Thinking of the perfect gift for any occasion can be a struggle. I’ve definitely had my share of shopping sprees where countless hours later, I’m still left giftless and broke as ever. And for holidays like Father’s Day, finding a gift always seems like the hardest part. I’m left scratching my head trying to think of ideas that aren’t too expensive but will still make a great present. After all, as the kids that loved (and probably still do) to test our parents’ patience, we do kind of owe them a little something now and again.
So with Father’s Day coming up, panic might began to settle in. You might be left scramming to think of something—anything! But as I’ve recalled, you might end up rubbing your head in frustration from finding nothing. So then, what to do?
Three letters – DIY! Do it yourself! The random world of making stuff!
Now, I know making a gift might sound way too hard. Heck, it might sound like it’ll take too long when you need a gift stat. But thanks to Pinterest, I got a couple of suggestions that are pretty easy, don’t take too long, and are most importantly bound to put a smile on your father’s face! Even better, you won’t be left crying from how empty your pockets are.
- Photo Luminaries
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I’ve actually made this gift before and let me tell you—it was easy and I loved the result. It took maybe an hour or less to make the gift. It ended up exactly as I wanted and I can assure you, everyone loved it! All you need are four frames, vellum paper, printed photos, superglue, and tea lights/LED candles. Fortunately, frames are super cheap at Dollar Tree and vellum paper is easily found at Michaels or Amazon.com. If you don’t own a printer, stores like OfficeMax offer printing. The concept of this gift is pretty simple. Once you print four pictures on your vellum paper, you glue the frames together to make a square, put the vellum paper in front of the frame glass then bam—You’re done! You end up with a beautiful creation you can be proud of and a happy Dad! It’s a win-win.
- Photo Canvas
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This one is a favorite of mine and something I’ve done multiple times. I can’t help it, it’s that cool! I mean, how can someone possibly hate seeing a favorite picture of theirs be turned into art, right? But as the picture shows, that’s pretty much what this special DIY does. You can transfer any picture you print onto a canvas so it looks like art. From first glance, it might look hard, but I can assure you, it’s pretty simple. You only need a canvas, Mod Podge (which you can get at Michaels or Walmart), and a printed photo. It’s recommended to use a laser printer but I’ve used an ink one and it worked out pretty alright since I printed black and white images. Laser would probably be best if you want to use color. I would at least give yourself two days before giving it away since the photo needs to dry on the canvas. Click on the youtube video for more info!
- T-Shirt
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Attaching a cool design on a shirt might sound hard but through a couple tools, it’s actually pretty doable! Thanks to an article in SheKnows by Jessica Watson, it’s possible for anyone to make a special shirt just for Dad! You do need a couple things such as a plain T-shirt, a bleach pen, a craft knife, vellum paper, spray adhesive, cardboard, and a printed design, however they’re all easily accessible and cheap to make the perfect DIY T-shirt. Plus, this gives you the chance to put in a little creativity by creating your own design. Or if you like the one in the image, Watson offers a free downloadable template in her article. I’d never created a T-shirt as a gift but now, I’m definitely planning on making it soon!
- Wooden Letter Photo Collage
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I made this idea for Christmas once. To this day, my mom still hangs her wooden ‘LOVE’ letters covered in pictures along the hallway, so I can definitely say a parent would love having this. It’s very simple to make, although it does take a bit of time, effort, and of course, creativity. However, I can definitely say I had fun picking out the pictures for my letters, feeling totally nostalgic along the way. I personally only used Mod Podge, a brush, and scissors to make my letters, but the youtube video above will definitely help to make a perfect collage.
- Money Origami
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What never fails to be a good gift is money. Yes, I know money doesn’t buy happiness but boy can it make a parent very excited to go treat themselves, especially when they’re surprised to find it as an incredible creation such as a ring or a crown. Origami is always fun, so if you find giving money to be too boring, folding it into something fun will definitely make you feel a lot better. This, along with a card, can make a pretty awesome gift for any Dad! And the beautiful thing about money is that the trusty one dollar bill exists so no need to worry about using too much money to make something awesome. There are so many different things you can make with money and the Internet being the Internet, there’s probably a Youtube video for it. So when in doubt, go with money!
Now, these are only five DIY suggestions I found along the way. I can assure you there is plenty more so if you want to see more, go out there and search! You’re bound to find the perfect gift!