Using kids' art to make gifts a great way to involve kids in the joy of gift-giving.  Whether you put the art on a tie or scarf through DoodleTurtle, or just frame it nicely, art will be appreciated by the people in your kids' lives. Below are 9 ideas for babies through to grade schoolers:

Babies (and up!)

1. Footprints

A classic keepsake.  But also versatile!  This can make a great sibling project.  For walkers: Lay out a roll of paper (or tape down several large sheets of regular paper) and a seperate paper plate (with a different colour of tempera paint for each child).  Have them walk along the paper back and forth a few times.  This would make an awesome DoodleTurtle scarf (life size), or a really neat DoodleTurtle tie with the prints shrunk down to fit!   

Toddlers

2. Scribbles

Think abstract art!  The key to great scribble gifts is to set your artist up with just 2 or 3 complementary colours (e.g. light blue, dark blue, teal, or red and orange) and keep the rest of the box out of sight!  Then be ready to switch them to a new sheet of paper once they've got a nice amount going on.

For non-crayon eaters, a small box of oil pastels is a great, inexpensive purchase (or gift for budding artist) that will make those scribbles much more vibrant.  Check out the crayon and pastel scribble examples below. 

3. Finger paint

A bit like with scribbles, the key is to chose just 1 or 2 paint colours that are similar to each other, and be ready to jump in and switch them to a new sheet of paper before it becomes one giant blob.  

For a DoodleTurtle tied, try to jump in while there is still a fair bit of white space left.

If you want to simply frame the art, a cool option is to use painter's tape (or watercolour tape is even better) to tape around the edge of the paper before they start.  Then once it's dry, you can peel the tape off for an instant 'matted' look. 

Pre-schoolers

4. Stick figure family portrait

Nothing tugs on the hear strings quite like a family portrait! (Or a "Me and Daddy", or similar).  For younger kids, try giving them a family photo and asking them to draw it.  I remember asking my daughter (then age 4) to draw a picture of her with her new brother to be.  She told me she couldn't until I gave her an ultrasound picture and then she happily did!

5. Their name

The first carefully drawn names on their pictures is wonderful art in and of itself!  Gather a few different iterations and cut and paste them into a list for a 'mixed media' piece that will work on a tie, or blown up on a scarf, or just framed.

Kindergarten and up

6. school work

Get creative and treat a writing or math exercise as art!

7. a special phrase for the gift recipient

Using words or pictures from a handmade Mother's day, Father's day or Birthday card gives a DoodleTurtle scarf or tie great personal meaning.

Or ask them to tell you what they love doing with the gift recipient, and then help them write it out in a short sentence (depending on thier skill level, you can write it out for them on a seperate sheet of paper for reference). 

8. watercolour

Watercolour paints are a gret medium with lots of options.  Good watercolour paint is not too expensive at an art or even big box store anad a little goes a long way!  Set your artist up with a couple of complementary colours (red and pink, blue and teal) and explore different techniques!

Grade school

9.  interest based creations

As kids get older, their creativiy can take many different paths.  Art that reflects their passions make great memorie.  Outdoors all the time?  How about some leaf rubbings?  Loves music or drama?  How about writing out their favourite song lyrics, sheet music, or their lines from a play they were in?  Class comedian? How about writing out and illustrating a joke?

Happy creating!