Today I have a round up of fun and cute gifts that kids can make! Instead of running to the store, let them try homemade gifts this year. Perfect for grandparents, friends, or parents!

Your kids will feel proud at making a present with their hands and the recipients will love the sentimentality and thoughtfulness.

I love that that list of gifts kids can make includes ideas perfect for littles and others would be great for preteens to create.

There are ideas that would not only work at Christmas time but also for birthdays and other occasions through the year.

Simple Pom Pom Rug from Holly at Simplify Create Inspire

Wouldn’t this be a fun additions to a bedroom made in a child’s favorite colors? Perfect for a preteen or teen to make for a sibling or friend!

Oatmeal Lavender Bath Teas from Deanna at From this Kitchen Table

Perfect for mom, grandma, sisters, or friends! These are easy to make and will make a bath even more relaxing.

Shower Jellies from Deanna at From this Kitchen Table

My kids love to use these and they are easy to make. Just be sure to keep them refrigerated (or in a cool spot) so they don’t melt.

Bookmark from April at Love Our Real Life

These would be perfect for anyone that loves books! Such a cute (plus easy and inexpensive) idea.

Yarn Pom Pom Snowball Fight Kit from Nikki at Tikkido

So much fun! This is the perfect sibling or friend gift for a child to make.

Popsicle Stick Picture Frame from Sonja and Jane at Sustain My Craft Habit

Awww. Wouldn’t a grandparent love a homemade picture frame with a picture of the child attached? Put a magnet on the back so it can be hung on the refrigerator.

Painted Wood Bead Necklace from Sonja and Jane at Sustain My Craft Habit

This is a perfect one for the preteens and teens to make. Love the two tones on the beads.

Upcycled Maps Coasters from Jane and Sonja at The Boondocks Blog

Creative gift for kids to make to give to the travel lovers! It would be fun to use a map from their recent trips.

Peppermint Sugar Scrub from April at April Golightly

Easy enough for littles to make but also perfect for those older kids as well.

Gingerbread Body Scrub from Jenny at Gingerbread House Blog

Love gingerbread! Another easy Christmas time gift idea.

Salt Dough Ornaments from Katie at Good Life Eats

Love all the suggestions she gives on these! Who knew salt dough ornaments could be so elegant. It’s also the perfect way to get a second use out of the rubber stamps in our craft closet.

Seedling Pots and Garden Stone Markers from Jessica at The Forked Spoon

Kids would love making these! Such a fun idea for someone into gardening.

Painted Rainbow Flower Pots from Amy at DIY Candy

So cute! Especially if you gift it with a flower or herb already in the pot.

Thumbprint Christmas Ornaments from Sarah at The Farmer Wife Crafts

These clay ornaments are adorable! Perfect easy little gift you could even have the babies “make”.

Kids’ Art Coasters from Amy at Mod Podge Rocks

Love the wood slices and painting on these!

Thumbprint Christmas Ornament from The Moody Blonde

This would be a fun keepsake to make when your kids are little.

Scented Bath Salts from Lyne at Ottawwa Mommy Club

Another perfect gift for kids to make! Great for a friends’ gift or to give to adults.

Single Layer No Sew Fleece Blanket from MaryAnne at Mama Smiles

What adult or child wouldn’t want a new blanket? Little kids might need help with the cutting, but then they can do the folding through themselves.

Beginner Hand Sewing Projects for Kids from MaryAnne at Mama Smiles

Fun ideas for a child to gift to another child!

No Sew Gift Bags from Andrea at Savings Lifestyle

Not only can they make their own gift, they can also put it in a homemade, reusable gift bag!

No Tie Fleece Blanket with Fringe from Karen at Decor Hint

This is another cute blanket option! Lots of cutting, so perfect for the older kids to make.

Melted Crayon Ornaments from Kim at Two Kids and a Coupon

The kids would love making these and you could use up broken crayon pieces!

Simmering Potpourri Jar from Kari Lyn at She Saved

Another one simple enough for the young kids to make but also perfect for the older ones. I think this would be a great last minute gift idea.

