Birth moms and dads in open adoptions love even small gestures like a photo. In this day and age, texting and emailing is fast and easy, but sometimes they’d love something in the mail as well. It’s something tangible they can hold and know their child has also held. Here are five craft ideas to mail to your child’s birth parents.
- For Valentine’s Day, you can have your child stamp five hearts with red ink (or draw five red hearts) on white paper. At the top of the page write, “Five Things I Love About my Birth Mom/Dad.” Then have them write those qualities they love (i.e. “you’re funny”) in black marker inside the hearts. Have them sign their name at the bottom and mail that valentine out.
- A quilt made of your child’s baby clothes. This is a bit expensive (ours was around $120) but is a really sweet gesture. If you’re not so handy with needle and thread, you can find quilters on Etsy, send them the clothes your child has outgrown, and they send it back as a quilt.
- Turkey hand art is a classic craft for Thanksgiving. Trace your child’s hand on paper then color each finger red, yellow, brown, and orange. The thumb is the turkey’s head, so add glued on pieces of paper in the shape of an eye, mouth, and wattle. In the center of the hand, write birth mom’s name, or, “Grateful for you, (Susie).” On each finger, write in black marker nice adjectives your child uses to describe birth mom (nice, creative, funny, etc.) On the back write “Love, (child’s name).”
- This super cute Halloween keepsake of your child’s footprints.
- For Christmas, take a baby shoe your child has outgrown and make two ornaments (one for your family, one for birth family). Make a hole in the heel of the shoe and slip a pretty bow through to knot and hang from the tree or simply tie the bow from the shoelaces and hang.
And if you’re not so handy in the craft department, but want to give your child’s birth parents something special, be sure to check out the dozens of items available on AdoptionGifts.com. You just might find that special something.
