Gift for a Horse Lovin Little Girl

The other evening Kalla had a birthday party to go to.  So this past week on spring break we brainstormed what to make this little girl. K informed me that this little girl LOVED horses.  So here is what we came up with:

A horse tote, based on this tutorial.  Instead of letting K draw a tote, I already had this gorgeous horse fabric that I thought we'd use.  Added a small yellow felt flower and pink button details on the side where the strap is sew on.  One note if you use fabric with a directional print you will need to cut your front and back separately instead of one big piece you fold like in original tutorial.

Then I got a bag of colorful beads and a pink pony charm and let K string this bracelet on stretchy bracelet elastic to make her this bracelet much like she did for her doll.  To make it look nice I explained to her to make a pattern and repeat it once placing the horse in the middle.  All I had to do was tie the knot.

And this sparkly cardboard horse art.  When I saw these horses last year by Ann Wood on Design Sponge, I filed that idea away in my brain to do one day.  We actually plan to add a horn and make sparkly unicorns as the craft at Kalla's unicorn and rainbows party this summer.  So we used the tutorial's template and instead of painting, I brushed mod podge on the pieces and Kalla glittered away!  One note, if you use glitter (especially MS very very fine glitter) once it is dry, spray the pieces with clear acrylic to keep the glitter from coming off and making messes ALL over!  So once you spray the pieces and let it dry, follow instructions on tutorial for adding the buttons and wire hanger.  Cool thing is the legs move and can be positioned anyway you like.  According to feedback Kalla got from the little girl at school the next day, this was her fav part of the gift (though she told K she liked it all).

Then I had Kalla make a picture for the card on a rectangle piece of white card stock (my photo is washed out, but it's a pink horse with wings and giant eyelashes--LOVE how she adds eyelashes to all her animal drawings--beside a table with a giant layered cake).  Then I taped it to a printed piece of scrap book paper and used some craft punches to add the "To" and "From".  Bracelet was put in a simple small tin container (I got them in bulk at Oriental Trading).

The benefits of making birthday gifts is many.  First, it is the time that Kalla and I get to spend together crafting, both of our fav activities.  Another is teaching her thinking of others.  Not that you can't do that by shopping together to find a special gift at the store!  ;)  But it just seems emphasized when we talk over all the details and ideas of what her friends would like.  Then sitting making it.  It is so nice to be able to enjoy time spent crafting (cause that's the best part after all!), then the joy of giving it away.

DIY Gifts your kids can make

I rounded up some of my favorite projects we've done over the years that kids can do with a little help.

I love to have my kids help make their teacher gifts and they proudly tell their teachers of their part.

And sometimes my kids want to give their friends a gift.  I don't mind, but we do homemade gifts in those cases.

FOR TEACHERS

Handmade soap

Mod podge pencil can and hand sanitizer

Gourmet candy apples and marble magnets

Peppermint sugar scrub

Stamped dish towels

Stamped sticky note cubes and notepad covers

FOR FRIENDS

Glitter horse art

Personalized tin lunch boxes--fill with art supplies or small toys

Fridge magnets

Beaded bracelets

Art pillows

 I was thinking this idea could be turned into a cute 'Best Friends' shirt or something else cute and tween girlie.

Glitter playdough.

Simple stamped kids apron.

Mod podged blocks.

Mod Podged mini notebooks

Backpack buddy.

Jingle bracelet.

Decorated wooden frame.

Fairy wand.

Young sewers can tackle a pencil case with help.

Or a tote.

Art can be added with fabric markers or use a cute printed fabric.

FOR THE GRANDPARENTS

Blank books can be filled with kid art.

Hand painted plates.

Could be cute Christmas dessert plates.

Maressa made an adorable ornament to give to her very best friend this afternoon.

Will share on Monday.  :)