Candy Santa Sleigh from Kari Lyn at She Saved

All three of my kids would love making this and receiving this. This would be a fun friend gift.

Rudolph Candle from Jamie at Totally the Bomb

Jazz up a purchased (or even homemade) candle.

Ice Cream Stick Photo Frame (with Washi Tape) from Amy at Mod Podge Rocks

Washi Tape is popular with preteens! They could get so creative with this one. Love that Amy mentions gluing a stand on the back of the frame.

Snowman Decoration from Heather and Lisa at Made in a Pinch

A cute little craft that could be used as an ornament or wall hanging. Lots of cutting, so the littles will need quite a bit of help or put the older kids on this one.

Clay Covered Pens from Amy at DIY Candy

What a cool looking pen! Practical gift and easy to make.

Snowman Ornaments from Angie at Country Chic Cottage

Awww, aren’t these wooden bead snowmen so cute!

See, aren’t they such cute ideas? What are your favorite ideas for gifts kids can make? Any creative ones I should have my 3 put together this year?

This Saran wrap ball game is a blast! It’s the perfect thing to add to your list for this holiday season.

Christmas shopping can get (more) difficult as our families grow and siblings get married and have kids. Do you buy for everyone, draw names, just do the kids, or skip gifts all together?

For many families, buying presents is something that just has to be done. It can be hard to buy for adults who simply purchase what they need or have specific tastes that make them difficult to shop for.

This Saran wrap Christmas game is such a fun alternative!

Perfect for adults and teens.

You could even have a separate Saran wrap ball game going for the kids. I would not recommend combining the kids and adults – things get a little too competitive and it’s easier to shop if you do the balls separately.

This post uses affiliate links. See our disclosure page for more info.

Saran Wrap Ball Game

Supplies:

• Plastic wrap
• Prizes
• 2 dice
• Paper box lid

That’s it.

There is some controversy with this game because of the waste of the plastic wrap, but it was is much fun and let’s be honest we don’t even do this once a year so I’m okay with the wastefulness.

Recycle during the year and reuse things, but I’m of the opinion if you want to toss rolls of plastic wrap once every couple of years – don’t stress about it!

What to Put Inside the Saran Wrap Ball

First off, set a budget (ours was $15-$20 per person) and have everyone purchase assorted gifts and a roll of plastic wrap. Any brand of plastic wrap works – you can get the cheap stuff..

When it comes to gifts, be creative! You can do anything.

One tip is to try to stay gender neutral. Unless of course you are at an event of only ladies.

Also, have “prizes” from all price points – even $1. The more little gifts throughout the Saran wrap ball, the more fun there is.

Gift Ideas:

This is what we ended up with:

• candy (full bags and individual kisses and peanut butter cups throughout)
• fun socks
• gum
• mints
• Paper Mate felt pens (the package opened and pens wrapped individually)
• mini notebooks
• gift cards (we had $5 ones and then at least one $10 one – this was our “grand” prize)
• snacks
• Cliff Bars
• Larabars
• beef jerky
• batteries
• lip balms
• Oregon Trail card game (or any other small games)
• dollar bills
• coins
• Bananagrams
• coozies
• small boxes of Christmas lights
• other assorted items

You can see from looking at this list why having all adults or all kids playing makes shopping a little simpler. It’s also more fun to play the plastic wrap ball game if you get things that are age and gender appropriate.

Wrapping the Saran Wrap Ball

Have all the gifts and plastic wrap delivered to one person so the ball can be made before the event starts. Or have a group of people come early and wrap before the party.

Wrapping this giant plastic wrap ball is an event in and of itself. Make sure you have at least a couple of people there to help with the prep.  It’s also a lot of fun. (One of my sister’s had their phone disappear – someone wrapped it up in the ball, purposefully.)

The Saran Wrap:

You have two options when it comes to wrapping. One is definitely more difficult.

You can either wrap each roll as one continuous piece (the easier method) or cut the plastic wrap and restart at varying intervals. Do some ridiculously short, some crazy long, and others in between. This method is more frustrating (in the fun, competitive way) and will make the game last longer.

