Make a "Masterpiece" for Christmas - Homemade Gifts to Give and some Klutz Books

Looking for a unique Christmas gift for mothers, dads, grandparents and others? Why not give them a handmade gift? And now is the perfect time to start making those handmade items. The kids and I enjoy the crafting. Here are a couple of ideas to help get you started.

Salt Dough Gifts - Paw Print Ornaments
One of our favorite projects is Salt Dough gifts. You can make impressions or ornaments. This year we are working on making paw print ornaments of our cat's paws to hang on the tree. Just mix up any old salt dough recipe, grab your pet, press their paw into the dough, let dry and paint. Our ornaments below aren't quite finished; they still need to be painted and we need to add a ribbon to hang them with. What a great way to capture and create pet memories!


For other salt dough Christmas Crafts visit Fashion-era.com


Homemade Wrapping Paper
Why buy wrapping paper when you can personalize your own? Even the littlest ones can participate. Supplies needed: One large roll of plastic coated Freezer Paper, some washable watercolor paints, a bowl of water and some imagination. Paint to your heart's content, let dry and wrap your gift with love!



A Painting "Masterpiece"
SHHHH...don't tell. Daddy moved into a new office this year and the walls are bare. We are planning to make him a painting masterpiece to hang in his office. www.craftplayground.com has directions for a stretched canvas painted artwork kids can make. We haven't bought the supplies yet, but when we get it finished we'll be sure to post a picture. Basically all you need is a pre-stretched, pre-primed canvas, washable paints, brushes, sponges, and some clear acrylic matte finish spray.

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If you're looking for great craft and activity books to give this Christmas, Klutz offers a large variety of options. Better yet, buy the books now, make the Klutz crafts with your kids, and give them as gifts to your family and friends. Here are a couple of interesting books:

Fairies: Petal People You Make Yourself (Ages 8 and up)- Got a child obsessed with fairies? Make your own Fairy dolls with this book!

Create Anything With Clay (Ages 5 and up) - Have fun making and baking clay creations. Comes with eight pieces of clay.


This post is an entry into the Handmade for the Holidays: Be a Klutz and Win! Contest. Are you a blogger? Blog for your chance to win a library of 15 Klutz books ($230 value), a $100 gift certificate to klutz.com or a $50 gift certificate to klutz.com. Visit The Parent Bloggers Network to find out more.