Some of my very favorite Fathers Day gifts over the years have not required a lot of money, but they were gifts from the heart. Here are some of my favorite inexpensive gift ideas for Fathers Day that don’t cost a lot but have a personal touch.
1. Burma Shave Signs
I love this idea, but I’m a little nostalgic. In the 1950’s, the Burma Shave shaving cream company created small roadside signs placed in order along highways. Each small sign had a line from a four line poem. As you drove along the road, you’d read the poem, and at the end of the four signs was a fifth sign that just said “Burma Shave.” The instructions from kidsdomain.com are for making the signs that you can put along your street or along the driveway.
2. A Father’s Day Screensaver
If your dad likes creative screensavers, this site has about a dozen different screensavers and wallpapers specifically designed for dads. Download one and put it on his computer at home or work. He’ll love it.
3. Chip Off the Old Block
About Family Crafts Guide Sherri Osborn has a number of fun, inexpensive ideas for craft projects for Father’s Day. This one involves a block of wood, a little varnish and a marker pen.
4. Baseball Cap Organizer
Sherri has another very simple project that creates a place for dad to hang six baseball caps (I’d need more than one for sure…) using a yardstick, some clothespins and a little paint.
5. Put Him on the Web
Sign on to a free web site provider and create a web site about your dad. Include pictures, favorite dad quotes, and what you love about him. Then give him a card with the URL and watch him beam. You can find information about free website building and hosting from this page on the About Personal Web guidesite.
6. A Custom License Plate
If you are lucky enough to live in a state where a front license plate is not required, you can make dad his own customized front plate. I think this is a great idea and would let everybody on the road know that you think your dad is GR8.
7. A Secret Safe
This is a creative idea. From the outside, the jar looks like it just holds nuts and bolts. But inside, it has a place to store valuables. Or it could hold an extra set of car keys and be put on his workbench. It’s pretty easy to make and a clever and inexpensive gift.
8. Mechanic’s Pencil Holder
Speaking of work benches, my kids know my pet peeve is never being able to find a pencil when I need to measure or cut something. This pencil holder with some sharpened pencils would be a great gift for a dad who likes building or fixing things around the house.
9. Gift Baskets from your Kitchen
If your dad likes to cook, whether in the kitchen, on the grill or in a dutch oven, a gift basket of cooking supplies would be a welcome and inexpensive gift. You could include things like meat rubs, homemade salsa, barbeque sauce, spices and more.
10. Chef’s Apron
One of my favorite Father’s Day gifts from days gone by was a hand painted barbeque apron. There are lots of ideas here; the one my kids made for me had craft-painted outlines of their little hands with the words, “Let’s Give Our Dad a Hand.” I still wear it proudly!
