Looking for Creative Gift Ideas

What about some personalized stationary? There are tons of companys that let you pick the little people and names and stuff that are on them so it could show the grandparents and kids and say "From the Grandparents of...". Here's just one link I have found - http://www.personalcreations.com/shop/product.asp?product....

You can always go Walgreens and make photo coffee mugs or photo mouse pads. We have done both of those as gifts and everyone loved it. Also there is a throw that you can have a pic put on....a little more pricy but if its a combined gift it would be ok. Good Luck ..I know its hard to not keep giving the same ole gifts!

Dear L. - I've got the BEST gift ever to share with you. It is GREAT for grandparents and even for a wonderful Father's Day Gift. An actual garden stone engraved with your children's handprints...and even signed by them with their real signature (if old enough to write their names). You can pick a smooth stone/rock or a rough one. You can even have it engraved on a tile, brick or flagstone. The place is called Brick & Stone and it is located off I-635 and Plano Road. My contact there is named Monica and her phone number is:

Monica Valdez
Sales and Design
Brick & Stone Graphics
###-###-####

My Dad just ordered/received a beautiful corinthian type concrete bench and had it engraved with a beautiful poem and dates to give to my Mom for their 50th Anniversary. While there he saw a really neat, smooth stone that was shaped naturally into a heart. So, he had it engraved with a little love note on it and his actual signature...as the card to my Mom. Also, while there Dad got 3 rocks made as pet grave markers for the 3 dogs that had passed away over the years.

Then, after seeing these, I got the idea to make one for my husband with my daughter's handprint and writing on it to be from my daughter for Father's Day. He LOVED it! I also had one made to mark our 10th Wedding Anniversary.

You pick out your stones/rocks/tile/etc. at the place and then they sandblast the engraving into the stone and accent with submarine paint (any color you want - though most text looks best in black). The submarine paint will pretty much last a lifetime. We did all the text in black, but used color for other accents (such as dark green on ivy on the bench, red to accent the hearts on the stones and dark brown for the paw prints).

We thought the costs were very reasonable for the stones and while much higher, we thought the bench was still a great price compared to other places that sell plain benches for much more. The medium sized stones that we chose are $30/each, and that includes the engraving/paint/rock. The large bench (weighs 300 lbs and holds 2-3 people curved) cost $180 including ALL engraving. Delivery charge is extra, but worth it...since it weighs so much and needs to be delivered and positioned at your place.

If you'd like to see an example of the rocks and/or bench...just let me know and I can e-mail it to you. Hope this helps. These are such special and unique gifts for any loved one. Take care -- L.

Even the not so crafty can master a great paper bag album.

I have made a couple and sold them (I customized them to the orders). I'll give you a link to those in my store, but even if you don't want to purchase one from someone else, you can find lots of really great directions on how to make them yourself online.

Or, you can message me, and I will walk you through it.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5025195&section_...

Oh, and for all the pottery painting ideas, we did it too and it was so fun and simple. We went to Pepe le Potter.

http://pepelepotter.com/

I have those kinds of parents also, lol.

We have done t-shirts w/ the kids footprints on the back,and on the front painted "My grandkids walk all over me"

T-shirts w/ the kids hands as wings of angels

Photo clocks -- buy a piece of finished wood at Walmart in the craft section, they also sell a clock kit for about $5. Print out a picture of the kids, put clear contact paper over it to cover it, then attach the clock kit - we've made a ton of these for assorted grandparents, aunts, uncles, lol

We made a memory jar w/ little hearts that the kids wrote their favorite grandma/grandpa memories in

photo collages (of course)

The kids made and painted a birdhouse for their grandparents

We also made a plaque that the kids helped router out the letters that say "Welcome to Paw-Paw and Gram's" for the front of their house

My dad is Catholic so we got a cross for the front entryway of his home and had it blessed

At jewelry stores (and now wal-mart) you can bring them a picture and they kind of engrave it onto a locket, keychain, etc -- you'll have to go see what I"m talking about b/c it is really neat!

