Lovely handmade crafts

Made with 100-yen shop materials! Handmade birthday gift ideas that middle schoolers will love

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: spinning-top tricks.
lighterutatane
A person from the melodic hardcore boom generation who loves music, photography, and eating. I’ve been going to live houses for over 20 years. I’m at the age where summer festivals are starting to feel tough physically. I sometimes try shooting live photos and videos for MVs. I’m not great at English, so I often listen to straightforward Japanese rock that hits directly, but if someone recommends something, I’ll listen to anything—Western or Japanese—broadly and casually. I like cooking while listening to music; it’s a nice way to relieve stress.

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)

pouch for a snack package

[100-yen DIY] Easy no-sew candy clear pouch! Adorably finished in no time with a cute charm!

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?

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Surprise Snack Box

How to Make a Surprise Candy Box! [Jack-in-the-Box, DIY with 100-Yen Shop Items]

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.

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Sweets cake

[100-yen shop & Meiji] How to make a candy cake

Sweets cake

How about making a luxurious-looking candy cake and giving it as a gift? This one looks very elaborate, but it’s easy to make.

First, stack and glue large, medium, and small lunch cups to create the cake base.

Attach individually wrapped sweets to the sides of each cup with double-sided tape, then decorate with artificial flowers.

Stick a cake topper in the very top, wrap a ribbon around it, and you’re done! It’s recommended to use individually wrapped candies of the same type, but you can also combine a few different treats the recipient will enjoy—as long as you keep the balance in mind.

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Made with 100-yen store supplies! Handmade birthday gift ideas that middle schoolers will love (11–20)

[Dried Flowers] Glass Dome

[DIY] Flower arrangement in a small glass dome from Daiso 🌷 / Glass dome

[Dried Flowers] Glass Dome

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.

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Beaded accessories

[How to Make Beaded Accessories] All from Daiso! Five designs with diagrams 🌼 [100-yen DIY] [Handmade] [DAISO] [How to make beaded accessories.]

Beaded accessories

If you’re making a handmade gift for a junior high school student, how about bead accessories? You can buy materials like beads, fishing line (nylon thread), and lobster clasps at 100-yen shops, so it’s easier to get started than you might think.

Bracelet, earrings, necklace—first decide which accessory you want to make.

Next, choose a motif and plan the design.

If you go with classic motifs like small flowers, drop frills, or open hearts, there are plenty of tutorial videos available, so be sure to use them as a reference.

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Photo bottle

video.yahoo.co.jp

Would you like to make a “photo bottle” that captures memories with someone special? Print your memorable photos, line them up on a laminated sheet that’s about the circumference of the bottle, and adhere them.

Decorate by adding stickers or writing messages on top, then curve the sheet to fit along the bottle’s wall and place it inside.

Fill the empty spaces with paper cushioning used for gift wrapping, add some sweets, and you’re done! It’s also lovely to stick the photos to the inside of the bottle’s back, pour in purified water, liquid laundry starch, and glitter to create a snow globe-style piece.

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amulet

[100-Yen Store DIY!] No-Sew! How to Make a Charm

amulet

If you’re looking for a birthday present for a friend or partner who has exams or job hunting coming up, a handmade charm is a great choice! Fill it with your wishes for support and success, and give it as a gift.

Even if you’re not good at hand-sewing, you can easily make one without stitching by using fabric tape from a 100-yen shop and simply sticking the pieces together.

If you’re skilled at crafts, you might enjoy making a more elaborate charm by adding embroidery or sewing on beads.

Let’s create a lovely charm that gives them a boost of energy just by looking at it.

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