Made with 100-yen shop materials! Handmade birthday gift ideas that middle schoolers will love
Are you wondering what to get your middle school friend for their birthday? Actually, you can create a memorable, lovely handmade gift just by combining items from the 100-yen shop.
You can easily make trendy pieces like photo bottles, acrylic stand displays, and Korean-style beaded charms! Here are ideas for handmade presents that are budget-friendly yet full of heartfelt sentiment.
Use these tips to craft a special gift for your dear friend!
Made with 100-yen store supplies! Handmade birthday gift ideas that middle schoolers will love (1–10)
Initial key holder
We’re introducing a handmade idea for initial keychains with a cute, translucent look.
Cut the initials out of shrink plastic, bake them, then decorate with stickers and more.
Apply gel nail ink to the back, and finish with a resin coating—that’s it! You can buy all the materials, including the resin, at 100-yen shops, so even mistakes aren’t a big deal.
Initial keychains are popular across all ages, so once you learn how to make them, they’re a handy gift for anyone—from middle schoolers on up.
Shakashaka keychain
A shaker keychain that’s perfect for a small gift.
I’ll share an easy way to make one, so why not try creating it with a motif your friend likes? First, cut a soft card case, fold it in half, and seal it with the heat of an iron to make a pouch.
Put in your favorite beads or sequins, then seal the opening.
Decorate the top and bottom with masking tape, punch a hole, attach a strap, and you’re done.
When using the iron, be sure to place a sheet of baking paper between the iron and the material as a pressing cloth.
Korean-style beaded charm
Let me introduce Korean-style beaded charms you can make using your favorite words and beads! Basically, all you do is thread a clasp for accessories and beads onto fishing line, so even beginners can give it a try.
There are many types of beads available, and among them are alphabet beads.
By combining letters, you can add any word you like to your charm.
You can also include a name so it can be used as a name tag.
All the materials can be purchased at 100-yen shops, so it won’t cost very much!
Handmade album
When it comes to birthday gifts that unexpectedly make people happy, an album might be at the top of the list.
It feels great to know someone treasures their memories with you.
And rather than a simple album where you just stick photos in, ones with playful features—like photos that slide out when you pull a tab, or a base that turns like a Ferris wheel—tend to delight people even more.
It does take time to make, but if you’re thinking of giving a heartfelt present, definitely try creating one using these ideas as inspiration.
resin charm
Many people attach charms to their bags, right? Some wear them as a fashion accessory and change them daily, while others use them as name tags.
Why not try making such convenient charms with resin? Here’s an idea you can use as a name tag.
Pour resin into a mold to create the charm base, place alphabet stickers on the front, add color to the back with gel nail ink, apply gold leaf, and then coat it with resin.
Once you have the materials and tools, you can make it right away.
You can even find resin-related tools at 100-yen shops, so be sure to check them out!
Cat tail keychain
Here’s an idea for a fluffy yarn cat tail keychain.
It makes a great gift for animal lovers.
The tail part is made with finger knitting: start by wrapping the yarn around your thumb three times, then loop the yarn over your fingers in order—front, back, front—starting from the index finger.
Once you reach the pinky, go back toward the index finger, knitting while tucking the yarn into the looped sections.
After you finish the tail, attach a strap and add cute accents like a ribbon to complete it!
Herbarium ballpoint pen
Would you like to try making a cute herbarium ballpoint pen by hand? This one is made by placing shrink-plastic parts and herbarium oil inside a craft ballpoint pen.
Most of the materials, including the craft pen, can be found at 100-yen shops.
You can draw on the shrink plastic with a pen, but recently there are inkjet-printable sheets available, so it’s also recommended to print motifs your friends like and use those.
After baking the shrink plastic in a toaster, harden it with resin, then place it inside the pen together with the herbarium oil.
Seal the cap while letting the air escape, and you’re done!
pouch for a snack package
Snack packages often have cute designs, don’t they? Why not try making a pouch using a snack bag? For the pouch, we’ll use a B6-size card case.
Cut off the indented parts of the card case, and trim the snack bag so only the part you want to use remains.
Once you’ve attached the bag to the back of the card case, stick a zipper onto the opening.
Use double-sided tape when attaching.
Warm the card case with a hair dryer to soften it, then turn it inside out so the front and back are reversed.
Make a charm from pieces cut out of the same bag and attach it to the zipper pull, and you’re done! How about making one using the snack bag from something your friend often eats?
Surprise Snack Box
The “surprise candy box,” which bursts open with all kinds of treats when you lift the lid, is a great gift idea! Prepare three boxes of the same shape in different sizes and cut open the corners with a utility knife.
Stack the three boxes with the largest on the bottom, then start filling them with your favorite snacks.
To make it look more festive as a present, use not only the central space but also the gaps between the boxes and the underside of the lids.
Just be careful not to overfill—otherwise the lids won’t close, or they may pop off when you set the box down.
[Dried Flowers] Glass Dome
![[Dried Flowers] Glass Dome](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XWer94tPGl8/sddefault.jpg)
Flowers have a soothing effect on those who look at them.
They’re especially appreciated as gifts.
For high schoolers, though, some may not know how to display fresh flowers when they receive them.
That’s when dried flowers come in handy.
The dried flower glass dome we’re introducing today is an item that adds a touch of elegance just by placing it in your room.
It’s also a great idea to prepare flowers that bloom around your friend’s birthday and arrange them yourself to make a personalized gift.
