Father's Day Crafts for Kids

Father's Day just screams for the personal touch. The old cliche of dad getting a tie and trying to look happy about it just isn't good enough anymore. Whether you look at it as "old" or "new," crafts lovingly made by the kids are a perfect way to go. They include the whole "thought that counts" idea, and when done right, can actually be useful, artistic or just plain sweet enough to make fathers everywhere beam with pride.

From keepsakes to tin picture albums, there's a craft that kids can easily do for Father's Day that will make everyone happy. Here are all the ideas and resources you need to help your kids craft a great impact for their dads this Father's Day.

Tin Books

Tin books are a great craft -- for Father's Day or any other occasion. In their basic form, a tin book is an altered (painted and decorated) Altoids tin that has an accordion book inside.

What the Kids Need:
1 Altoids Tin
Paint and Decorations
Glue (Modge Podge is great for glue and to seal everything)
Scissors
Paper & Pictures

What to Do:
There are two ways to create a tin book; with a scrapbook template, or completely from scratch. If they'll be making the book from scratch, they'll need some help. Take a piece of paper and trim it (along the long side) so that it will fit inside the tin. Then, fold it accordion style. Let the kids decorate all the pages and the tin - inside and out - and glue the back page of the accordion book into the tin.

A much nicer way to do this is to purchase a scrapbook template to use. They come in a wide variety of styles, and won't even set you back $5. Digital Candy has some templates for the comfortable Photoshop user (many kids can probably do this themselves) here, and The Shabby Shoppe has a ton of GREAT ones that are ready to print and stick pictures right onto (just look for the Tin Album offerings) - theirs even comes with a fantastic guide that leads the kids through the whole craft process of making the album.

Have little ones who would like to give daddy something special but can't quite make a tin book themselves? Let them help you compile something like this example at Mama Urchin's blog.

Footprints Keepsake

Definitely a craft for the younger (still so-so-sweet set) kids, this is a great project to work on together to surprise your favorite dad on Father's Day. All it takes is a piece of card stock, some paint and a little bit of computer printing to create something that will tug daddy's heart strings.

What the Kids Need:
1 piece of 8.5 x 11 card stock - printed
Water-based Paint

What to Do:
First, print out a large foot on the card stock with a poem printed beside it. The second illustration attached to this article is an example. This can be done in any text editor or graphics program you like, or you can grab a ready-made graphic here (in PDF format).

After the page is printed, help youngsters paint the bottom of their foot with a thin layer of water-based paint (a sponge roller is perfect so that you don't apply too much paint) and step on the piece of paper where it isn't printed. Wrap it up and gift!

Cup of Love

A craft that kids of all ages can make, a mug is perfect for the father who can't make it through the morning without his coffee. Pair it up with some kid-made artwork, and dad just might crack a smile to start his day!

What the Kids Need:
1 Plain (not decorated) Mug
1 Set of Ceramic Paints
Paintbrushes

What to Do:
Lay out newspaper to protect the surface kids will be working on (ceramic paint will not come out!) and let them decorate away. Once the mug is done to their liking, follow the manufacturer's directions to set the paint. Generally, the mug will have to be baked, but definitely check the specific directions on the packaging.

Not so "crafty" but a definite bonus would be to pair the mug up with some handmade treats - brownies, snack mix or anything else that dad would really love can be slipped right inside the mug for a special extra.