Home improvements: personalised presents

If there’s a birthday coming up in the family any time soon, why not help the kids create a personalised gift or card to mark the day? Worried that flowers or the traditional macaroni-­laden card might not cut it? Try one of these ideas instead.

If you have several children, create one big gift. A memory chain, for example, is easy to make and only requires strips of paper, coloured pens and glue. Each child should write a single memory related to the recipient onto each strip. Then glue them all together to make one big chain.

If each of your children wants to create their own card, print out a photo of each child, stick it to the front of a card with glue, and allow them to personalise it. For this, you can use a variety of materials, from glitter and markers to paint and stickers.

Finally, if your children are a bit older, consider creating something more intricate, such as beaded bracelets. All you need are beads of different shapes, sizes and colours, along with string. From here, your children can create a personalised present that can be treasured forever.