DIY Boy Gifts

Each year for Christmas, I really enjoy making a few presents for our nieces and nephews. And lately, I've been on a roll with the boy gifts.

I already mentioned the wooden train that I painted for Jackson in this post.

Last year I made these boy banners out of felt and various fabrics.

This year made a little mobile for our baby nephew Asher to hang over his crib. I used scrapbooking paper to cut out a ton of little circles (I cut them by hand, but I would recommend investing in a two-inch hole punch).

I used four circles for each piece, and glued them together by folding each circle in half. I made sure to secure the string in the middle of each piece. The string is then attached to two difference size sewing hoops. I added a ribbon with Asher's name on it in scrapbooking letters to give it a personal touch.

I also made this little monster jacket for Jackson. I simply purchased a red hooded sweatshirt and some lime green felt and lime green fuzzy fabric. I made the horns out of felt by rolling up a triangle of felt (which I glued to secure) and then stitched them on the hood.

I lined the hood with the fuzzy fabric, using both glue and stitching to hold it securely in place. The glue tries hard, so I don't recommend using much, but there were a few rough edges that needed glue to keep the fabric from fraying.

This little monster seems pretty pleased with his gift.

I also made a shadow puppet theater for our niece Hadley, although I forgot to photograph it. I cut out black silhouettes and glued them to sticks, included a slideshow projector flashlight and a book to write down stories. I've been told she's been having a lot of fun making up stories and projecting all the fun images onto the walls.

I gotta say, it's pretty satisfying to get to see your niece or nephew enjoying a present you made for them with your own two hands. And a lot of handmade things can be kept around as keepsake items long after they're intended use, which is pretty neat too. If you've got the time and a little DIY talent, I highly recommend giving handmade gifts a try.