66 Thoughtful DIY Gifts for Dads Who Want for Nothing

When you serve dad his Father's Day brunch, set his plate with a fancy tie napkin fold.

Get the instructions here.

With a clever DIY remote pillow pocket dad won't have to go searching for the remote when he wants to watch his favorite sports team or late night show.

To make: Hand stitch or use Steam-a-Seam to attach a rectangle of fabric to a pillow.

SHOP STEAM-A-SEAM

This is the ideal gift for the dad who loves to hit the links.

To make: Cut a piece of undulating green craft paper and wrap it around a mason jar; taping it in place. Cut a "hole" from darker green craft paper and attach to the "green" with a glue stick. Half a wood coffee stirrer and attach just above the "hole" with glue. Cut a flag from red craft paper, write a hole number on the flag, and glue to the top of the coffee stirrer. Glue a white bead "golf ball" to the green. Fill the jar with golf tees. Write a cute saying on a round piece of craft paper and attach to the mason jar lid.

SHOP GOLF TEES

Show dad you think he's #1 with a DIY prize ribbon made from supplies you probably already have around the house!

To make: Paint a paper plate blue. Cut two ribbon "tails" out of blue craft paper. Attach gold stars (you can cut them from gold paper or use stickers). Attach tails to the back of the paper plate with tape or craft glue. Write #1 in the center of the plate with a gold paint pen. Attach gold tinsel around the center of the plate (you can also draw it on with a gold paint pen).

SHOP PAPER PLATES

Stuff a bag full of dad's favorite snacks and seal it with the cutest DIY airplane made from craft sticks and a clothespin.

To make: Decorate a 6-inch and 4.5-inch craft sticks as desired. Attach to a round wooden clothespins with hot glue. Paint a small round craft bead desired color; attach to the top of the clothespin with hot glue. Cut a 1-inch piece off each end of a wood coffee stirrer; paint black. Attach to the craft bead, with the rounded edges on the outside, creating propeller. Attach a silver bead where the coffee stirrer pieces meet.

SHOP CRAFT STICKS

After spending time making dad a DIY checkerboard you can sit down and challenge him to a game!

To make: Tape off a 64-square pattern on a cutting board with painter's tape (you'll need at least a 16" x 16" board to accommodate standard checkers), then paint on squares with acrylic paint.

SHOP PAINTERS TAPE

Have an old book that can't be saved? If the spine is salvageable, use it to help dad mark his place in the next novel he reads.

To make: Using a utility knife, remove the spine, then line the inside with patterned contact paper. Punch a hole at the top and thread twine through.

SHOP EXACTO KNIFE

Dad will love this seen-better-days kettle grill repurposed into a nostalgia-inducing cooler. After cleaning—consider repainting the inside if it’s rusty—cover the interior vents with foil to slow dripping.

Light the way to dad-centric festivities by transforming small metal tins into lanterns.

To make: Use an electric drill to make holes all around the metal cans, and place candles in the bottoms (put candles in glass cylinder votive holders or vases to make them last longer.). Set the tins along a path, by an entry, or on a table.

SHOP DRILL BITS

Play homage to dad's home state by covering a mail bin with a bold-colored plate using hot glue or screws

The ideal gift for the dad who loves to spend time outback barbecuing a delicious meal for friends and family.

To make: Use fabric markers or fabric paint and a small paint brush to paint "grill master" and a grill on a plain canvas apron. Once dry, have kids dip their pinky fingers in orange, red, and yellow paint and press onto apron, just above grill grates, to create flames.

SHOP MARKERS

Make Dad a catch-all dish where he can stash those trinkets you collect together on your outdoor adventures.

To make: Pinch and shape oven-bake clay into a small, shallow dish. Bake according to manufacturers directions. Paint as desired with acrylic paint. Once dry, seal with satin-finish Mod Podge.

SHOP OVEN-BAKE CLAY

Cut out dad's initials from an old or expired plate and turn them into keychains. Be sure to sand down the sharp edges.

Dad will be filled with joy while sipping cans of his favorite summer chiller out of this DIY drink koozie.

