DIY Father’s Day Gift Ideas

by Mandi on May 30, 2011

diy father's day gifts diy father's day gifts diy father's day gifts
diy father's day gifts diy father's day gifts diy father's day gifts
diy father's day gifts diy father's day gifts diy father's day gifts

Handmade gifts are often the most special and treasured gifts you can give. If you’re looking for a special way to say thank you or show your man you love him, these DIY gifts are fun, tangible reminders of just that.

We’ve actually made the bottles filled with goodies (#5) before, and it was a fun gift to make and give, especially because we filled the bottles with all of Sean’s favorites.

And of course pictures are always a good option, and I love the creative spin on traditional framed photos that #1, #3 and #6 take!


diy father's day gifts
1. Handmade Photo Cube | Alpha Mom

diy father's day gifts

2. Paper Airplane Cards | Martha Stewart

diy father's day gifts

3. Gimme-a-D Framed Photos | Twinkle Toes

diy father's day gifts

4. 365 Things We Love Jar | The Princess and the Tot

diy father's day gifts

5. Retro Soda Bottle Treats | Kristine McKay Designs

diy father's day gifts

6. Scrabble Words Frame | Just Another Day in Paradise

diy father's day gifts

7. Father’s Day Remote | Bee in Our Bonnet

diy father's day gifts

8. Daddyland Coupons | Disney’s Family.com

diy father's day gifts

9. Simple Sample Book | eighteen25

What are you giving the special dad in your life this Father’s Day? Do you have another craft to add to the list? Leave the link in the comments!


  • http://nickeletta.blogspot.com Nickeletta

    I serve plated meals to my family, mainly because I am also a control freak and I want to make sure that:
    1- my kids get a little bit of everything, or they’l ignore any fruit and veggies
    2- my husband doesn’t eat it all and leave me without leftovers for lunch the next day
    I grew up in a house that served family style, and had never seen the plate method until I ate with my husband’s family

    • Rebecca

      love your Reason #2!  I have always done family style (except at “clean-out-the-fridge” time, when it’s buffet style), and I am working on plating up meals to help with portion control.

      • http://nickeletta.blogspot.com Nickeletta

        It’s true, the kids in our family won’t eat enough and the adults tend to eat too much so plating the food helps at least a little with portion control!

  • Lisa T

    If it’s just us at home (2 adults, 1 4 year old), I serve plated dinners.  If we have company for dinner I will mostly serve it family style.  It’s what my Mom always did for EVERY meal and we always grumbled about the extra (serving) dishes to wash.  To me it just seems fancier :)

    But if it’s a large-ish get together buffet isthe way to go.  Large for me is 8+ people, which is bigger than my dinner table.

    Dinner table size is another good question.  I’m so happy to finally have a 8 person table.  I used to make do with a 4 person table, and I would cram mismatched chairs up to the table to seat 6+.  AWKWARD.  I feel so much more grown up with 8 MATCHING chairs :)

  • Christy

    We serve plated meals. Bottom line? I’m too lazy to wash the extra dishes! We eat on the screened porch a lot in the summer and I also don’t want the kids carrying my serving platters and dishes back and forth. A melamine plate won’t break if it’s dropped!

  • Angel Reuther

    Such a funny question because my daughter is always begging that we eat Family Style!  She loves having everything on the table.  In many ways she is our “old fashioned” girl. :)
    However, I always plate everything because I hate washing the extra dishes plus like others have said I want to make sure everyone gets what I want them to eat. 
    When we have large family gatherings we do buffet style on the kitchen peninsula. 

  • Michelle S.

    I grew up family style but we’ve mostly always done the plated style.  I think I’m going to give family style a whirl because while I like being controlling my kids are now the age (middle school) where handing them back some control over their plates might actually be better for all involved.

    Buffet for large gatherings ALWAYS.  We even bought a buffet table. :)

  • Clajgray

    I haven’t really thought about it, but (with the exception of holidays which are family style) we are really a combo of the other two…the food all stays in its cooking container and each plate is created and taken to the table…BUT unlike the plated method, each person has the “buffet” option to choose more or less of items.  Interesting thing to think about.

  • http://parentingmiracles.net JessieLeigh

    What a fun topic!  I grew up with “family style” meals, but I serve plated.  My kids are pretty young, yet, and my family is smaller than yours, though.  I think that definitely makes a difference!  Truth?  I greatly dislike buffets.  I don’t even like them when we have a big group at my parents.  I know many people love them and I don’t have any issue with that.  I just don’t like standing in line for food.  Especially at weddings.  Just a quirk of mine, I suppose. :)

  • http://barefeetinthekitchen.blogspot.com Barefeet In The Kitchen

    My kids are still young enough that plating everyone’s dinner is by far the easiest method. It works for us. When we have company it’s usually buffet style though.

