Thoughtful Gift Ideas for Grandma: From Boy

Creating an inexpensive gift of substance that is personal and thoughtful can be tricky, especially when incorporating children. But it is so important that we teach our kids how to give at a young age, so it becomes a lifetime habit. This is especially important with boys, who can be famous for last minute gifts as men. So, here is one great idea that a young, school age boy can do that grandmas will treasure forever!

What you will need :

- Camera
- Frame
- 2 pieces of Paper (preferably parchment)
- Clean Whole Pencil (with eraser)
- Lighter, or fire source
- 30 minutes

Have your son sit down and write a short letter to his grandmother. Keep it about 3 or 4 sentences. Boys can have a hard time with a long, cohesive letter depending on their age. But that is part of what can really capture them. So, don't guide them too much but give him direction by asking question that will point the letter in the right direction. Direct him to say what he likes best about her. Or ask him to write why he likes going to her house. The goal is to get a personal sentiment captured from his heart...to hers.

When I asked my son to complete this task, he wrote (as a 2nd grader) "I love coming to your house because it's always a party going on there." My mother loved this because she prides herself in being the "host with the most." If your son knows your mother (or mother-in-law) well, he should have no problem coming up with a sentence or two that is candid...in his own voice.

While your son is writing, photograph him penning the letter. Make sure you capture a medium shot, waist up. Do not have your child look at you, but have them thoughtfully writing, holding a pencil...and grinning, as if they are having a good time doing it. I made sure to brush my son's hair tidy, just as my mother likes it. In addition, I put him in a white, simple, short sleeve polo shirt for a more classic, yet casual clean look. Take a lot of pictures so you have many to choose from. When you print the picture, print it in a sepia tone, for a really warm look.

Your goal is to frame the picture with the letter. There are many options for this, so get creative! We chose an 8 x 10 table frame that had a wide classic pattern. We mounted (with tape on white paper) the 4 x 6 picture to the left side (assuming the frame would sit horizontally.) On the right, we mounted the letter. We didn't make a big deal of measuring, just kind of "eyed" it, so they were both centered, one item on the left and one on the right.

Prior to mounting the letter, we burned the edges of the letter down using a lighter and blowing it out before it caught fire. (Of course, boys love this part!) The brown, old-time look of the burnt edge framed his letter within the work. Finally, we copied the prepared items onto one sheet of parchment (so it wouldn't be pieced together, but on one sheet of paper to frame.)

The rustic color of the sepia colored picture and the fire-burned edge, paired with the soft earth-tone parchment and ornate frame choice made a great looking gift. Lastly, let your son wrap it and tag it from himself. Let him give it to granny to really make the experience complete. Trust me, she will love it and your son will beam with the joy of giving.

My son is almost 14 now, and we did this project when he was 8. It still sits in a prime place in my mother's house today as one of her prized possessions.