Easy to Make Father’s Day Gifts for the Whole Family

This is the time of year when many mothers begin to break out in a cold sweat. Mother’s Day has past and we all, hopefully, received a few nice gifts as a reward for our toils. Now, it’s the spouses’ turn. And that means that we need to come up with some easy to make Father’s Day gifts that will please the dad, and not break the bank. Here are some great ideas that your kids can do quickly, easily, and inexpensively.

1. Certificates and “I Owe You” – One of the best, easy to make Father’s Day gifts is a certificate or coupon book. Present dad with a certificate on Father’s Day that tells him that he is the “World’s Best Dad” or that he’s “One in a Million.” There are many websites where you can print out certificates and then have the kids color them. If your children are older, they can make their own certificates. Another idea is to create a coupon book of “I Owe You” ideas. The kids can present dad with a coupon for “10 hugs, redeemable anytime” or with a coupon for “A night without yelling in the house, redeemable only in the next month.” Dad gets to “redeem” his gift by handing the coupon back to the child who gave it. This is a cute, very easy way to give a nice gift (and to help children to think of ways that they can improve their behavior or give something special to their father).
2. Dad Rocks Paperweights – One of the best, easy to make Father’s Day gifts is right in your own backyard – a pet rock or paperweight. Send your children to the backyard or park to find small, preferably smooth, stones. Give them permanent makers, googly eyes, and stickers and have them decorate their rocks. These paperweights can be presented with a note that says, “Dad – You Rock!” Dads will smile every time that they look at these at work, and the office mates will get a kick out of your children’s creativity.
3. Picture Frame – Children can easily create a beautiful picture frame for their father. Using thick cardboard, cut out a picture frame in any design that you like. Have the kids decorate their frames with paints, markers, stickers, etc. Take a picture of each child and place it in the frame. You can either have them dress up like their father or do something silly for the picture. Write a note to dad on the front or back of the frame.
4. Sponge Art – This isn’t neat, but it sure is a fun and easy to make Father’s Day gift. Finger paints and sponge art can create some really lovely gifts. Take a large roll of paper, some finger paints and some sponges. You can either buy sponges that are already cut into cute shapes or you can take old sponges in your house and cut them into interesting shapes. Have your children sponge the paper with the paints until they are finished. One of the great things about this activity is that kids of all ages can do this. Then, once the paper dries, you can turn it into a large card for dad. You can cut it into a heart shape, glue a few pictures of the kids on top and laminate it. You can make bookmarks if your husband loves to read or laminate the paper into a placemat for the king of the house. There are so many possibilities with this one quick idea.
5. Stomach Love! While this isn’t a craft or a permanent gift, your children will love making a meal for dad on Father’s Day. This is always one of the surefire and easy to make Father’s Day gifts. Think about your spouse’s favorite food and allow your children to shop for the groceries with you, help in the kitchen, and serve it to their dad. Children tend to enjoy helping in the kitchen, and even a child as young as 2 can get the flour, stir the dough, and help out. And dad will love relaxing with his favorite meal.
6. New Baby Gifts - Finally, if you’ve just recently brought home a baby, there is nothing like a baby foot print gift for dad. A note of warning; while this is one of the easy to make Fathers Day gifts, it’s not one of the neat and clean ones! Place your child’s foot into some “safe for children” paint and then make a foot (or hand) print onto construction paper. You can write a note along with the print or attach a poem to accompany the print. Create a border in another color and you have a great gift that you can frame and present to the new father. You can do a similar activity on a plate. Place the child’s print at the top and write “World’s Best Dad!” on the bottom. Make sure you have a sense of humor if you choose this craft – as your baby will have a foot full of paint and will be in need of a quick bath!

The most important thing to remember about easy to make Father’s Day gifts for dad is to make something from the heart. The point of the gift isn’t the actual product, but the fun that your children will have making it and the love with which they will present it to their father. These crafts don’t have to be perfect or fancy – they just have to be something that your children will enjoy making and your husband will cherish. Happy Father’s Day!