  • Lauri

    Like Lisa above, my family is small — just myself, husband and our 3 year old son. Unless we are having something like a big platter of fruit or veggies and dip on the side, I plate everyone’s meal in the kitchen. I can’t imagine dirtying and washing serving dishes! 

  • Calliope greece

    Great post!
    In Greece actually most families serve the family way but lunch (the main meal) or dinner consists only of a salad, a cheese like feta and a main dish. Dessert is rare. Some fruit is more common. Usually I serve my 4 years old a plate with everything he must eats otherwise he tends to “forget” his veggies.
    Celebration dinners are also served the family way because they usually last for hours and hours but with a much much bigger variety. Nowadays young people also do buffet dinners because it is easier but I always prefer a nicely set table even if it means more work in the end!

  • http://www.homemakingjoyfully.com Homemaking Joyfully

    I grew up eating family style, but now I serve plated meals.  As my kids get older we will possibly move to family style.  But for now, my oldest is 7 and our current kitchen has no eat-in space so we eat in the carpeted dining room.  Serving plated meals, especially to the kids, helps keep the dining room carpet in good condition!

    For family gatherings, we eat either family or buffet style, depending on the amount of people/food.

  • Lynn

    I also grew up with family style and now serve plated.  The only exception is when we have more than 5 or 6 people over.  I find that plated is way better for portion control and preserving leftovers. 

  • Dee

    I served family style as soon as my children could pass the bowls.  They were required to eat at least one bite of everything that was served – no passing without partaking! When my ailing in-laws moved in, I started serving the plates because it was easier for them. I realized that this made for less dishwashing, so now that they have moved out, we each serve our own plates in the kitchen.

  • http://happyhealthymama.com Maryea {Happy Healthy Mama}

    I do plated meals.  Less messy dishes and I control what goes on the plate! :-)

  • Tammy

    We have 7 children and while they were all at home it was MUCH easier to plate the meals. The only exceptions were holidays, I’ll do buffet style for those.

  • Jenny

    We serve family style, can’t imagine doing it any other way. My kids eat something of everything and are great veggie/fruit eaters so I have no worries about that. My daughter has a severe milk allergy so we eat a lot of meals where the cheese is added at the table, hers might get plated, but none of the rest of ours. We do buffet for large gatherings. I’ve never thought it extra work to clean a serving dish, usually serve straight from the pot I cook it in :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Kathryn-Plasencia/1201634085 Kathryn Plasencia

    I grew up doing family-style dinners. Now that I’ve got 6 kids, though, our table doesn’t fit plates and serving dishes – even with the leaves permanently installed. We’ve done buffet-style, but I usually ended up having to serve everyone anyway, so I typically just plate the meals and have the 3 oldest kids take them to the table. This also allows me to control portions and lets the younger kids’ food cool down while I finish up with the grown-ups plates.

  • AimeeShugs

    I like to serve family style. I’m trying to teach my children to take the food the plan on eating. They HAVE to try each item, however I think it’s important for them to take the amount they think they are going to eat. Then, later, they can go back for more. 
    However, I don’t go all fancy on serving dishes. Many times, the veggies are served right from the steamer pot, potatoes from the cookie sheet, etc. We have a large enough table to make that possible. Occasionally I will put the dinner in nicer dishes and not serve right out of a skillet :)

  • http://homeschooldiscoveries.com/ Kirsten Hill

    We do something that turns into a combination of plated and family style, I guess.  We do bring things to the table, but never in “serving dishes” unless we have guests…everything is brought in the pan it was cooked in.  On taco night, the cheese is in a bag on the table, On salad night the lettuce is in the bag we bought it in, etc.   I then serve up my younger children’s plates (yes, it involves some leaning over or walking around the table because they can’t pass the dishes), while my husband and I help ourselves or sometimes serve each other so we don’t have to pass heavy/hot pans in front of the kids.  My seven year old is typically given the privilege of serving herself, but she knows she has to take veggies, and take a little of everything (to at least try it), or we will put it on her plate for her!

    A tip for those who would like to do “family style” but are concerned over lack of leftovers — make up a lunch-sized container of leftovers before bringing your meal to the table, and send it straight to the fridge.  My husband always takes leftovers for lunch and if I think the meal may be all eaten at the table otherwise, I sometimes use this trick.