We bought a "Grandma" locket for Gram one year and put the kids pictures in it

We've also given them a "date night" one time -- a basket w/ a blockbuster gift card, microwave popcorn, candy and sodas. And a "grand-kid night" w/ a family DVD and all the other things.

This year we're doing something a little "same old same old" w/ a new twist. We're going to take pictures of the kids in a pose (like on a skateboard, jumping, etc) -- print them out, cut them so it's just the kid in the picture and cover them w/ contact paper (or laminate them) -- then we're going to glue them to wood blocks that are cut in the shape of the child and made a stand -- almost like "paper dolls" or "wooden dolls" -- but since they're all in a shape it's cuter and they can "arrange" them. My parents are as quirky as we are and we thought they'd get a kick out of those.

--S.

Hi L.,
If both sets of parents like games, you can purchase and customize the game of monopoly. I think its called "Make Your Own Opoly" game. You can customize everything to fit into your parents lives, including your kiddos. Since it is so early in the year, you have plenty of time to make it just perfect! At Joannes.com it is on sale foe 18.99 right now. Blessings!

For Christmas last year I sent homemade cookies to both my mother and my mother in law. They both live out of state. I had the kids help me mix, decorate, etc. Both moms were thrilled, and were happy to have them for their Christmas get-togethers. I used to agonize every year over what to buy for someone who had everything, but I learned that something made with love was much more appreciated than any gift I could have purchased.

L.,
I have to plug my business because I truly believe it is the best gift you could give someone, especially someone who has everything. I create photo/video montages on DVD. You can see samples of my work and get all the info at www.unforgettableslideshows.com. And for anyone going to Everything Babyfest 2007, you will find me there!
-A.

Hi L.!! They have "talking" pillows and frames. You put the kids' picture in front and then they can record a message. Not only can they change the picture each year, but they have the message from when they were little. My Grandmother still has one of my 10 yr old when she was 2.

Good luck!!

T.

One year for each grandparents they each got a plate from my kids with their handprints/footprints on it. Than I let my older two paint the plate how ever they wanted to around the edge. The grandmothers really liked them.
www.colormemine.com

Hello,

For Father's Day we went to Hobby Lobby and bought 2 stepping stone kits for each Grandfather...they are $11, but on sale a lot. It is the mold and concrete. You mix the concrete, pour it into the mold, and wait about 30 minutes to put their hands/feet in. I also bought little wooden letters at WalMart to write "Poppy's Boys" "Papa's Boys" and the date. I figured the letters do a MUCH better impression than my writing. After the concrete dried, I removed the letters. On my dad's I spray painted it an earth tone and then painted the hands and letters a beige color...my kids helped paint the hands. The other one was very obnoxious.. my son wanted to paint it Green and Yellow.. ha. There are a lot of pictures on the front of the box for ideas.. on how to add stones, glass rocks, etc.

I am not sure where you live, but here in Mckinney there is a place called the Art House that has walk in classes for $15 where the kids can make pottery/picture frame, etc. My son's did a handprint nameplate each.. and they turned out EXTREMELY cute.. the only thing the kids really do on those handprints is imprint the hands... then the adults do the letters, etc. Then you pick out 2 paints for the background and letters and the staff paints them glazes them. They look really professional in the end. Another place called Walls of Clay in Mckinney has walk-in classes where the kids pick out a picture frame, etc. and paint them.. then the staff glazes them.

Good Luck!

We did the kids handprints on pillow cases last year. This can also be done on tshirts. Some fabric to hang on the wall. etc.

For my mother-in-law's birthday we're doing a 'we love nana' scrapbook style in a frame picture. The kids have each done a letter in love and nana, the WE's being done by all four of them creating the letters on the floor (crooked letters!) We'll see how that turns out - I am behind on it, her birthday was this past week ;)

We did picture frames made out of the fun foam for Fathers day. Letters to write messages, the kids chose race car stickers, and I printed a photo of them (in some of dads clothes - 1 item each) and put it in one of those peel and stick laminate sheets.