We did our game using the second method!

If you are doing the Saran wrap Christmas game for your young kiddos, I’d suggest doing each roll as one continuous piece.

For adults and teens, I recommend mixing it up and going hard.

Our game, with 8 adults, lasted over 27 minutes and every second flew by!

Adding the Gifts:

Start with wrapping your “big” prize (because this will end up the center of the ball). Our grand prize was a gift card. This little gift card was wrapped in several pieces of plastic wrap.

As you start working your way out on the ball, simple add in gifts periodically. We tried to have the more expensive gifts on the inside and the less expensive gifts end up on the outside. You will also need to take into account how certain things will wrap. The pens in our ball needed to be wrapped once the ball was larger because of their length and inflexibility. Bananagrams, though large, worked to wrap toward the center because of its flexibility.

We wrapped whole bags of candy and also opened up a package of Hershey Kisses and peanut butter cups and had those sprinkled through out the ball.

For another fun game, see this post: Christmas Sock Exchange

Playing The Saran Wrap Ball Game

1. Have everyone sit on the floor in a circle. Keep a little space between each person but make sure to still be within arms reach.
2. Decide who is going to start. (Youngest player might be a good option or else roll a die and highest number starts.)
3. Give the starting player the Saran wrap ball and the next person the dice. When we played the game, we found it easiest to use a paper box lid to roll the two dice in. It kept the dice from rolling around the room and made it simpler for the next person to just grab the box when it was their turn.
4. Player with the ball finds the end piece of Saran wrap and starts unwrapping while the next person is rolling the dice. As soon as they roll doubles (of any number), they shout “doubles” and grab the Saran wrap ball and the next person grabs the box with the dice and the game continues.
5. Any prizes you unroll are yours.
6. You must keep the plastic wrap ball in front of you. No rolling it across the room.
7. Important Rule: NO tearing the Saran wrap. You HAVE to find the end of the strip. This is where it gets harder when you use shorter pieces of plastic wrap. Sometimes finding the end is super difficult! It’s all a part of the game. (You might find, as we did, that one person in the group excels at this skill.)

That’s it! You keep playing, laughing, screaming, and grabbing until the ball is completely unrolled and the last prize is captured.

My daughter was almost 6 when we played, and is begging to do it again! Last time she played the little kid mini ball version, this time she wants to play the competitive game with the adults.

Give this plastic wrap ball game a try at your family Christmas or even a Christmas party. It will be a fun memory for sure!

Originally published November 15, 2018. Updated November 6, 2020.

The holidays are around the corner and that means parties and party games. I’m sure you’ve done Dirty Santa and Ornament Exchanges before, but this year I have a different fun gift game for you to use! It’s a Christmas Sock Exchange!

This is a fun, simple game that everyone will love. This would be great for to do with a group of kids (your kids’ friends or maybe the nieces and nephews), teens, or all adults!

A Christmas Sock Exchange would also be a perfect idea for your friends, Bible study group, or female co-workers to all do together.

What makes this a great idea is that socks are fun, everyone wears them, and there are so many cute options available!

Now, there are so many ways you can go about this easy Christmas party game so we’ll go over your options and how exactly this works below!

If you are looking for another Christmas gift game, you have to check out this post about the Saran Wrap Ball Game! We did this with my siblings and siblings-in-law and it was SO much fun.

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Christmas Sock Exchange: Planning, Gift Ideas, Rules

How to Plan a Christmas Sock Exchange:

Will you exchange just pairs of socks or are you going to exchange stocks stuffed with goodies?

This is the first decision you have to make! Stuffed socks are more fun, for obvious reasons but yes, they are a little more work and cost more. You know your friends and family, pick what will work best for them and your type of event.

Set a budget.

After you have the sock dilemma decided, this is your next step. Having a budget helps make things not awkward (ever been to a gift exchange when someone brought a $50 ornament and left with a $1 one, let’s try and avoid that) and helps your attendees know what to expect before they RSVP.

Do you want the socks wrapped?

