• Skip store-bought gifts in favor of a homemade craft.gift boxes, christmas gifts/presents image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com
  
  While you easily can find presents at a store, a handmade gift has more meaning. Whether you are searching for a birthday gift, a thank-you item or a Christmas present, choose craft gift ideas for girls to show how much you care. Create a useful, personalized gift that will encourage her imagination and creativity.
  
  

Button Cuff

• Make a button cuff for a girl who loves jewelry. Cut a piece of felt so it is slightly larger than the recipient's wrist. Sew snap hardware to the ends of the strip so the cuff will snap shut. Sew buttons to the felt, either in a pattern or randomly, until the strip is covered in buttons. Use buttons from blouses you no longer wear or buy buttons in the gift recipient's favorite colors. Choose felt and thread in a color that coordinates with the buttons.
  
  

Dress-up Bin

• Use old clothing and jewelry to make a dress-up bin. Put such clothing items as dresses, shoes and blouses in a large plastic storage container. Add old purses, wallets or non-functioning cell phones to the bin. Create costume jewelry to add to the bin. Snip the wire or string holding old beaded jewelry together to free the beads. Reuse the beads to craft necklaces, bracelets, clip-on earrings and hair accessories. Use a craft knife to cut the gift recipient's name out of a piece of vinyl. Stick her name to the front of the bin.
  
  

Decorated Journal

• Buy a plain, wire-bound journal from a book or craft store. Decorate the journal's front and back with such embellishments as chipboard letters, stickers, rhinestones and die-cut shapes. Choose decorations that suit the gift recipient's personality. Include a nice pen so the young girl can write about her day. Include a note with journal suggestions. She may want to tape pictures clipped from magazines in the journal and draw pictures to go along with her journal entries. She also can use different colored pens to write about different topics.