Easy Homemade Crafts for Father's Day

Creating a craft for Father's Day can be easy and fun.

Father's Day is a day to express to the father, grandfather, husband or father-figure in your life how much you care and appreciate him. When assisting a young child with gift giving, an easy homemade or handmade craft can be a unique and special way to show this love. Father's Day is a tradition that was created by Sonora Louise Smart Dodd, the oldest of six children being raised by her father. In 1909, she became determined to create a day to honor her dad after listening to a sermon on the subject of Mother's Day and it was established as a permanent day of observation by President Nixon in 1972.

Cards

A homemade card may serve as an easy, creative and fun task for Father's Day. To create a card, start by folding a piece of paper or card stock in half. Provide the child with crayons or markers, allowing him to use his imagination to decorate the card. If the child's age and ability allows, encourage him to depict memories or favorite activities he likes to participate in with his dad. There are numerous poems written on the topic of Father's Day, as well as on the father-child relationship, that you can quote in a homemade card. Using photographs, stickers, sparkles or other crafting tools can add to the excitement for Dad and the little crafter.

Office-Themed Craft

An office-themed gift such as a paperweight is fairly easy and can be created using things that are available in most homes. Help the child find a fairly smooth rock that is roughly the size of the palm of your hand. Wash and dry the rock prior to decorating it. Provide paint, brushes, and any other art supplies you have available (sparkles, stickers, etc.). Allow the child to use the supplies to create a masterpiece that can serve as a trophy of love on Dad's desk for years to come.

Gifts That Dad Can Wear

Kids love to create gifts from the heart.

Gifts that Dad can wear, such as a decorated T-shirt, may entail a trip to the craft store for supplies, but can turn out to be a unique gift that Dad can wear with pride. Purchase fabric paint and the correct size T-shirt (pre-wash prior to decoration). Using a pencil and paper, have the child create a draft or plan for how she plans to decorate the item of clothing then let her loose with the fabric paints. She can depict a memory or favorite activity or apply her handprints to the shirt. Adding an iron-on patch is also an option for the adult supervising the creative session. Take care to read the paint instructions to allow for enough drying time prior to gift giving.

Foods

If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, then what better way to celebrate Dad than with a special meal? Working with children to create a favorite meal or special dessert is one idea. Waking Dad up with breakfast-in-bed, made with the most important ingredient, love, may also be a memorable way to start Father's Day. Creating a coupon book to be presented to Dad with coupons for various preferred meals or treats that can be cashed-in in the future is an easy craft to pull together. Create a list of Dad's five to 10 favorite meals or treats. Using index cards, assist the child in creating a card with the name or a picture of each special meal or treat. Also have the child create a cover page for her book. Punch a hole in the top left corner of the cards and string them together with a piece of ribbon, cover page first, to create a gift that will continue to give in the days ahead.

References

• Kaboose: All About Father's Day
• Making Friends: Gifts to Make for Dad's Desk