You can have people bring the socks in a small gift bag or you can have them brought unwrapped but tied together (people still won’t know what is inside).

Invite your friends or family!

When you invite your friends to your sock exchange event be sure they know:

• if you will be filling the socks with small gifts or just bringing socks to exchange
• what the budget is
• whether to bring socks in a bag or simply tied together

What to Place in the Socks:

• Candy
• Snacks
• Pens
• Lip balm
• Gift card
• Mug
• Soap
• Socks (a bonus pair!)
• Small Book
• Notebook
• Jewelry
• Anything small

If you are doing this for kids, in addition to some of the above ideas consider things like: stickers, craft, art supplies, toy, matchbox car, Play-Doh, or any small kid friendly item!

How to Do the Christmas Sock Exchange

Alright, once again you have numerous options here. Let’s go over them.

No matter what method you choose, you will want to have everyone draw a number to determine who will select their sock first.

Option 1: This option works better if all of the socks are in bags so you can’t actually see what you are selecting.

Starting with number 1 until the last number each person will select a sock/bag and that is theirs. When the last person selects, the game is over. Then everyone can open up their socks (if stuffed) and admire all the goodies. Of course, you could also put on your new socks on wear them the rest of the evening.

Option 2: The traditional White Elephant/Dirty Santa style game! This will work with wrapped socks or ones that are simply tied together.

If your socks are unwrapped and stuffed, make sure players only look at the socks – no touching allowed when selecting on your turn.

Begin with the person who drew #1. They will select a pair of socks. (If they are in a bag remove socks from bag after selecting.)

Continue the selection process in numerical order. The twist being, they can either steal socks (and the goodies it contains) from one of the earlier number or select a new pair. If a person has their socks stolen from them, they may either select a new pair or steal from another person (but not the pair just taken from them).

A pair of socks will be frozen (not able to be stolen anymore) after its second or third steal. Choose which option your prefer before you begin the game and make sure everyone knows, because this a a rule that varies.

Ending the game: You can end the game after the last person has selected or you can give person #1 the option of swapping socks with any unfrozen pair!

One more thing to consider. On this second option, if the socks are stuffed, you will need to decide before you start the game if each person will unpack their socks and display the items after selecting or if the contents of the socks will remain a surprise until the game is over.

Of course it’s fun to know what’s inside of the socks as you make your decisions, so I recommend that option, but it is harder to move things around as they get stolen.

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So, what do you think? Have you done the sock exchange game before? What rules do you use? Any great sock stuffer ideas?

You could also use this game anytime of year! Any sort of party or get together with your girl friend or a group birthday celebration. It will be something a little different but super fun to do.

Do you have any teenage boys in your house? If so, this post of ideas for stocking stuffers for teen boys is going to make life much easier this Christmas season!

There are teen boy stocking stuffers that will work for everyone on the list. Over 65 ideas and a few bonus categories to get you thinking outside of the box.

I’m going to include the same disclaimer here that I have on the teen girl stocking stuffer ideas post.

You aren’t a bad parent if you skip stockings. Or if you keep them simple.

Don’t let all the posts you come across make you feel like you aren’t doing enough. Know your budget and find what works for you and your family. There’s nothing wrong with that. You can make stockings be only food items. You could stick to a theme (give items you need for an upcoming family vacation). You could just do 4 items: a snack, a small game, something they need, and something fun.

It’s your house, you get to call the shots! So use these ideas of stocking stuffers for teenage boys to inspire you, not to make you feel guilty.

Other Gift Guide Posts to Check Out:
Stocking Stuffers for Teen Girls
Best Gifts for a 2 Year Old
Best Gifts for Preschoolers
Best Gifts for Preschool Boys
Gifts for Kids Under $10
Gift Ideas for Teen Girls
Gift Ideas for Teen Boys
Cheap Gift Ideas for Men
Under $10 Gift Ideas for Women
Homemade Gift Basket Ideas

Affiliate links are used in these posts. See disclosure page for me details.