  • Liz @ Wonder Woman I’m Not

    My husband answered this question with “our take out is always plated” – lol.  Typically we serve family style unless we’re having a lot of guests then we’ll do buffet.  One thing I do like to do when we’re all together (doesn’t always happen because of my husband’s work schedule and the kids extra curricular activity) is to set a formal table including cloth napkins.  The way my husband and son eat there wouldn’t be enough room on their plate for me to serve it for them. 

  • Claire

    Plated here!  I hae 6 little ones and it is the only way a veggies makes it on their plate some nights.  I do like this idea of Buffet style.  make a few extra little sides and all can chose what  they want.  Thanks for the idea!

  • http://blog.kia-glitz.com Kia @ A View From Here

    This inspired me to write a post on my blog – with links back here ;)
    We mostly eat plated style for now due to there only being two of us and a lack of dining table.
    http://blog.kia-glitz.com/?p=1390

  • PermanentPosies

    I have always plated the food.  But that was out of necessity.  I needed to stretch it to feed 4 kids and a husband.  If one got too much, they would bicker….haha.  Also, with so many pots, pans and dishes, I didn’t want to add serving pieces to wash.  I never thought about it being elegant but I am glad someone did.  My husband just thinks I spoil him and fix his plate for him.  I will let him think that but truly, it is so that the food is divided.

  • Suerogers7

    I usually plate so I can control portion size and make sure my son gets his veggies.  We do on occasion serve buffet style when we have guests or on Holidays.

  • -regina

     so I read that serving family style, and letting your kids serve themselves up, will make them more likely to eat what they themselves put on their plate.  This has turned out to be true more often than not.  However, we do it pretty casually, and I don’t turn the food out from the pot into a serving dish.  We only have 2 kids so far, so that may have a lot to do with it! :)   My mom plates dishes for big family get-togethers, and it seems to work out nicely, especially when she has assistance.

  • lizandrsn

    As a child, Mom served Buffet Style so we wouldn’t over eat just because it was in front of us. Eight kids, two adults — it was like feeding time at the pirhanna pond!
    As an Mom myself, I’ve served Plated mostly to get servings of everything in front of my children. Our home is teenie tiny, and multiple dishes gets crowded.
    As a Daycare Provider, I’ve served Plated as well. It helps keep my sanity as I monitor for likes, dislikes, allergies and quantity. My Nutrition Group likes to stress Family Style, but food is too expensive to have a well meaning 3 yo dump the entire Main Dish before everyone else is served. They can practice those skills making mudpies in the back yard, or at their Mother’s (aka McDonald’s) table.

  • B.K.

    Both hubby and I grew up with Family Style but I prefer the plating and serving method vs. Family Style.  For two reasons:

    1.  Portion Control
    2.  Fewer dishes to clean. LOL 

    Why dirty up serving dishes when I don’t have to?  That said, if company is coming we do serve Family Style. ;)

  • april

    for the four year old, I put the food on her plate. for the rest of the crew, it stays in the pans on the stove and they serve themselves

  • Jennie

    All of the above. Depends on the night, meal, how many are eating…

  • nancy

    4 in our house – - 2 parents, 2 teens (age 18 & 15). method varies depending on the meal. buffet style for a fix your own meal such as tacos, stuffed baked potatoes, chef salads, etc. i plate the meal if it’s a new recipe, guaranteeing that they try it. family style for holiday meals. many times it’s a help yourself from the pots/pans/baking dishes the meal was prepared in, which i guess would probably count as buffet style. 

  • Adriana

    Our Kitchen table is too tiny. I have to serve plated.
    Wish I could do family style. Dh hates it though. I cook and he does the dishes. He likes to find ways to use less dishes. ;)

  • Karen Leschnik

    I love the idea of buffet style so everyone can serve themselves, which is what we do if we have a bbq or if I can’t be bothered plating everyone’s meal. I hope that be giving the kids options for what goes on their plate that they will actually eat some of it! We have a large kitchen bench that we can set out the dishes & everyone can grab a plate, serve themselves & go sit at the table. Most of the time though, hubby or I plate the meals and the salad bowl or garlic bread goes in the middle of the table. With the compulsory sauces of course! I am a new follower to this blog (found you via GoodCheapEats). I do follow LifeasMOM too. I think I am going to have to visit here  more often to find some more budget & family friendly ideas! Thanks. Karen.
    http://ramblingmum-mummabear1970.blogspot.com/

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

      Thanks for stopping by, Karen!

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