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Step 1
Sew a special gift. Whether you have professional seamstress skills or you're all thumbs with a needle and thread, you can make a gift that's sure to please children when you make a stuffed animal. Look for stamped patterns that can be stitched by machine or hand, or even pressed together with fabric tape. Add unique touches with buttons, bows or fabric paint. Or try your hand at whipping up a rag doll from a child's favorite castoffs. You can sew a one-of-a-kind stuffed animal or doll that will be treasured for years.
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Step 2
Paint a personalized gift. Bookcases, backpacks, even bicycles can be painted to give a personal touch to a child's gift. Use a favorite color to take an ordinary bike to extraordinary wheels. Turn that beat-up bookcase into a work of art by painting a child's favorite character on the sides and top. Use a stencil if you need a little extra help. Add painted-on flair to a backpack, a pair of tennis shoes or a plastic bucket and shovel set. With a paintbrush and the right paints, you can transform almost any plain gift into a masterpiece.
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Step 3
Bake a yummy gift. Here's an idea sure to please any puzzle-loving child. Press a roll of cookie dough onto a 13-by-9 inch cookie sheet and bake as directed. When cool, cut the rectangle into interesting pieces or use cookie cutters to make familiar shapes. Take a picture of your puzzle. Next, toss the photo and the cookie puzzle pieces into a bag. There's a mystery gift any child would love to solve--and eat!
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Step 4
Assemble an awesome gift. Know a budding artist? Gather colored pencils, stickers and a small sketch pad and wrap them in a basket for the child artist on the go. For the child with a green thumb, buy a few seed packets, gardening gloves and a shovel, and pack them in a watering can. For the child who dreams of the stage, collect old costume jewelry, hats, high heels and other accessories.
