A Simple Father’s Day Gift Kids Can Make for Dad
I am always mulling minimalist gift ideas that the grandkids can craft for occasions like Father’s Day. Size matters when home storage is in short supply.
So this year, I worked with N to make bookmarks. Despite e-books and audiobooks, people are still much into print books. So, bookmarks!
We made two kinds of bookmarks: pressed flower and fingerprint art. Then we created our own beautiful gift packaging from an envelope.
The envelope gift packages can be used for other gifts, such as a gift certificate or handmade certificates of promissory notes to do extra chores on demand.
Another welcome Father’s Day gift idea: Make a desk caddy.
Pressed Leaf and Flower Bookmarks
My mother made exquisite rice paper greeting cards with pressed natural materials. She used thin flowers and leaves; not only will they dry faster but they won’t make a lumpy presentation. Allow two to four weeks to dry, so plan accordingly.
Mom used to press her hand-picked treasures between the yellow pages of the phone book, now an anachronism. She’d weight it with books (or more yellow pages) stacked on top.
Here’s a tutorial on how to press flowers. Or you can buy them from stores like Etsy or Amazon.
For N, we used flowers and leaves that mom had pressed years ago. I couldn’t toss them after she died, so they had been sitting in a box, between layers of paper. That the bookmarks are made with nana’s pressed flowers and leaves will make the gift extra-precious for my son.
Materials Needed
- Pressed flowers and/or leaves
- Printed or solid cardstock
- Glue stick
- Clear, transparent contact paper
Tools Needed
- Scissors
- Paper cutter (optional)
What to Do
Cut cardstock in strips. Ours were 2 inches wide X 8 1/2 inches long. If using a patterned cardstock, make sure the pattern design doesn’t overwhelm the pressed flowers and leaves.
Have the child lay out the pressed materials on the bookmark to a design they find pleasing. Then set the pressed materials to the side and apply dabs of glue to the areas where the child wants the pressed materials to go.
Now set the pressed materials on the glue to anchor them so they won’t shift when you lay on the contact paper.
Cut the contact paper about 1/2 inches larger than the bookmark on all sides. Peel the backing and lay the contact paper over the bookmark to cover the pressed materials. Trim out the corners as show in the photo below.
Fold the contact paper to the back of the bookmark, sealing in place. Cut a second piece of card stock the same size as the bookmark and adhere to the back, covering the contact paper margins.
If the bookmark has air bubbles around the pressed materials, flatten using a finger to press, or roll flat with a rolling pin.
Fingerprint Bookmark
This is one that even little kids can do, with help from an adult to keep ink-stained fingers under control. What’s special about this bookmark is it preserves the fingerprints of the child in a keepsake bookmark.
Materials Needed
- Ink stamps of different colors
- Baby wipes or stamp chamois to clean off child’s fingers between color changes
- Black fine-tipped marker
- Colored cardstock
- Clear contact paper
Make a video greeting card for dad.
What to Do
Using the child’s finger as a stamp, stamp connecting fingerprints to form a caterpillar head and the body. Wipe finger with baby wipes between colors.
Use the marker to draw eyes, feelers, and feet. Use two connected fingerprints to form the ant.
Write a Father’s Day message on the back of the bookmark.
When the ink has dried, protect the bookmark with a layer of clear contact paper. Or, you can laminate the bookmark if you have a laminating machine.
This idea for fingerprint art is from the Usborne Fingerprint Activities book that I featured in a previous post on Arts and Crafts for Kids.
How to Make an Envelope Gift Package
A pretty way to package a set of bookmarks as a Father’s Day gift is to create a gift package from an envelope.
Materials Needed
- 1 business-size envelope
- 1 sheet of printed paper, 12- X 12-inches square
- Glue stick
- Raffia, thin cord, or ribbon for tying
Tools Needed
- Scissors
What to Do
Unseal the edges of the envelope and flatten it. Glue the front-side of the envelope to the back of the printed paper.
Cut around the paper with scissors following the edges of the envelope. Refold the envelope and glue the flaps back to their original position. Lay some books or other weight on the envelope to set the glue.
After filling the envelope with bookmarks, wrap raffia twice around the envelope and knot in place. Or you could seal it with a gold self-stick seal
Sign Up!
Don’t forget to sign up for my email newsletter. Every Wednesday, I’ll give you a new idea for an activity or insight to nurture the little ones in your life.