As we might know, dads make themselves difficult to buy for. You can buy the typical grilling set, a bag of socks or a new tie but these basic gifts get old after a while. Instead of getting a store-bought item, give him something with a little love. With these DIY gifts, you will have the perfect present for him in no time. What dad doesn’t like a home-made gift? So, dust off your crafting supplies and your work gloves. These home-made presents can fit any budget and any skill set. If you’re lucky, your DIY gifts for dad just might score you some bonus points.
Read on for 10 easy DIY gifts for dad perfect for Father’s Day.
1. A Literal Jar of Nothing
Have you ever asked your father exactly what he wanted for Father’s Day and he replied with “nothing”? Well, respond to his wishes and get him a jar of nothing. The gift looks easy enough. You only need a jar for this adorable gift. Personally, I made my dad this jar of nothing when I was twelve. He laughs about it to this day and it even sits in our dining room where everyone can see it. This one definitely got me some brownie points for being hilarious.
To create this literal nothing of a gift, buy a cute glass or plastic jar and any decorating supplies you need. You can decorate the jar in any way your heart desires. You could add googly eyes and paintings or just keep it basic. On my jar, I added a sticker label explaining the meaning of the present. The top of mine read “The Jar of Nothing” and below it included a description of that nothing. I hope your dad finds this as iconic as mine did. If not, hopefully, you have a back-up gift!
2. A Grilling and Chilling Organizer
Raise your hand if your dad loves to grill. Once the warm sun comes around, your dad finds every way to start firing up the grill. However, sometimes you see him struggle while he looks for the spatula or cooking spray. To prevent his struggles, find a way to keep his space clean and organized. “I would make a grill tool organizer! He loves to cook and always cooks dinner on the grill,” University of Florida junior Kennedy Hartman said. With this beautiful outdoor furniture decoration, your dad will feel fully prepared for the next cookout.
You only need the basic building supplies to get this one done. If your tool shed lacks some love, you can find these supplies anywhere for as low at $5 (shout out Home Depot). Storage units come in many shapes and styles; however, I suggest just building a simple box cabinet. Depending on your building experience, this could only take only an hour. This DIY gift can seem a little tough if you missed the latest episode of Bob the Builder. However, if your carpentry skill set doesn’t blend with the directions below to making a cabinet, just buy one and decorate it yourself!
Directions:
For a basic cabinet, you only need some wood, chains, nails and screw hooks. You can form the shelves in any order you want and just nail them in place! For the hooks, just screw below the cabinet or inside the box. This way you can hang accessible utensils.
3. A DIY Dad Pack
Want to get your dad a DIY gift basket perfect for Father’s Day? This perfect package lets him finally take a rest day. With a basket full of his favorite beers and movie snacks you can’t go wrong. Pick a theme for the basket and run with it to really tie it all together. The theme “a basket full of happiness” tends to work wonders. Within it, it contains all things yellow, this color exudes happiness and all of your dad’s favorite things. I like to buy some snacks, write notes and include other yellow objects.
If you run out of ideas to fill the basket, just think of your dad’s hobbies and interests. For example, if your dad likes to practice hitting baseballs with you, fill up the basket with some baseballs. He can never have too many! These types of gifts show you care and pay attention to his interests. Don’t forget to include a heartfelt Father’s Day card (bonus points if you also DIY this part)!
4. Paper Ties
Not into making complex crafts? Take up paper folding (I recommend searching origami on Pinterest). “I used to make my dad paper ties. Kind of tacky, but he liked them!” University of Florida sophomore Alexandra Herbert said. Even the little ones can get in on this gift. Look at this as a chance to bond with your younger siblings. Let them in on the fun and train them for their years to come!
Just decorate a pre-cut construction paper tie. If you don’t have a tie to trace, cut a rectangle to 8 inches by 3 inches and fold over the bottom edges to form a point. Decorate the tie in any way you want! Some take intricate artistic direction, while others call scribbling a form of art. At least try to make it look nice in case he wants to wear it to work. For Father’s Day, you might want to write a cute message on the back of the tie to remind him how much he means to you.
5. A Tie Display
You need something to hang those paper ties on! Try making your own tie rack with just a board, hammer and nails. This adorable way to hang ties allows him to create a full-on display with them. It works perfectly for keeping them organized. Now when your dad runs late for work, he can snag a tie off the nail without making a mess of things. For this DIY project, gather a board 1 inch by 12 inches, another board 1 inch by 3 inches, wood stain, paper towels, wood glue, saw, 2.5-inch old fashioned nails, brad nailer, hammer, hand sander, pencil, measuring tape, hammer, clear matte spray sealer and2 sawtooth hangers.
Directions:
Cut your boards to 27.5 inches with a saw. (If you don’t have previous experience with a saw, please ask a guardian, who isn’t your dad, for help!) Next, lightly sand the edges and add a coat of wood stain. Apply wood glue along the long top side of your 11-inch by 12-inch board. Make sure the glue evened throughout, then press on the 1-inch by 3-inch board to the top of the larger board. This should create a nice perpendicular “L” shape.
