For a couple years now, I've tried to make at least one of her Christmas presents. It's fun for me and I like the creativity it sparks in Phee. We've been making things together for years now, and her first instinct when she wants something is to ask if we can make it. So, I keep making things to keep us both on our toes when it comes to being creative, reusing things at the house, and thinking outside the box.
When I was little, my Grandma Helen made me a baby doll carrier out of a fruit basket. She covered it with fabric, lined the basket, and made a little pillow and blanket to fit inside. I loved that basket and it's still at my mom's house for Phee to play with. Two years ago, I made Phee her own little bed for her babies. It's been a hit and it gets used as so many things... baby bed, cave, wall in a fort... the possibilities with Phee's imagination are endless.
This is a great little gift you can make on your own. And you can customize it so many ways. You can either put together a lot of ready-made pieces, or create a lot of pieces yourself. I did half and half. I picked a nice little basket from the Container Store. I used a travel pillow and pillowcase as the mattress. I used white felt and craft stuffing for the pillow. And then I crocheted a tiny blanket to complete the bed.
It's the perfect little bed for almost all of Phee's stuffed animals and babies. Two or three have been known to sleep in there. Phee keeps it on the floor next to her bed. It's really cute and I've always loved that she enjoys this gift so much.
Do you like to DIY gifts for your kids? What sorts of things have you made for them, or for anyone? I love to see the fantastic things that people make.
