Looking for an easy child made craft to give as a Christmas gift for relatives?

 

Then look no further…this fun craft is so easy and simple that it is great for kids to make!

 

 

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Child made gifts rock!

Let’s face it, trying to find the perfect gift for relatives can be a daunting task. So this year, why not give them something that is hand made by your child!  I personally always LOVED when my daughters would give me handmade gifts for holidays; these are the ones that I still have and hold dear to my heart.  When children get an  opportunity to make things themselves, they feel a sense of pride, accomplishment, and joy knowing that they created something so special for someone they love!

There is nothing quite like a child made gift. The fondest memories of gifts from my girls are the ones that they made over the years. There is just something extra special about receiving a handmade gift, especially from children!

 

Related post: Make it a handmade holiday with DIY craft ornaments

 

Easy DIY gift idea

This is an easy DIY craft to give as a Christmas gift. This hanging photo tree is fun and would make a great gift for grandparents or other relatives!  The children and I actually made these one year in my classroom as a gift for parents from the children.  I got quite a few compliments on these from not only the other teachers in the school, but the parents loved them as well!  It is fairly easy and inexpensive, but it does require a little bit of adult supervision and assistance.

 

How to make the Christmas hanging photo tree craft

This handmade hanging photo tree craft does require purchasing a few items beforehand in order to complete the project. Everything you will need is listed below. On a side note, this craft does require adult supervision and assistance.

 

Materials/supplies needed:

• clothespins
• Christmas ribbon
• Beads (either Fused beads or Pony beads)
• White wire hangers
• Wire cutters
• Hot glue gun
• Hot glue sticks
• Acrylic paint

 

 

Step 1:

The first thing an adult would need to do is choose the desired length of your hanging photo tree. I recommend making your cut about an inch from the corner of the wire hanger. Once you have your desired length determined, cut the wire hanger with wire cutters. Note that you will need to apply a bit of pressure when cutting the wire hanger to your desired length.

 

Step 2:

Next, have your child determine how many clothespins they would like their photo hanger tree to have, and then have them paint the clothespins with acrylic paint.  I determined that six clothespins would be sufficient enough, but your child can choose to have more or less.  I decided to use green acrylic paint, since it goes well with Christmas. Make sure that your child paints all of the sides of the clothespins.

 

Step 3:

The next step is to have your child decide what kind of beads they would like on their photo hanging tree.  Once chosen, have your child string the beads onto the wire hanger.  I decided to use  Fused Beads in green and red.  For the beads, I used fourteen in total, and alternated the colors in a pattern.

 

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Step 4:

Once they are completely dry, have your child put their freshly painted clothespins onto the wire hanger.  Have them place each clothespin in between every two beads or in a consistent pattern.  I also left two beads on each end to complete the look.

 

Step 5:

Next, using the hot glue gun, an adult can glue a fused bead onto both ends of the wire hanger.

 

 

Step 6:

Now using the hot glue gun, an adult can glue the ends of the pre-cut piece of ribbon directly onto the fused beads that are glued onto the ends of the wire hanger.

 

Step 7:

Let it dry for a few minutes, and just like that, the hanging photo tree is complete!  Just have your child choose pictures to add to the photo tree, and it can be hung!

 

Related post: How to make a DIY farmhouse photo holder using a flat mason jar lid

 

In conclusion

When it comes to DIY gifts, the easier, the better. Especially when children will be doing a majority of the project.  Mind you, I made these with my classroom of twenty four children, so prepping of the hangers beforehand definitely made things go a lot smoother! Like I stated earlier, you can definitely have your child do most of this project, except for cutting the wire hangers with the wire cutter and any part of the project using the hot glue gun.

This was a really fun activity that the kids made, and it’s a great way for children to practice making patterns and promotes fine motor skill development with the stringing of the beads and the practice of placing clothespins.  This is an all around Montessori activity! These were the perfect gift for parents, as they were easy to make and did not take very long to make.

 

I hope your child enjoys making this  craft, and hopefully it will make a memorable photo keepsake gift for years to come!

 

 

 

 

Do you and your child enjoy making DIY handmade gifts? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

 

Anitra J.