For Mday we used those peel and stick laminate sheets too, printed photos on one corner of the cardstock and they traced their hand (or I did for the little ones) and decorated them with flowers at the fingertips.

Thats all I got right now, but I am going to read through the other ideas, because i'll need them!

My husbands parents are huge coffee drinkers, So we made coffee mugs. At the time my older girls did all the coloring/designs while we made sure to put the little guys handprints on it. We always make sure to date them.
They loved it,they use them all the time even if they are having water. Nana is always bringing it out to show her friends what the babies made her.

Good Luck! I'll be very interested to see what other responses are given.

Hi L.,
I know you said the calendar idea was out, but have you thought of creating a book for them? Creative Memories has something called a storybook. It is a hard-bound book that you can put your children's pictures in, journaling about the pictures, it is very cool. If you would like more info. let me know!
~J.

Hi there....I am not what we like to call "crafty" but I am one of those over sensitive people that always makes sure a gift is meaningful. It's a sickness I have, but hey the receiving people love it!!! I have started making photo albums for gifts, now this is not your stay up all night; prepare for a month; scrapbooking project (although those are great). I put together a photo album where there's a different page for different people in the family or a page of different events. It's been great to see the people's faces that have gotten them. For instance I made one for my boyfriend from when we met to when we bought our 1st home together to events to date. He absolutely LOVED it. Also made one for my daughter's 16th B-day from when she was born to date and left empty pages for her to add to. (I always leave empty pages for the receiver to keep adding to). Hope this idea comes in handy. Happy gift giving!!!!

Try www.sharemykidsart.com. We got the grandparents a calendar and they loved it!

Try Shutterfly.com. They have tons of easy but meaningful gifts that you can create by uploading photos. Last year we made calendars for everyone, but the year before, we created a special photo album for each grandparent that chronicled the kids' previous year and we included the date and a caption for each photo. They were very sweet.

Last Christmas I took my son to Feat of Clay to do an individualized plate (one for grilling for the grandfathers and one for cookies for the grandmothers) and I took pictures of him while he made it and then gave them the plates and the little photo album to go with it. They do all of the baking of the plate so that it is dishwasher safe and safe to use in the oven. The plates turned out amazing and are so darling. You can use any phrase or colors or theme that you want to. We used his hands and his feet and made elfs, reindeer, snowmen, etc and it turned out so cute and it's something no one else can give because it has your son/daughters footprints and handprints on them and they made it themselves. I had the ladies actually do all of the painting so it would look a little nicer but my son got to do the prints. I know that they have cute stuff for siblings to put on there also. It wasn't that expensive either. The grandparents loved it all have them on display in their house. My husband loved his too (we did a grilling plate) but he actually uses it to put the meat on when grilling and it has worked wonderful without any paint chipping or anything like that. Just an idea!! Good luck with it.

We went to a Paint Yer Pottery in No. Dallas last year and made a really cute Christmas Plate. You can use the kids feet to create a reindeer, or their hands to create a turkey...lots of ideas. Another idea is if the grandparents love wine you can buy them a case of wine with the kids photo one it and put GrandMa and Grandpa's time out or some other saying. You can customize the label however you like. You can order the wine at www.grapetasteathome.com.

We gave my parents those picture frames that record a message. I put a picture of my son in it and then we tickled him and recorded the laughter in the frame...so they can listen to him laugh whenever they want. They loved it! And the frames are really cheap. :)

You can have a quilt made with your childrens art work on it. They have this paper that you can copy the artwork on and then iron it on the fabric. My friends husbad got a quilt for his birthday with all these pictures on it that his 8 year old had colored about him and it was the most precious thing you had ever seen.