50 Thoughtful DIY Gifts for Dad That He’ll Actually Use

The ideal gift for the grill master in your midst. Fill a mason jar with a custom spice rub that you know dad will love and reap the benefits all summer long.

To make: Fill a small mason jar with your famous spice rub. Attach a small wooden spoon and gift tag (you can write ways to use the rub on the back of the tag) with colorful twine.

Get the recipe for Backyard BBQ Rub.

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.

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. Halve 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.

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).

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 6-inch and 4.5-inch craft sticks as desired. Attach to a round wooden clothespin with hot glue. Paint a small round craft bead the color of your choosing; 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 a propeller. Attach a silver bead where the coffee stirrer pieces meet.

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.

For the dad who loves to bird-watch, these pine cone feeders will bring all the birds to the yard! Let the fluttering begin.

To make: Wrap a length of string around the top stem of the pine cone. Fill the opening of the pine cone with peanut butter then roll the whole pine cone in birdseed. Hang outside from a tree branch. Remove and refill as needed.

If your dad doesn’t have to wear ties to the office anymore, recycle the stash hiding in his closet to make a colorful tie wreath. You can also use vintage ties that you buy in the colors of his favorite team.

To make: Cut about 10 color-coordinated ties (they can be made with red, white, and blue for the Fourth of July or in your dad’s favorite colors for Father’s Day) about 7 ½ inches long. Arrange around a 12-inch wooden craft ring. Hot-glue in place, being sure the craft ring is fully covered. Hang from a nail or screw.

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.

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.

Transform a fallen branch into a feeder where birds can come to have a quick snack. This is a fun project for dads and kids to do together!

To make: Screw a screw eye bolt into the top of the branch for hanging. Drill holes in a branch using a spade bit. Fill holes with peanut butter then birdseed. Thread a length of rope through the bolt and hang. Refill as needed.

Pay 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 out back barbecuing a delicious meal for friends and family.

To make: Use fabric markers or fabric paint and a small paintbrush 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.

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 manufacturer’s directions. Paint as desired with acrylic paint. Once dry, seal with satin-finish Mod Podge.

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.