Homemade Gifts for Dads

It can be notoriously hard to buy gifts for men, but crafting a gift for your dad is possible. Making gifts for dads may seem daunting, but there are opportunities to craft a gift for a father that he will love, and will be the hit of the gift giving season. Here are four ideas for homemade gifts for dads.

Photo Albums to Craft for Dad

Homemade scrapbooks and custom photo albums are great gifts for fathers of any age. Young children can include pictures they've drawn and dictate stories for the album, and older kids and even adult children can contribute favorite memories or things they love best about their dad. Lots and lots of pictures of the kids at all ages and in all settings and moods, plus photos of the family all together and dad with each kid will mean a lot to any dad. This gift will be treasured for a lifetime.

Hand Print Gifts Dad Will Love

This gift is most appropriate for young children to present. A father will always love to see a reminder of the tiny hands that he held before they get too big. Handprint gifts can be simple, such as a set of hands stamped with gold or silver ink or paint on dark paper, matted and framed, or they can be elaborate, like stepping stones for the garden, with hands from every family member represented on their own stone. Plaster handprint wall plaque kits are readily available from craft stores, as are cement stepping stone kits that are appropriate for outdoor use.

Knitting Items Perfect for Fathers

If an older child or even a grown child knows how to knit or crochet, an ideal gift to give a father is a wooly item that will warm him and remind him every time he dons it of the love it represents. One caution, though, some men can be quite particular about what sort of colors/textures they will wear. Make sure that if your dad is the kind of dad that will only wear black or navy socks of a specific kind, that you don't knit him orange wool socks. In this case, consider what he may be less picky about, perhaps a scarf or a warm winter hat. Make sure that the finished item is very soft! Though it may not be stereotypically "manly" men truly appreciate warm, cuddly, soft things.

Jar Filled with Memories of Daddy

This simple gift can be made by the whole family and is the sort of gift that will last all year long, perhaps even for years to come. Each member of the family writes fond memories, inside jokes, well wishes, and things they appreciate about dad on slips of paper. These are rolled or folded up and all placed into a wooden box or decorative jar. Dad can then choose one every day, or just when he needs a pick me up, and enjoy the great things his family has said about him. It is a good idea to have each person write their own memories so he can see the different handwriting, but if the children are too young, they can dictate, and a symbol, such as a heart, star, flower, or smiley face can be assigned to each child, so dad will know who said what.

These gifts are all simple, appropriate for many ages of children to give, and easy to make for dad. Crafting gifts for fathers can be easy when sweet mementos of their children are incorporated in the homemade gift.