The following is written by Mel from Unique Holiday Gift Ideas:
I don’t know why, but Fathers Day always seems to sneak up on me… and then I am scrambling to find unique gifts for my dad, husband, and father-in-law.
This year I am being more intentional about planning the holidays so that I can really enjoy them instead of going around in a big cloud of guilt over all the things I wished I had done…and didn’t.
If you are like me, you may need a few good ideas to get your wheels turning. Take one of these and make Fathers Day something special for the men in your life!
Replacement Gifts:
Watch as a guy goes through his day. What does he use that is getting old, used up, or worn out?
Are his socks full of holes, his shoes worn, his box of shop towels almost gone? Is his favorite coffee, soap, or magazine subscription almost out? If you focus on items he already likes and regularly uses, you’ll be pretty sure to pick a gift that won’t end up in the back of the closet.
source:
Activity Gifts:
Many guys would like to be more active but don’t know what they would enjoy. Look around your area for interesting classes or meetups where a person can try something for the first time.
Ideas: YMCA squash, swimming, or basketball; tennis coaching; zoo membership; geocaching or letterboxing; survival or emergency preparedness class; gold mining, canoeing, motor cycle class, or even just training for an upcoming race in your area.
Homemade Gifts:
Many homemade gifts are sugary treats and the guys in our family are all trying to eat healthier so…I like making them homemade treats that are super nutritious.
Some ideas to get you started are energy bars, jerky, raw cookies, roasted nuts, granola, and other delicious snacks. Try a couple and pick your favorites to package as their gifts. It is great to see someone light up when you tell them their favorite new treat is also great for them!
What are you getting your favorite Dad this Father’s Day?
Mel, the Gift Girl has been collecting gift ideas for years and shares many more Father’s Day gift ideas on her website where you will find homemade, store bought, and adventure gift ideas submitted by people from all over the world.
Annette W says
What do you mean by raw cookies?
Andrea says
well, I didn’t write that post {it was a guest post} so I’m not exactly sure! I would assume she meant either raw cookie dough {that they could bake later} or possibly “no bake” cookies. Personally, I would think any type of cookie/cookie dough would be well received by every “dad” on your list 🙂
Karen @ Abundance on a Dime says
My dad really appreciates food gifts because he doesn’t cook anything really fancy for himself (he’s on his own). This year I’m going to do a barbecue themed basket with homemade barbecue sauce (I have a brown sugar and coffee bbq sauce recipe that sounds really interesting and yummy), homemade mustard and a meat rub.
Andrea says
Oh that sounds lovely! And yes, guys always tend to appreciate food gifts 🙂
Betsy (Eco-novice) says
I am the photo person in the family, so I often give my husband photo gifts. I find grandparents like that too. Since I’m the family photographer, I naturally can get lots of shots of my husband with our kids. This time I’m also creating a special Picasa album (that he can play as a slideshow, etc.) that goes back the last 4 years — all photos of him with our kiddos. Plus a new father + kids collage to hang on the wall.
I think he would love an adventure/class gift too. Sometimes I just give him guilt-free boys night out coupons. I’m not sure he could fit in a class, honestly.
Andrea says
Ah yes, I love picture gifts — but that is not a great talent of mine {at least not yet!} I know people who have used Picasa to create place-mat size photo collages and then they laminate them so they can actually be used as a place mat — how cleaver!