Arts & Crafts Gift Ideas For Girls Ages 8 to 12

Arts and craft kits make excellent birthday gifts as well as great projects to do when having sleep-overs, especially with girls ages 8 to 12.

The kits are convenient as they include all the necessary supplies to create each project. Kits are quite popular to include as part of the activities at birthday parties.

If you chose a kit that includes enough supplies for 5 to 10 individual crafts, you can also use them for party favors and place in individual favor bags for guests to take home.

American Girl dolls have become a favorite among young girls since first making their debut almost 12 years ago.

The company is based on helping young girls to find their own unique creativity as well as to promote developing strong characteristic traits with being confidant, staying in school, acquiring high self-esteem among other positive life habits and goals.

The company started out with the American Girl dolls and accessories, each with their own unique style and personality. Later, they introduced creative idea kits from making a pom-pom scarf to room craft projects and creating doll accessories.

The colorful pom-pom scarf craft kit includes supplies to make a scarf for herself or a mini version for her American Girl Doll with one large pom-pom maker, one small pom-pom maker, 150 yards of pink, blue and green yarn, 2.5 yards of cord and a plastic needle. The kit also includes a picture step-by-step instruction booklet. The colorful pom-pom scarf kit is designed for girls between the ages of 8 and 13.

The American Girl Doll Craft Book holds 48 pages of a variety of projects which include creating cash and cards to shop with, wall paper to use with designing a doll house and supplies to make gift boxes and photo frames.

The craft projects are designed for girls ages 8 and up. There are 28 assorted doll accessory pieces, mini calendar, sheet mirror, colorful napkins and bulletin board just to name a few.This is just one book of a number in this series.

The American Girl Creative Room Pocket Kit includes connective room pockets to create a fantastic room wall organizer. The project and idea book explains how to use the 72 different pieces, including four 12 x 12 canvas panels, 48 stickers, rhinestones adhesives, markers and assorted ribbon.

I have used many arts and craft kits over the years but found the first four to be some of the best on the market. I have included each one in the Amazon links.

The Bead Bazaar Kit by Bead Symphony is gorgeous. The beads are a beautiful array of different blue colors. There are ceramic and wood beads included in this kit. All the findings are included as are the easy to follow instructions. The supplies are kept in a nice wooden box with a carry handle. The cost for the kit is around $25.

The Bead Bazaar Fon Fon Bead Box Kit is an excellent choice for girls who are 8 to 10 years old as the beads are larger in size, therefore making it easier for smaller hands to create with them. The kit runs about $25.

The Friends Forever Bracelet Making Kit by Alex Toys has 22 colors of floss, beads, bead needle, 4 looms, 2 styles, 8 patterns and a really cute neon bright suitcase. This is an excellent choice for birthday party activities as well as sleep-over parties. There are plenty of supplies for about 15 girls to each make a bracelet. The cost for the kit is $20.

The Melissa & Doug Friendship Stamp Set includes butterfly, heart, rainbow, flower and balloon rubber mounted stamps, colorful ink pads and cute teddy bear embellishments. All the supplies come in a handy wood storage case with a carry handle. Cost for the set is around $10.

All of the products you see in this hub have been tried, tested and greatly approved by girls ages 8 through 12.

Over the years I have included these "kits" at one time or another when having birthday parties and other "girl" gatherings with my children and their friends.

Most girls in this age group all agree they love to tie-dye T-shirts. This makes an excellent party activity since the kits include everything you need except for the t-shirts.

You can communicate in the invitations that each girl needs to bring a plain white t-shirt with them to the party or you can provide them yourself. It makes better sense to have the girls bring their own due to different sizes needed.

At some point with girls in this age group, they will want to dress up as a hippy or a role from the 1960's for Halloween or ask for a "groovy" birthday party. This is an excellent time to break out the tie-dye kit. The activity takes enough time that it helps to keep the girls entertained for a while as well.

Klutz really knew what they were doing when they created the numerous arts and crafts activities that come nicely packaged within a book that includes the instructions and images.

Some of the activities include designing your own fashion, making bottle cap necklaces, bubble bracelets, stick people, friendship bracelets and many more. The supplies included in each kit are always quality items.

The activities and instructions are age appropriate and easy enough for girls in this age group to understand and create on their own.The kits are usually designed with one person in mind, however you can find ones where a number of girls can each do an activity depending on what the kit is.

We have tried and tested most of them and have always had an excellent response. I often receive a call from one of the parents of a child who attended a party asking what it is exactly that their daughter is speaking about with an activity they did at the event. They are always referring to one of the Klutz kits. When we have given one of these for a gift, it has always been well received.