Show Off your DIY Contest Giveaways

What can we use instead of cardstock, a hole punch, or ribbon if those items are hard to find?

If you don't have cardstock, use a cereal box or layer printer paper for bookmarks, make the hole by carefully poking the top center with scissors or a sharpened pencil in place of a hole punch, and use yarn or thin twine instead of ribbon when threading the tassels.

What should we do if a bookmark hole rips, a safety pin won't stick, or treat bags keep opening?

Reinforce punched bookmark holes with a small square of clear tape before threading to prevent tearing, attach the safety pin to the back of each badge with a strip of strong double-sided tape or a dab of hot glue for security, and fold and seal treat bags with packing tape or a sticker to keep treats from spilling.

How can we adapt the activity for different age groups while following the steps like cutting strips, decorating, and attaching pins?

For toddlers (3–6) have an adult cut the three bookmark strips and pre-punch holes while kids decorate with stickers and yarn loops, for elementary kids (7–10) let them cut, punch, decorate, and tie simple ribbon knots with supervision, and for older kids (11+) challenge them to design themed badges, photograph their three packaged giveaways professionally, and write creative one- to two-sentence descriptions for DIY.org.

What are some ways to extend or personalize the giveaway packages beyond the basic instructions?

Personalize and upgrade the packaged giveaways by laminating bookmarks or covering them with clear contact paper for durability, adding metal eyelets at the hole, layering tiny charms or embroidery on badges before taping pins, including a handwritten mini note in each treat bag, and staging a themed photo setup for the final group shot to post on DIY.org.