The holiday season is almost here! Will you and your students be crafting any special projects or gifts to bring home to families? If you’re looking for inspiration, we love these 10 DIY holiday gift ideas from School Specialty!
Spiral Bookmaking Cover Design
A decorated journal or sketchbook is a beautiful and thoughtful gift for any member of your students’ families. The DIY process for the covers involves collage using recyclable materials. Plus: Invite students to write a letter to their chosen family member inside the journal cover.
Using both stamping and sprigging techniques, invite students to make square boxes from textured pottery. They’re a perfect place for storing lost teeth, special toys and other mementos.
Pottery featuring vivid colors over a gloss-white base has a long global tradition, from China’s Ming Dynasty to Islamic potters to Spanish and Italian artisans. Combine a history lesson with a stunning piece of pottery for students to gift a family member with pride.
Chihuly-Inspired Nested Bowls and Marbles
Inspired by traditional Venetian craftsmen, the American artist Dale Chihuly has redefined glasswork. Invite students to create their own colorful nested bowls and marbles in the style of the master to give as gifts.
Students can use the ancient art of illuminated letter design to create a family heirloom. After this study in pattern drawing and meditative art is complete, students can frame it for a memorable gift.
After designing their own paper fabric, students will embellish, embroider and piece together a stunning quilt to display at home.
These gorgeous abstract acrylics on canvas will wow parents, and students will love learning how to layer acrylics and other media.
Enlarging Famous Artwork Into a Banner
Teach students how to reproduce a famous artwork using the Grid Method, then gift family members the supersized versions of students’ chosen masterpieces.
Owl Textured Teapots
Have students create a functional teapot gift, personalizing it with the form of an owl (or other motif) to add interest. Applied art and fine art beautifully collide in this ceramic project.
Seed-Paper Sunflowers
The recipient of these sunflower sculptures will have to make a tough choice to make: display it in her home or plant it directly into her garden.
Find more DIY art-project gift ideas with School Specialty‘s lesson plans and supplies!