The Best Stocking Stuffers for Teen Boys

Food
Food always warrants its own section. Yep, it’s that important and I think every person would agree that food is always a hit. Especially when it comes to the perfect stocking stuffers for teenage boys!

You could also shop sales and hopefully fill up the stocking without breaking your budget.

One other reason food is a great option is that it won’t increase clutter in your house!

Here are some suggestions:

Candy
Chocolate
Snacks
Nuts
Trail Mix
Larabars
RX Bars
Protein Bars
Beef Jerky/Beef Sticks
Gum
Dot’s Pretzels (Check your local grocery or hardware store for these!)
Bottled Coffee Drinks
Ground Coffee
Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans

Interests
What interests does your teen boy have? Use that information to help you find small things to put into his stocking. Once you get thinking, the options are endless. Maybe he enjoys:

Sports
Working Out
Drawing
Cars
Music

Buy a few items based off of these hobbies!

Things He Needs
As our kids head into the teen years they are getting close to having a college dorm room or even apartment of their own. Stockings are a great way to start giving them those little things that they will need.

Screwdrivers
Mini Screwdriver set
Allen Wrench Set
Hammer
Measuring Tape
Plyers (Maybe vice grip and needle nosed)
Small Kitchen Items (Kitchen knife, measuring cups, mixing bowls, small whisk etc)

Everything Else
Here’s the list you can grab from as you fill in the rest the stocking stuffers for teen boys! We know each teen is so different, but you will be sure to find at least a few things on this list your son will appreciate.

Graphic T-Shirt
Socks
Beanie
Ball Cap
Gloves
Paracord Bracelet (Could be just a bracelet or a survival tool)
Lanyard
Headphones
USB Cable
Wireless Speaker
Phone Stand (So many options!)
Flash Drive
Compass
Pocket Knife
Survival Tool for wallet
Hand Warmers (Disposable ones or reusable)
Multiuse Pen
Life Straw
Batteries (Because everyone could use more of these!)
Car Detailing Supplies
Essential Oil Air Freshener (Maybe a mini diffuser or something like this car diffuser)
Drawstring Bag
Water Bottle (Insulated stainless steel bottles are my favorite!)
Front Pocket Wallet
Sunglasses
Toiletries
Flashlight
Headlamp
Keychain
Quick Dry Sports Towel
Pens
Sharpies
Duct Tape
Gift Cards
Mini Models (There are wooden ones and metal ones. Check out all of these options from Metal Earth!)
Small Games: Cinco Linko, Yatzee, Farkle, Rubix Cube, Cards, Rook, Geobrix
Fidget Game

Here are 74+ ideas of creative stocking stuffer ideas! What are your favorite stocking stuffers for teen boys? Share in the comments!

Christmas is coming and that means presents. Today’s post is on stocking stuffers for teen girls!

Digging into their stuffed stockings is one of the things my kids look forward to the most on Christmas morning and I know I always loved seeing what little things my mom found to put in mine growing up.

Sometimes, it is hard to know what exactly to put into those (sometimes large) stockings. This list will help you decide on fun stocking stuffers for the teen girls in your life.

Be sure to check back for more new gift guide posts coming this year
and see the many we already have right here:
Best Gifts for a 2 Year Old
Best Gifts for Preschoolers
Best Gifts for Preschool Boys
Gifts for Kids Under $10
Gift Ideas for Teen Girls
Gift Ideas for Teen Boys
Cheap Gift Ideas for Men
Under $10 Gift Ideas for Women
Homemade Gift Basket Ideas

Disclaimer:
This probably isn’t “kosher” as far as blogging goes, but I’m all about sticking to a budget and finding what works for your family. My kids love digging into their stockings, but guess what?

You don’t have to do Christmas stockings at all if you don’t want to – let me take that pressure off of you right now.

You can also greatly simplify your stocking shopping. Just like families often come up with a theme for their gift giving (something to wear, something to read, something they need, something for fun – is just one example) you could do the same thing with your stockings.

Maybe each year include: a snack, a craft, a book, and an ornament. Or maybe just do all food items. Obviously you can change those however you want, but you get the picture!

