Making the holidays
A friend has a teenage son. She was trying to figure out something to make him for Christmas. Of course, this is a very individual thing, and different teenagers like different kinds of things. But here are some ideas of things to make for teenagers:
- food (cookies, especially sugar cookies cut and decorated to look like a dinosaur eating Santa)
- hats, scarfs, mittens, etc.
- blankets/quilts/pillow covers
- poetry or an illustrated story book (again, it can be digitally created, so long as it’s fun and funny)
- cell phone/MP3 cases
- light switch plate covers (just get an image they like, glue it on to a plain white one, cover with clear contact paper, and cut out the little hole for the switch to poke through - ta da!)
- Christmas decorations
- socks/slippers
- posters (created digitally and then framed, of course)
Because here’s the thing: all of these things can be made (a) black, with a skull and crossbones on them, (b) pastel with lots of ruffles, and (c) everything in between.
The point is that teenagers are just people too. And like most people, they tend to like things that are made with them in mind. So figure out what it is that you feel like you can make, then get into your teenager’s head. Connect what you can make with what the teenager in question is into. Then just do it. If it’s a total flop, well, tell them that your second choice was to choreograph and perform an interpretive dance of their potty training experience. I guarantee your present will start looking better immediately.