To make: Cut a length of craft foam that is just shorter than a can. Wrap around can and cut the length so that it just overlaps itself. Have kids draw a picture on the foam with fabric markers. Add a piece of velcro to the back to keep it closed.

SHOP FOAM SHEETS

The next time Dad tries to throw out his old button-downs, nab a few to use for this crafty pillow project.

Step 1: Iron shirt to smooth out all wrinkles. Button it, then pin the shirt's front and back to each other to keep them together when cutting.

Step 2: Cut out the shirt to match the shape of your pillow insert—adding two inches to both the width and length, and centering the row of buttons down the front. (You'll now have two pieces of fabric.)

Step 3: Repin the fabric so the shirt's finished sides face each other. Sew the pieces together using a 6/8-inch seam. Snip the corners at an angle to ease turning.

Step 4: Unbutton the fabric and turn the pillowcase right side out. Iron, then rebutton.

Step 5: Topstitch around the case twice—first 1/8 inch from the edges, then 3/8 inch from the edges—to finish it.

Step 6: Unbutton the case, insert the pillow, then rebutton and fluff.

Give Dad a helping hand with this easy-to-make piece.

Step 1: Turn a canvas bag inside out, then use a seam ripper to undo the gusseted corners and cut the bag so that it lays flat.

Step 2: Lay the bag out and on the interior, use a pencil and a ruler to draw an 8 1/2-inch diagonal line across each of the bag's corners. Cut the bag along the lines, and discard corner pieces. Next, fold each cut edge over by 1/4 inch and topstitch in place.

Step 3: Cut a piece of faux bois oilcloth that measures 18 1/4''L x 13 1/2"W. Flip the bag over and use bright-orange thread to stitch the panel along the edges.

Step 4: Reinforce the handles by folding each strap back on itself, and pin the strap in place, then stitch it together. Repeat for the second strap.

SHOP CANVAS BAGS

Use a sturdy vintage basket to create an emergency kit for Dad's car. Lithographed tin picnic baskets with swing handles, which were originally made from the 1930s through the 1950s, are now popular collectibles. Simply fill with jumper cables, road flares, a first aid kit and other essentials to stow in the trunk.

SHOP TIN PICNIC BASKETS

Give Dad a place to write down his to-dos in a notebook fastened with two matching watchbands.

Step 1: Measure and mark two spots inside the front cover of your notebook: one, two inches from the top; the other, two inches from the bottom; both, 1 1/2 inches from the spine. Next, measure and mark two spots inside the back cover: one, two inches from the top; the other, two inches from the bottom; both, 5 1/2 inches from the spine. Using a hammer and a four-penny nail, punch holes through all four marks.

Step 2: For each of the four watchband pieces, measure and mark a spot 1/8 inch from the end that would attach to a watch. Use the hammer and nail to punch through all four marks.

Step 3: Place one buckle-end watchband piece atop the front cover, aligning the punched holes. Push one 5/16"W × 5/16"L brass rivet through both holes; set according to package instructions. Repeat for the other hole and buckle-end watchband piece. Then flip the notebook over and repeat for the remaining hole and watchband pieces.

SHOP NOTEBOOKS

Help dad keep his car smelling fresh with a DIY tree-shaped air freshener. Added bonus—they are made with essential oils so no nasty chemicals involved.

To make: Trace the shape of a wooden Christmas tree ornament on a scrap of fabric twice. Cut out and glue to the front and back of the ornament. Once dry, soak the fabric with dads favorite scent of essential oil (we used cedar). Thread twine through the loop for hanging.

SHOP ORNAMENTS

Stitch up vintage postcards to make a slim wallet or business card holder.

Here's how: Fold the postcard in half with the decorative side face up, and cut a half-moon from the top front of the postcard. Open the card flat and cover with a sheet of clear, lightweight vinyl; stitch all around the postcard, 1/4-inch from its edge. Trim vinyl to fit and refold the postcard in half. Sew the wallet around three edges, leaving the top open.

SHOP VINTAGE POSTCARDS