Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Father's Day DIY

It's almost Dad's big day and if you find yourself scrambling for a great gift, I've got a few crafty - yet memorable - ideas for you for kids of all ages!

Personalized Picasso

When my daughter was two, she made a special Father's Day present for my husband - a painting with her hand print on it that my husband cherishes to this day.  It's such an easy and inexpensive project, yet it's sure to be treasured. Simply purchase a canvas at your local art supply store or dollar store (this is where I get mine... they have amazing canvases for only $1-2!), and set up a tray with assorted washable paint colors for your child to use; consider the use of a smock.  
Tip: a plastic egg carton works great as a paint tray - it's the perfect size.
If you have a very young child doing this project and don't want the colors to end up turning into brown on the canvas, hand your child a clean brush every few minutes and gently instruct them to try a new color. Be sure to personalize their painting even more by adding a hand print to their masterpiece. It will be a great reminder just how small they were when they made this.

Want to make it even more special? Be sure to document the entire experience (photographs, video) and either print off a photo and slide it in the back of the canvas, or give Dad a DVD of the creative process. He's sure to treasure it!

Fimo Fingerprints

Every kid that has tried Fimo simply LOVES it. Know why? Because they get to immortalize their creations forever (via baking/hardening)! No matter the age(s) of your child(ren), you can create an amazing - and practical - gift for Dad using Fimo and a few other supplies found at art supply or dollar stores.

Key Chain 

Supplies: Fimo, leather cord, split ring

Cut a rectangular piece of Fimo - any size you'd like your keychain to be - and make a hole using an awl or a very sharp pencil at one end of it (it must be big enough to accommodate two widths of leather cord). Next, have your child(ren) put their fingerprint(s) in it and bake per the instructions on the Fimo package; let cool. Cut a 6" piece of leather cord and fold in half around the split ring; put cut ends of the cord through the hole that you made in the Fimo; then, with both ends together, tie a simple knot at the end. (Feel free to experiment with other ways to attach the Fimo and split ring; jump rings also work well, in place of leather cord.)

Bookmark

Supplies: Fimo, leather cord

Follow the instructions as noted above (for keychain), only cut the Fimo larger (bookmark size) and finish the top off with a piece of leather cord folded in half, looped end through the hole in the top of the Fimo, and cut ends pulled through loop to form a sort of tassel.

I hope these inexpensive, last-minute, low-stress gift ideas help make this coming Father's Day a great one! And if you have any fabulous DIY gift ideas to share please comment below, post on our Facebook or Google+ pages, pin them on Pinterest (tag us so we can re-pin!), or tweet us. We would love to share your ideas with the rest of our fans!

10 comments:

Multi-Testing Mommy said...

You've got some great Father's Day ideas here! Thanks for sharing.

Aeryn Lynne said...

Oooh, filming the gift being made is such a fantastic idea! All these different gifts would make any dad happy, awesome suggestions. :)

Anonymous said...

Love the ideas! My hubby isn't one for purchased or store bought gifts on Father's Day - he loves gifts that come from the heart. Last year we made him a personalized beer cozy, DAD frame and picture.

Kat Gignac said...

Thanks for sharing these fun ideas! I always struggle with Father's Day gifts but that Fimo looks like a great easy craft material to make pretty gifts quick! :)

Anonymous said...

Great ideas!

I may be weird but never heard of Fimo before!

Anonymous said...

Great ideas!

I may be weird but I had never heard of Fimo before.

Unknown said...

Oh, I love these ideas! Thanks for sharing. We still have to work on Little One's Father's Day gifts for her Dad and mine for my Dad! Slackers...I know! LOL!

Bonnie Way aka the Koala Mom said...

Those are great ideas! I used Fimo when I was younger, but hadn't thought of it as a craft item for my kids. I'll check it out! :) Thanks for sharing the ideas.

Sober Julie said...

I love Fimo, these are great tips

Nolie said...

I really need to get stuff in this house for arts and crafts.