ideas!