Easy and Cheap Homemade Christmas Gifts for Tweens

Tweens are just that, stuck in the in-between years of child and teenager. Toys may not be as appealing to them anymore and they are increasingly difficult to shop for. This year try to make a gift as unique as your tween.

Tie-Dye Shirts

With the "Going Green" trend upon us many groovy themes are coming back like peace signs and tie-dye. So this year why not make the neo-hippies in your life their very own tie-dyed t-shirt. You will need a freshly washed 100% cotton white t-shirt, a tie-dye kit or dylon dyes, warm water, salt, rubber bands and gloves.

Wash the t-shirt as normal, but do not dry. You may also wash in soda ash fixer to help the fabric absorb the dye. Then lay your shirt flat on a clean surface. To make a spiral simply grasp the shirt in the middle between your thumb and forefinger and twist. Once the entire shirt is twisted secure it with rubber bands. For more advanced patterns, please visit this site.

Mix up your Dylon dyes according to package instructions. You can either dip your shirt into the different colors or put them in a squirt bottle and squirt them onto the shirt.

Seal the shirt inside a large freezer bag and leave overnight. In the morning rinse out the shirt until the water runs clear and wash. For more instructions, please visit this site.

Bags

Instead of a store-bought bag, you can make a unique one-of-a-kind bag for your tween. One of the easiest ways is to convert a t-shirt into a bag. For this, you will need a t-shirt, thread, a needle or a sewing machine and scissors. Search thrift stores to find unique and interesting shirts.

First, cut the sleeves off of the shirt following the seam. Fold the shirt in half. Cut along the outside of the collar of the shirt making it a little wider and deeper. Turn the shirt inside out and sew the bottom closed. You can double stitch or use a french seam to strengthen the bag. Turn right side out and you are finished. To see an example, please visit this site.

If you are a little more handy with a sewing machine, you can make this cute drawstring bag.

Locker Buddies

Make some easy gifts to help your tween decorate his or her locker. One example is to decorate a mirror with a magnet on the back with paint, beads, stickers, ect. You can also make a Locker Pocket out of the back pockets of old jeans. Simply cut out the pocket and add a magnet to the back. You can try stick-on magnets, but if they don't seem secure feel free to reinforce the adhesive with glue.

Secret Hollow Book

This is a big hit with the tween that loves to read. You will need a large hardcover book, glue, water, a small lidded container for the glue mixture, ruler and a box cutter or Exacto knife.

Start by selecting the page that you want to be on top. Secure this page and all the pages above it to the front cover with binder clips. Hold together the bottom pages and paint around it with a watery glue mixture. Put some spacers between the glued pages and the top pages and allow to dry. It is advisable to add some weight to the top of the book during the drying process.

After the book is dry measure out where you want the hollow to be. After you have sketched it out start to cut out the inner layers a little at a time. Use a ruler to help keep your knife or box cutter straight. Once you are satisfied with the results, paint the inside with the glue mixture. After you allow it to dry once more, brush the top of the cut pages with glue. Remove the binder blips and close the book. Allow this to dry for about half an hour. Now the top page you selected in the beginning is adhered to the rest of the book. Simply cut around the hollow and your book is finished.

To see a wonderful visual tutorial of this process, please visit this site.