Handmade holiday gifts for babies are always a hit. These DIY ideas are perfect for the little ones in your life and make thoughtful, lasting presents.
When it comes to gifts, handmade and DIY presents are often the most cherished. A gift someone made themselves feels personal and meaningful, and those items tend to be kept and treasured for years.
I love making holiday gifts, especially for family and close friends or that person who seems to already have everything. This year I focused on gifts for babies and young children: a soft fabric baby book, a patterned swaddle blanket, and a kids’ memory game. I used a Cricut Maker for all three projects and am sharing step-by-step instructions below.
If you’re a maker or crafter, a Cricut Maker is an extremely useful tool. It cuts paper, fabric, vinyl, and more, and makes projects like these much easier. Whether you’re cutting iron-on vinyl for clothing, adding vinyl to wood, or cutting fabric shapes for sewing, the Maker streamlines the process and expands creative possibilities.
Below are three gift projects made with the Cricut Maker that are ideal for the holidays and simple to customize for any child.
DIY Gift Idea #1: Kids Memory Game
- Download Memory Game Shapes Template
Memory games are a classic childhood pastime. While very young children may use the pieces as tactile toys before they learn to match, a handmade memory game grows with the child and can be personalized to their interests.
Choose a theme that suits the child—animals, dinosaurs, shapes, or colors—and design matching pairs in Cricut Design Space. I made pattern shapes for a toddler who loves pattern books, but anything works.
Supplies: Cricut Maker, Standard Grip Machine Mat (green), Cricut premium vinyl (permanent or removable), transfer tape, scraper tool, and 2×2 wooden tiles. I used a 60-pack of wooden tiles to make multiple pairs.
Steps: Design or upload shapes in Design Space and size each to roughly 2 inches. Duplicate each shape after sizing so pairs match exactly. Adhere vinyl to the machine mat and cut with the Maker. Weed excess vinyl, cover the shapes with transfer tape, and use the scraper to press the tape onto the vinyl. Cut individual pieces apart, center each vinyl shape onto a wooden tile, and press firmly with the scraper. Remove the transfer tape to reveal the finished tile. That’s it—ready to play or gift.
DIY Gift Idea #2: Personalized Swaddle Blanket
- Download Organic Polka Dot Pattern Template
Personalizing a store-bought swaddle turns a simple blanket into a thoughtful, one-of-a-kind baby gift. You can add a name, a repeating pattern, or small shapes to match the nursery or the baby’s personality.
Supplies: Cricut Maker, Cricut Everyday Iron-On, Standard Grip Machine Mat, EasyPress (or iron), and the swaddle blanket. If you’re adding text, remember to select “mirror image” in Design Space before cutting so words press correctly.
Steps: Upload or create your design in Design Space. Place shiny-side-down iron-on material on the mat, then cut and weed the design. Use an EasyPress to heat-set the iron-on onto the swaddle—about 330°F for 30-second intervals is a reliable starting point, but consult heat guides for specific materials and temps. Press until the design is fully adhered, then allow to cool slightly before removing transfer backing.
DIY Gift Idea #3: Soft Baby Book
- Download Soft Baby Book Shapes Template
A soft fabric book is perfect for babies who enjoy holding and turning pages. A sewn fabric book is safe, tactile, and customizable—choose colors, textures, and shapes to suit the child.
Supplies: Cricut Maker, FabricGrip Mat (12×24), appropriate fabric blade, fabrics in several colors/patterns, batting, sewing machine, sewing thread, straight pins, and a Cricut sewing kit if you have one. You’ll also need the shape templates to cut decorative pieces.
Steps: Upload or create the shapes in Design Space and cut them from fabric using the FabricGrip mat and the correct blade. Cut six rectangles for the pages, about 14×7 inches each (each rectangle becomes two facing pages with a center allowance for the spine). You can cut these on the machine or by hand.
Pin shapes centered on each page, leaving about 1 inch for the center spine. Sew the shapes down with a zig-zag stitch to secure and prevent fraying—this also creates a decorative edge. Cut three batting pieces about 12×5 inches and sandwich each batting piece between two page rectangles. Pin and sew around the edges with a zig-zag stitch. Stack the finished pages and sew two lines down the center for the spine to bind the book together.
Photography by Amelia Lawrence
Will you be making any DIY gifts for the holidays? If so, I’d love to hear what you’re planning to create.