Father's Day Gifts To Make - simple crafts

Kids love to create gifts to give Dad on his special day. In my searching for a few new simple yet creative ones I discovered these from a few of my favorite web sites.

Fathers Day Notepad

From: Martha Stewart Living

Let kids redo this basic office staple as a gift for Dad -- their messages will last well beyond Father's Day.

Wrap a rubber band around a notepad cube and have kids write greetings and make drawings on two sides with a broad, pointy marker. (Fine tips will get caught between the pages.) Move band, and decorate the other two sides. Tie the notepad with a colorful ribbon. As an added gift, slide in a pen.

Sources: Blank note cubes, $4.95 for three, from Oriental Trading, 800-228-2269 or orientaltrading.com.

Father's Day Travel Kit

From:Martha Stewart Living

A box full of tools for the road is a useful gift for fathers who travel a lot. Use a sturdy cardboard box that will fit under a car seat. Cut self-adhesive Velcro into small pieces and attach to a tire gauge, flashlight, Swiss Army knife, compass, and other useful tools. Adhere the matching Velcro pieces to the inside of the box top to hold the tools in place. Fill the box with other travel necessities: maps, a pencil, and a notebook for jotting down directions, all neatly rubber-banded together. A hand-printed card on the front of the box states clearly what's inside: "Dad's Travel Kit."

Craft an Apron for Dad
From: Better Homes and Gardens

If Dad likes to BBQ, make him a special apron. Trace shapes of a hamburger, ketchup and mustard bottles, and other grilling accessories onto felt squares. Cut out the shapes and attach them to the apron using craft glue.

Family Marble Magnets

By: Amanda Formaro - www.kaboose.com

Give a set of these adorable little magnets and your parents will need no reminder of how much you love them! These make a perfect gift for Mother's Day or Father's Day.

What you'll need:

• Photographs of family members
• Flat backed clear marbles
• Round magnets
• White craft glue
• Scissors

How to make it:

1. Choose photos that have family members smiling and their faces will fit inside the marble. Place the marble onto the photo to gauge size. This is great for using snapshots that don’t have very good framing or are otherwise not frame worthy. (See photo.)
2. Once you have decided on a photo, place marble over face and trace around with a pen. (See photo.)
3. Cut the face out inside the trace line.
4. Use your finger to smear a thin layer of white glue onto the flat back of the marble.
5. Press the marble gently down onto the cut out photo face. Allow to dry. 6. Glue a magnet to the back and let dry. (See photo.)

Tips:

• If you prefer not to cut up photos, kids can draw faces on white paper using crayons. Markers may run with the glue, so crayons are best.
• Make a great gift set by creating magnets using the faces of everyone in your family--Mom, Dad, brother, sister, and even your pet!
• These are perfect for hanging on an office file cabinet, at home on the fridge or on Dad’s toolbox.

Dad & Me Coffee Mug

By: Amanda Formaro www.kaboose.com

Use your fingerprints and paint to make a useful keepsake gift for Dad. This simple but adorable cup says it all!

What you'll need:

• White coffee mug
• Enamel paints: black, red, blue or pink
• Thin pointed paint brush
  

How to make it:

1. Be sure that coffee mug is clean and dry.
2. Use child’s thumb and red enamel paint to add the “daddy” figure on the cup. You can make the figure larger if it looks too small.
3. Use blue paint (or pink for a girl) and pointing finger to add the child on the cup.
4. Use a thin paint brush to draw on legs and arms, connect arms between characters so that they are holding hands.
5. Use thin paintbrush to add hair.
6. Use thin paintbrush to write “Daddy” above the characters and “& me” below the characters.
7. Bake mug in the oven as directed on the back of the enamel paint bottle. You can also air dry, however air drying requires many days as opposed to a few hours in a low temp oven.

Tips:

• Acrylic paints will wash off this mug. However, if the mug will be used for decorative purposes only you may use acrylic paints and coat with acrylic sealer. Wipe clean with a damp cloth when needed.
• Check your local dollar store for inexpensive mugs.
• Personalize this mug even more by writing your dad’s first name on the other side.