Family members, friends and even teachers have a great appreciation for hand crafted gifts.  This holiday season have your kids make sets of Message Stones.  You've probably seen these at gift boutiques made from glass or polished stones and they can be quite expensive.

To make this personalized gift, have your kids collect some smooth medium sized stones.  You can find these at the beach or along stream and river beds.  You can also purchase these types of stones at your local home gardening center.  

After washing the stones, have your kids use permanent markers to write words on each stone.  These can be words of inspiration or qualities about the person your child counts on. Examples include:  peace, hope, happiness, joy, understanding, honest, kind, good listener, etc.  We used gold and silver markers to write our words to add a little extra sparkle.  

Once they are finished writing a message on each stone, your gift is ready to be wrapped.  Either gather up the stones in a small drawstring jewelry pouch or package them in a Chinese food container filled with shredded paper. If you would like, you can also add a small bowl, or dish in which to display the stones.

This is also a great gift to give your child to help boost his self esteem.  Simply use words about your child's strengths to remind him that he is an important part of your family.  This will be a great resource when your child is having a particularly trying day.  After all, who doesn't want to be reminded about what's special about them?

No matter who receives this lovely gift this holiday season, you can be sure that it will be appreciated and cherished for years to come.