Father’s Day Gift Inspiration

Get inspired with these Father’s Day gift ideas.

Stuck on what to get Dad this Father’s Day? Don’t worry, your gift inspiration is right here!

Yes, you already know this…every gift is better with something handmade to go along with it!  So, this Father’s Day, give Dad a personalized DIY gift from the heart to go along with his store bought Father’s Day present.

Here’s how it works, after you buy “the present” for Dad, let’s figure out the real gift that pairs perfectly with it.  And since Dads these days have all kinds of interests (after you being the #1 interest, of course), we’ve got you covered with DIY gift ideas for all of them!

Let’s start with the active Dad who just loves the outdoors:

1) If he’s a golfer….

…..give him personalized golf balls or a new club and make a DIY Golf Tee Picture Frame. You simply snag some golf tees from his bag and glue them around the frame. Slide in your favorite photo and it’s the perfect compliment to an already amazing gift.

2) If he’s a fisherman…

…give him a new fishing pole or tackle box and make him a fishing lure frame.  Idea is the same as above but instead of golf tees, grab some clean and new vibrant colored fishing lures and glue them on a frame around a dear old Dad.

Next up, the Rock n Roll Dad!

3) If he is a headbanger, classic rocker, or can even lay down his own fat-bass licks…

…give him tickets to a summer concert and make an upcrafted CD cover lamp shade and a cassette tape mirror – because who’s using CDs and cassette tapes any more?

To craft the lamp, make color copies of the CD covers and decoupage them on the outside of the lamp shade.  Once it’s dry, spray it with a protective coating and add the shape back on the lamp stand. When the flickers thru the artful CD covers Dad will feel like he’s at his favorite concert.

For the mirror, pick up lots of old cassette tapes. You can find loads of them at antique malls, garage sales and thrift stores across the country! Select the mirror you want to decorate, it’s helpful if it has a 2 inch framed border around it, arrange the cassettes on top and glue them in place. We like to use E6000 glue for maximum strength. So turn up the volume and get ready. For Dad’s about to rock, we salute you.

For the car loving Dad:

4) If he’s a gear head or an automobile enthusiast…

…give him a new car accessory and make car washing mitts from his old robe. Of course Car Dad wants his ride to be shiny and clean all the time, so give him the gift of clean! Here’s how you do it, Dad probably has an old bathrobe laying around and since most bathrooms are made of terrycloth and that’s what we use to clean our cars…. cut up the robe and make easy sew car wash mitts from it. You can buy a basic cotton cuff at the fabric store and the rest is easy; draw 2 mitt shaped pieces from the robe and sew them together. Add the cuffs and you’re done. Make a few because you know how much Dad like to get outside and wash the car! Pair the mitts with a new bucket and some car wash soap!

For the Dad who travels:

5) If Dad is always on the go and has more miles in the air than in his car…

…give him a weekend staycation at his favorite spa and make him a Dopp bag from a pair of jeans. You will use the top portion of the jeans to create a bag; just cut the legs off, add a zipper across the top waistband and add a piece of denim to create a flat bottom.

Dad can use the front and back pockets for clippers and lotions and almost anything he can carry and he can toss his toiletries inside.

For the Cigar loving DAD:

6) If Dad likes to enjoy the perfect stogy or considers himself a cigar aficionado…

…give him a box of his favorite cigars and make an upcrafted cigar box caddy and fill it with reasons why you love him. After he gets thru reading all those heartfelt love notes, the caddy can be used to store for his collar stays, cufflinks, watch, and more!

For the Book-worm DAD:

7) If Dad loooooves to read…

….give him the top 3 summer must have reads and make an upcrafted necktie eyeglass case. It’s easy, just snag an old tie from his closet, because no one is wearing ties any more and he won’t miss it, cut off the long skinny part, fold up the bottom and hem the raw edge. Add a piece of hook and loop fastener to the pointy side and inside of the tie and it’s the perfect pocket to slip his reading glasses in… and it’s protective too!

For the Mr Fix it DAD:

8) If Dad likes to tinker around the house or if he actually can fix things…

…give him a new toolbox or power saw and make a DIY hammer photo frame using all the leftovers from his last project. You’ll need a remnant from a wooden handrail, paint stir, old frame, and a hammer.  Glue the hammer on to the handrail, add the frame to one of the ends of the hammer and glue it in place. Stain the paint stir to match the wood color of the handrail and hammer, or alternatively you could paint them all the same or different colors. Then print out a tagline and glue it on the paint stir, think of something like, “World’s Best Dad”.

Slip in a fun photo of you and your Dad and it’s the perfect gift for the handyman in your house!

For the ultimate Sports fan Dad:

9) If you have a sports fan dad with a great man cave…

…give him a new flat screen TV or fancy sound system and make custom team pillow from his old sweatshirts and t-shirts.  You can also create a comfy oversized varsity letter chair which is always a bonus for any man cave.

To make the team pillows, cut a sweatshirt or tshirt into the size of the pillow form. Making sure to use the large team logo for the front of the pillow, you can use the same sweatshirt for the back of the pillow or use a complimenting fabric.  Add a zipper and with the fabric right sides together, sew three sides together. Turn it right side out and stuff the pillow inside. Nothing says GO TEAM more than custom pillow for the sports fan in your life!

And if that’s not enough, turn his tshirts into a grilling apron! It’s a great way to upcycle old tshirts and clean out the closet!  Now everybody is happy!

So there you have it! Lots of ideas for all types of Dads… now you just can’t say you don’t know what to get Dad any more because with a little inspiration and a lot of imagination you can celebrate the Dad in your life and still be his favorite!