Handcrafted, homemade Father’s Day gifts will make Dad’s day

Sure you could run to the store and pick out yet another tie for dad. Or the infamous soap-on-a-rope.

Or you could do something special this year and give dad something from your heart. The best of the best?  Homemade Father’s Day gifts. That special something crafted with your own two hands.

There are lots of choices for handmade gifts. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Homemade food gifts

Dad loves to eat, so why not give him a gift from the kitchen? Even if you’re not a culinary master, you can make something special and delicious for dad, like:

Homemade fudge.  This is probably one of the simplest candy recipes available, The recipe is on every jar of Marshmallow Fluff? and on most bags of marshmallows. A few ingredients, a pan and in about 30 minutes, you have homemade fudge, one of the easiest homemade Father’s Day gifts to make, and sure to be a favorite.

Cookies.  Who doesn’t like cookies? Or more specifically, what dad doesn’t like cookies? If you’re handy in the kitchen, whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies or Snickerdoodles. If you’re kitchen-challenged, grab a cookie mix, gourmet frozen cookie dough, or even one of those slice-and-bake rolls of cookie dough from the grocery store.  Serve them hot with a cold glass of milk. Perfect!

Dad’s favorite supper. If you’re up for the challenge, how about making your dad’s favorite foods as a Father’s Day dinner? Whether it’s steak on the grill or spaghetti topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, making his favorite meal is a wonderful and very homemade gift.
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Homemade crafts

If you’re looking for longer lasting homemade Father’s Day gifts, consider a craft. There are lots of inexpensive and simple craft projects that would be wonderful gifts for dad this Father’s Day. Have you considered:

A paperweight. Whether you stack and glue alphabet blocks like in the photo above, sculpt an original image in clay, or create a work of art from found objects, a paperweight is a great choice for dad.

If you opt for the found art, try to use images or pieces of things dad loves to create your work of art, like hooks and bobbers for a fishing dad, bits of circuit boards and computer keys for a geeky dad, or golf balls and tees for a dad who loves spending a weekend morning on the green.

Pen/pencil cup. Yes, it’s an oldie, but hey, dads still need something to hold pens on their desk. Start with a clean food can with the label removed and the sharp edges smoothed. Wrap it in fabric, cover it in pictures, decorate it with trinkets, or paint it with color and glitter. Dad will be proud to display it on his desk!

Coupon grab bag. Decorate a paper bag with pictures and sayings for dad.  Make gift coupons for things dad would like, like a free pass on taking out the garbage (you’ll do it for him), a big hug, a cup of coffee or tea in the evening, a no-whine day.  Dad will have as much fun reading the coupons as he will using them!

A “handpainted” t-shirt. Of all the homemade Father’s Day gifts you could create, a t-shirt decorated with the handprints of his children (or grandchildren) will be one of the most treasured. Start with a new, freshly washed and dried cotton t-shirt. Paint hands with fabric paint and press onto the shirt. Let it dry, then add names or signatures on or near each handprint. Your dad will proudly wear his very own “handmade” dad shirt all day long!

No matter what you choose, giving dad homemade – and even humorous – Father’s Day gifts is a loving and special way to tell dad just how much you appreciate all he does.