Now grab your brad nailer and place brads every few inches across the top of the ledge. This will help you hang it on the wall when you finish! When the glue dries, sand out the edges and flat surfaces. This gives the wood a distressed look. Next, mark out where you want to place your nails with a pencil. Using your hammer, slam in the nails, add your hangers to the brads and voila!
6. Personalized Beer Glasses
Most dads all have a singular passion in common: their love for beer. If you want to get your dad something that he can use daily, look out for this gift. A personalized engraved beer glass allows you to put your twist on things. “I did an engraved beer glass that said ‘dad’ and had my sisters and my birth dates on it. My of age sibling bought some of his favorite beers to go with it,” University of Florida sophomore Grace Oldham said. If you want to try and DIY this in an even simpler way, you can easily do the same with a sticker and a cup.
Sometimes you can head over to a pottery shop and they can fire something up for you. The best way to stick something onto glass is by using Mod Podge or any water-based sealant. You can lay an image over a piece of glass and simply glue it on. Whether you add a family inside joke or important dates, the cup will remind him of you every time he takes a swig of his beer. The glass adds a personal touch that only your family could understand. This makes the glass special and close to the heart.
7. A Personalized Bottle Opener
If he loves the personal beer glass you created, he will obviously want to use it immediately. May as well add this to the gift as well! A personalized beer opener shows that you pay attention. Typically, dads like to carry convenient objects on them. Anything that can fit in their pockets and have a useful purpose, count them in. The personalization and decoration could relate back to something you both have in common. For example, my dad and I watch the baseball season every spring. For extra luck, I would make him a Boston Red Sox opener. Do something similar that applies to your dad and that way, a bond will always keep you together in this tiny bottle opener.
If you think your dad might like a decoration for the party scene, make a structured beer opener. “You can get the metal piece from a craft store or online and attach it to whatever you want to make,” University of Florida senior Emily Conn said. This gift only requires two screws to lock the opener in place. You can decorate these boards to fit any sports team your dad raves for. If you can’t think of anything, just paint on a cheesy quote or a line from your dad’s favorite movie. Get out your lucky bottle opener, sit back and relax this Father’s Day.
8. Some Good Old Fashioned Baked Goods
You can never go wrong with some fresh baked goods. Find some basic ingredients in your pantry to create your dad’s favorite treat. This always becomes my go-to for last-minute presents. People can never complain about a whole batch of brownies just for them. If you pay attention, you might just know the secret treat your dad likes.
To really impress your dad, I suggest making Cookies and Cream Blondies. This recipe serves 15 people and it only takes one hour to make! For ingredients, gather 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 3/4 cup of melted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 1 1/2 cup of any cookies & cream chocolate bar chopped. Oreos are optional but encouraged!
Directions:
First, preheat your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9-inch by 13-inch pan with parchment paper. Then, grab your biggest mixing bowl and stir together the flour, salt and baking soda. Set this aside for now, we will get back to it later. Next, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugars until fluffy. Once it looks like clouds in your bowl, throw in the eggs and vanilla. Beat this like you would beat up an annoying fly. Slowly add in your flour mixture and fold in your candies (include Oreos at this step).
Finally, spread the batter evenly throughout the pan and bake until the edges turn golden for 20-25 minutes. Once done, make sure to allow them to cool completely before slicing (or else they will turn into cookie crumbs). To boost this gift a little, make the blondies extra presentable. Try placing them in a cute little gift box. Don’t forget the bow on top!
9. A One-of-a-kind “Love You to Pieces” Puzzle
You know that old puzzle you never use? Don’t through it in the trash, instead make something new out of it. Take your old puzzle and upgrade it into a puzzle of you and your dad. Go through your old photos and find the best picture of you and your dad. Next, put the puzzle together and paint the top white. Make sure the original picture gets fully covered up! Eventually, you want to grab your favorite photo and print it onto the puzzle pieces at your local printing shop. The presentation means everything with this gift. Putting the puzzle together and finding out the image forms half the fun. To display the present, put everything in a small box and write on the top a heartfelt message and “love you to pieces” (dads love puns!)
10. A Handwritten Letter
I saved the best for last because people wouldn’t expect this to mean as much as it does. Simply writing a letter to your dad can express more than a simple object. Words weigh more because it really is just thought that counts. Letters take a deep amount of creativity and effort to create. “Anything sentimental while talking about how much you love them and appreciate them… are better than physical gifts,” Seminole State College junior Isaiah Padilla said. Handwrite (or type if you write in chicken scratch) your letter and stick it an envelope. Go to town decorating it to level up the amount of DIY going into it. Take this opportunity to show your dad you love and appreciate him; I promise you that you don’t say it enough! If you’re lucky, you might get him to shed a tear.
