Easy and Free Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas for Infants and Toddlers

When my baby's first Christmas came I was not in a great position financially. We were staying afloat but did not have any extra money to spoil our infant with gifts on his first Christmas. I was crushed that I could not buy my baby Christmas presents. Out of necessity I made him homemade Christmas gifts.

Looking back I can see that making him Christmas gifts was just as good if not better than purchasing him the trendy Christmas gifts of that year. He loved his Christmas presents and they were free. Do not waste money buying your infant or toddler Christmas gifts. Give your baby a homemade Christmas present. These creative homemade Christmas gift ideas are easy to make and will entertain your infant and toddler just as much as a store bought Christmas present.

#1 Free Homemade Christmas Gift Idea for Baby - Psychedelic Water Bottle

Items you will need to make this Christmas gift:

Bottle of water
Vegetable oil
Food coloring

Optional items:

Small figurines
Glitter

Step One

Begin your psychedelic water bottle infant Christmas present by drinking about one third of the water from the bottle. Remove any labels that are attached to the water bottle. Residual glue and paper can be removed with rubbing alcohol.

Step Two

Squeeze two or three drops of food coloring into the remaining water and shake. For a darker color use more food coloring. Choose a color that creates contrast with the light yellow of the vegetable oil. Although red and green are festive colors for Christmas you can use the color your infant likes most.

Step Three

Pour vegetable oil into the bottle leaving a little air at the top. The oil will not mix with the water and will float on top. Screw the lid on tightly. Shake, spin, and twist the bottle to watch the oil and water combine and separate. This may not be exciting to you but it is fascinating to an infant.

Optional Steps for the Homemade Psychedelic Water Bottle Infant Christmas Present

Put a little toy in the water bottle. This will give your baby another thing to watch while they play with their homemade Christmas gift.

Put glitter in the water bottle. This adds another psychedelic element and I have never met a baby who did not like shiny things.

Final Step for the Homemade Psychedelic Water Bottle Infant Christmas Present

Make sure this homemade Christmas present is safe for your baby by using your Incredible Hulk muscles to screw the lid on tight. If your baby is already twisting you may want to consider a different homemade Christmas gift for them.

It is also important to make sure the outside of the bottle is clean. Your infant will not only love to play with their Christmas present, they will also love to put it in their mouth.

#2 Free Homemade Christmas Gift Idea for Baby - Rock Rattle

Items you will need to make this Christmas gift:

Empty water bottle
Rocks

Optional items:

Paint
Shells

Step One

Begin your homemade rock rattle by collecting rocks and stones that will fit through the opening of the water bottle. Try to find a variety of shapes and colors of rocks. If you happen to live near a beach you can collect shells as well.

Optional Step for the Homemade Rock Rattle Infant Christmas Present

If you have paint around the house you can paint the rocks different colors. Babies do like colorful things. You can also use the plain rocks, stones, and shells to highlight the subtle colors and make a more natural Christmas gift for your baby. If you do decide to paint the rocks make sure they are completely dry before proceeding to step three.

Step Three

Pour the rocks into the empty water bottle until it is around two thirds full. Screw the lid on and shake, roll, and spin to make different sounds.

Final Step for the Homemade Rock Rattle Infant Christmas Present

Once again, make sure this homemade Christmas present is safe for your baby by using your Incredible Hulk muscles to screw the lid on tight. If your baby is already twisting you may want to consider a different homemade Christmas gift for them.

It is also important to make sure the outside of the bottle is clean. Your infant will not only love to play with their Christmas present, they will also love to put it in their mouth.

#3 Free Homemade Christmas Gift Idea for Baby - Wrapped Trash

Items you will need to make this Christmas gift:

Wrapping paper - Newspaper and other scratch paper can be used if you do not have wrapping paper around the house
Trash to wrap such as toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, and empty boxes
Tape

Optional Items:

Markers or other coloring materials

Step One

Locate clean trash items around the house to wrap for your baby. You may be cringing but my son loved unwrapping the presents more than the gifts themselves. Items that I have used include toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, wrapping paper rolls, and empty boxes.

Optional Step for the Homemade Wrapped Trash Christmas Present for Babies

Use markers, crayons, or any other coloring materials that you have around your home to decorate the found trash items. You can write your baby's name on them, draw pictures, or just make shapes. No artistic ability is required for this step.

Step Three

Wrap the items. If you do not have wrapping paper try to find colorful scratch paper. I receive junk mailings for local businesses that are perfect to use for wrapping your baby's Christmas gift.