It occurs to me that here we are, less than a week from Father's Day, and I've not had the same barrage of marketing that preceded mother's day. Also, think about how many traditions are associated with Mother's Day, or Mothering Sunday.
Daffodils, either the real flower or crafted ones. Mum's traditional breakfast in bed complete with burnt toast and handmade cards. Lunch, out at a restaurant or cooked by dad. A day to put your feet up, but a day definitely spent with the family.
Then there's Father's day. No flowers here. I'd go with the breakfast in bed, but there's no real tradition of this. Then what? Do dad's put up their feet while the, er, lawn is mowed? Maybe have lunch cooked for them if they're the ones that normally do the cooking? There's really no stereotype here, is there?
Apart from the giving of socks and ties. But the same can be the said of birthdays and Christmas too.
So what to do for Father's day that's easy, special, and most importantly, doesn't cost very much? Read on for 5 fab ideas.
1 Sew Good
Here's something we don't see a lot of these days - necktie crafts. I remember doing lots of crafts along these lines when I was younger. It took a while to find a suitable idea, but this craft shows how to make a necktie glasses case. What I like the most is that you can do it using a bit of hand sewing and fabric glue. I'd adapt it and make an iPhone cover. If the man in your life doesn't have any old ties to use, try charity shops.
2 Crafty banner
How about an alternative to making a card? I like this idea a lot, it is a Father's Day banner. What appeals to me is that it look really simple to do. Just three triangle flags, a bit like bunting, and some wool to string it up should do the trick.
3. Getting handy
I've spent a number of Father's days at the park, with other mums on their own, as the dad is off doing his own thing. For them, it seems that Father's Day is their guilt-free day. The one day they can take off and do whatever they feel like doing, for the whole day, answering to no-one, with no recriminations.
I wondered about this as I toodled around the roundabouts, a widow for car racing, with another mum, abandoned for a car show, and mum number three whose partner was off on a bike run. Why is it so different?
If mother's day is about being together as a family, how come father's day seems to be the opposite? We're well into the 21st century now, dads aren't relegated to the role of breadwinner and 'wait till your father comes home' anymore. Why aren't they more central to family life?
I'm readdressing the balance somewhat this year. Using some acrylic paint my son and I put our handprints on a stretched blank canvas. It looks pretty cool. You can see the end result in the photo above.
4 Man storage for keys
I asked around for some unique ideas that you can make yourself and that dad's might think is cool.
Dad of three, Don, was harking back to his school days I think when he suggested making a key ring holder out of old cutlery. It sounds suspiciously like one of those first metalwork projects they give eleven year olds. Although it isn't metal or wood work anymore. It is called 'resistant materials'.
I did a bit of digging around and found this really easy approach to cutlery key racks. Also it looks like a fairly interesting decorating statement but more importantly, dead easy to make. I'm guessing that Gorilla Glue is the equivalent of Superglue or No More Nails.
5 DIY card with a twist
For younger children, and older too, a card can be a fun project. Sometimes you want to do that little bit extra, make it a little bit special, but how? I found this really cool idea. A Dad collage, over at Crazy About My Baybah blog.
It looks fun to make no matter what age your children, and easy too especially if, like me, you have no artistic ability. I'll try to remember to post a photo of what our finished card looks like!
Wondering what dad's really want for Father's Day? Or where to find some decently priced Father's Day gift deals and offers? Or have you left it a little late and need some last minute ideas for Father's Day?
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