Christmas-Gift Ideas for a Father

This year make sure Santa brings dad a gift he'll love.

If you're looking to get dad a Christmas gift he'll enjoy, nix the jingle bell socks and the drugstore cologne. Go for personalized gifts that show you put some thought into it. This year, give dad a Christmas gift that's practical and something he can -- and will -- use. Ideas include photo gifts, music-themed gifts and gadgets for the tech-savvy dad.

Photo

Make an album of dad's cherished photos.

Give dad a photo album of some of his favorite pictures. Create the photo album in chronological order. For instance, in the front, stick in his early childhood photos of your dad and his siblings. Next, put in photos of wedding pictures of your parents. The next section could be pictures of you and your siblings. Other sections may include you and your sibling's wedding photos and grandchildren. This places all his cherished photos into one album and gives dad and the family a chance to reminisce. Another gift option is a sterling-silver frame. Insert the wedding picture of your parents and have the frame engraved with the date and place of the wedding. You can also insert a family photo inside the frame. Engrave the frame with the family name and the date the photo was taken.

Music

Give dad a gift basket full of his favorite CDs.

If dad is a musical guru and enjoys fiddling with instruments, go ahead and get him that banjo or that saxophone he's always wanted to learn how to play. Sign him up for lessons. If dad is more about listening to music rather than playing it, give him a gift basket with several of his favorite CDs inside. If he enjoys classical, stick in a few Mozart and Beethoven CDs. If you're unsure of his musical tastes, purchase a subscription to an online music downloading site and allow him to choose his music.

Gadgets

If dad is into gadgets and music, combine the two loves and purchase items such as an electronic music synthesizer shirt, which actually plays music. If he prefers to watch television after work and on the weekends, go for something like a magical wand programmable television remote. (See Resources.) If dad is constantly charging his phone, purchase a mobile charging station so he can do it whenever needed. If dad is a cooking whiz, purchase items like a wireless talking barbecue thermometer or an infrared laser barbecue thermometer. Items like this can be purchased online.

Gift Certificates

A gift certificate is a lifesaver when you have absolutely no idea what to purchase for someone. Purchase a gift certificate to dad's favorite golfing store or to a bookstore if he likes read. Give dad a gift certificate to his favorite restaurant so he and mom can have a romantic dinner together. If you don't know dad's taste in clothes, buy a gift certificate to his favorite clothing store.

References

• Gift Ideas for Dad: Gift Ideas for Dad
• Msn.com: Best Tech Gift Ideas for Dads

Resources

• Think Geek: Stuff for Smart Masses