When The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up hit bestseller lists, my parents fell hard for Marie Kondo’s decluttering wisdom. Many of their possessions were donated or trashed, but the shoddily-made macaroni jewelry and popsicle-stick people my siblings and I proudly gave them have always stayed. We found local spots where kids can make unique handmade gifts for their family and friends—and a few where parents are free to drop the kids off and duck out for solo holiday shopping.
The Furnace
Husband and wife glassmakers Corey and Leanne Silverman hold a Make Your Own Ornament event every weekend from November 30 through December 22 at their Lakewood studio. Kiddos, age six and up, and adults make a blown-glass ornament with the help of The Furnace’s team of glassblowers. $35 per person.
MindCraft Makerspace
Located in the Stanley Marketplace, MindCraft Makerspace will hold Toy Maker classes for two groups: kindergarten to second grade and third to eighth grade. In each class, kids will learn how to make a fidget spinner, snow globe, or mini foosball table. November 25, 26, and 27, 12:30 to 4 p.m., $55-$60 per child.
Neighborhood Art Studio
This Stapleton studio is hosting three holiday gift-making classes. For Grandparent Gift Photo Hanging class on November 16, kids ages four to 11 will personalize a wooden photo hanger to give to their grandparents. In Give a Glowing Gift Candle Making class on December 14, children ages four to 12 make two candles scented with essential oils. For the studio’s final class, DIY Gifts from the Heart on December 21, kids ages four to 12 will make three different ornaments that they can give or keep, and make their own page of wrapping paper. All three classes are held from 5 to 8 p.m. $37-$39 per child; 10 percent off for each additional child.
Denver Art Museum
Admission to Denver Art Museum is free for those under 18, meaning kids can make a one-of-a-kind masterpiece in the museum’s Paint Studio for free. Little artists can paint with watercolors, paint a portrait, or create their own abstract masterpiece. The Paint Studio is open during regular museum hours.
Wonder Co.
Wonder Co. offers a two-hour gingerbread house and gift-making workshop, for kids ages three and up. In the class, kids create a fantastical gingerbread house, and make a surprise gift for their parents. (December 14, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. $35 per child.) On December 6 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., the art studio is offering a parents night out so kids, ages three and up, can create handmade gifts with a pizza dinner while parents get a night off. $25 for first child, $10 for each additional child.
Art Garage
In December, Art Garage is hosting a three-day and one-day Handmade Gifts course for young artists, ages nine to 12. In the three-part course, students focus on a new project each week, finishing the course with three handmade gifts, including a small upcycled craft and personalized cards. (December 4, 11, and 18, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. $84 for three sessions.) The one-day class, Jewelry Gifts, offers amateur artists a chance to experiment with different forms of jewelry-making including paper beads, clay, and metal that they can give to loved ones. December 20, 1 to 4 p.m. $45.
