Gifts Kids Can Make for Father's Day
Some people choose to show their appreciation on Father’s Day with expensive tools and fancy gadgets, but there’s something that dads love way more: a gift that you make. It takes time and thoughtfulness to create something that he’ll love, which makes homemade presents so much better than anything that could ever be bought from a store. That said, here are some ideas of things you can easily make for Father’s Day. Each is fairly simple, but allows you to use your own creativity to make them special. That way, you’ll end up with something that’s completely unique – just like your Dad!
A Wonderful Workspace
As your Dad may tell you, work can sometimes be a boring place – especially without you there! So make it more enjoyable with fun things for his desk, like bright pen holders! With the help of an adult, take empty tin cans, or other similarly shaped containers, and thoroughly clean the insides. While the cans are air drying, gather the materials you’ll need to decorate them. You’ll want a sheets of paper long enough to wrap around an entire can, so that there will be only one seam in the back. Once you’ve found the perfect paper, decorate each piece with any materials you desire, such as markers, crayons, or colored pencils, and then secure it around the can using tape. If the sides are taller than the can, carefully trim them down so the tops are the same length. Wrap it with a bright ribbon and put some pens inside so it’s ready to go!
Picture Bookmark
Go with Dad wherever he travels – even if the places are fictional! With only a few materials, it’s easy to create a beautiful and stylish bookmark that he’ll love using. Take a piece of ribbon that’s 2-inches wide and cut it about 15 inches long, snipping both sides of the ends to form points in the center of the ribbon. Take a small photo of yourself, like the 1-inch ones that are included in your school pictures, and center it on the ribbon near to one of the ends. Carefully take a needle and thread and secure the photo to the ribbon by placing small stitches in each corner of the picture.
Creative Catch-All
Make Dad’s lost keys a thing of the past with a handy catch-all! Generally created from bowls or small dishes, catch-alls serve as a home for odds and ends. To make one for your Dad, you can use simple air-drying modeling clay. Use your hands to work the clay into a small dish or wide-mouthed bowl and be sure to make it slightly larger than you want because as the clay dries, it will shrink a little. Allow it to dry. When it’s done, decorate it with acrylic, tempera, or even watercolor paints to make it the perfect gift for Dad! (If you don’t have modeling clay, you can make your own, but you’ll need an adult handy because it has to go in the oven! For recipes, click here.)
BBQ Rub
So your Dad loves to grill? Good, because you can create a gift that will make him enjoy it even more! A hot, savory rub gives meats an unbeatable flavor and all the ingredients to make one are probably already located in your kitchen. With an adult’s help, mix together these ingredients of sugars and spices in a small bowl. Once they’re thoroughly blended, transfer the rub into a glass jar with a lid and decorate it with a festive bow.
Picture Perfect
Whether it’s for his desk or for home, Dad will love having pictures of you displayed in a one-of-a-kind frame! Print out this “D-A-D” stencil and use a pencil to trace its outline onto some heavy cardstock. Carefully cut out around the letters (an adult can help you with the inside) and gather three favorite pictures of yourself. Strategically place the photos inside the letters so that your face is visible and then trim the ends so that they fit nicely inside the frames. When they’re where you want, secure each in place with pieces of tape on the back. To get the frame to stand up, you can use L-shaped pieces of leftover cardstock or bent paperclips, which can be taped to the back of the letters.
Marvelous Mug
Whether it’s coffee in the morning or tea before bed, you can be there to comfort Dad with a mug you create! For this craft, you can use any mug you’d like, but white ones work best, as they offer a blank canvas that perfectly displays your original artwork! With an adult’s help, hunt down some sharpie makers and go to town decorating the mug! When it’s finished, bake it in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Take it out of the oven and allow I to cool completely. After it reaches room temperature, gently wash the mug by hand to make sure that the design stays in place.