Make stockings work for you and your family and your budget. Don’t let any bloggers on the internet, including me, make you feel guilty!

Affiliate links are used in these posts. See the disclosure page for more information.

Stocking Stuffers for Teen Girls

Food
Edibles are always a fun idea for stocking stuffers for teen girls, or anyone really. Think of their favorite candy or snacks. Or maybe some new treats that you think they’d like (seasonal items at Trader Joes would be a fun idea).

• Chocolate
• Candy bars
• Non chocolate candy (jelly beans, gummies etc)
• Trail mix
• Nuts
• Mints or gum
• Beef jerky
• Larabars (or similar things)
• Favorite snack foods
• Dried fruit

Beverages
Most people have a preferred beverage. I’m a huge water drinker, but I’m also a big fan of herbal and other non caffeinated teas in the colder months. Add some favorite drinks (or new ones your teen girls wouldn’t splurge on to try on their own) to the stocking.

• Teabags (I love Yogi, Stash, Trader Joe’s and more)
• Coffee
• Gourmet hot chocolate
• A bottle of a fun drink

Interests 
What is your teen daughter interested in? Most hobbies costs money and use supplies. Her Christmas stocking is a great way to restock her stash of any small items she might need.

• Craft Supplies (Sewing things, yarn, needles, etc)
• Art Supplies (pencils, sketchbooks, charcoals, paints etc)
• Fitness Gear
• Baking Items (This could be specialty ingredients or equipment)
• Photography Items
• Outdoor Gear

Home Items
As your teenage girl gets close to moving to her own apartment or college dorm, start giving her those little items she will need to start her own home.

Again, it gets expensive to have to buy all the things at once, so she will appreciate having this head start. In the meantime, they can be put in a small storage container under her bed to use as she wants (and I’m sure she will find many occasions to use them while still at home).

Things like:

• Measuring tape
• Hammer
• Screwdrivers
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons
• Kitchen knives
• Mini spatula
• Duct tape
• Sewing kit
• Flashlights
• Batteries

The list is endless, but think of small things that will be easy to store until she moves out and they can be put away in her new home.

Accessories/Clothes/Everything Else
Here comes all the other ideas for stocking stuffers for teen girls! There’s quite the assortment, so you are sure to find something your daughter will love.

As you go through these items, Target, Etsy, Hobby Lobby, and local boutiques would all be great places to shop besides Amazon!

• Hair scrunches (Great example of Target and Etsy being great places to find these)
• Hair coils
• Scarves
• Headbands
• Earrings (Again, check out Target and Etsy shops)
• Necklace (Same 😉 )
• Ball cap
• Winter hat
• Winter gloves
• Socks (Fuzzy socks, wool socks, fun socks)
• Shirt (maybe a fun graphic t-shirt you know she’d love)
• Nail polish
• Make up
• Make up brushes
• Lip balm (Maybe Burt’s Bees or look on Etsy and support a small company.)
• Key chain
• Gloves
• Headphones
• Sunglasses
• Gift Cards
• Pens and Pencils (Papermate Flair are fun or else maybe some gel pens)
• Sharpies (Regular and fine point would be great)
• Notebook
• Notepad or Sticky Notes
• Journal
• Mug
• Water bottle (All my kids like their Hydrocells)
• Candles
• Essential Oils (Plant Therapy is my favorite!)
• Bath bombs
• Lotion
• Hair Products
• Silk pillowcase
• Microfiber hair towel
• Book (There are so many good books out there – it can be a classic novel, a book you know she loves, a new release)
• CD (or digital download)
• DVD
• Small game (Farkle, Set, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza)
• Small succulent (placed carefully on top)
• Phone cord
• Phone case
• Mini portable speaker
• Christmas ornament

The possibilities are endless! You might just have to think outside of the box a little.

But right here in this post are 85 ideas for stocking stuffers for teen girls to help you out as your buy for your daughters.

Just remember to set a budget and make a plan before you head out shopping (or start browsing the internet).

Did you do stockings when you were a kid?

What are you favorite stocking stuffers for teen girls that I should add to this list?