DIY Father's Day Gifts - Stacy Risenmay

This post is sponsored by Minwax

I have been feverishly working outside in the yard but I put my shovel down and came inside so I could work on a few little projects. We are all about the homemade gifts in our family. Since Father’s Day is coming up I thought it would be fun to share some DIY Father’s Day gifts.

This month marks the start of Minwax’s second annual Made With Love campaign and I thought that these gift ideas fit perfectly within that theme. I made wood picture keychains, an ombre pencil holder, and a wood notebook!

Key Chain

I had some lattice trim left over from my planter I built the other day so I used the miter saw to cut several squares.

I sanded the corners smooth so the corners wouldn’t poke when in a pocket. Then I stained them and let them dry.

While the square were drying, I printed some photos on photo paper. I made them 1 inch by 1 inch so they would fit on the wood squares and still have a border.

I used a drop of polyurethane to hold the photo in place and then brushed on polyurethane over the whole top. After the top dried, I polyurethaned the back side as well.

I used a small drill bit to drill a hole in the corner so it would fit on a key ring.

*Tip: I used the kind of key ring that opens in called a book ring. It was much easier and I didn’t risk scratching the finish with the traditional rings.

Ombre Pencil Holder

You can either build a simple wood box or buy one from a craft store. Tape it off in sections and stain one section at a time.

I used the same stain color for all sections. I just applied more coats to make it darker and less coats to make it lighter. You could also use different stain colors. For the top section, I only used the residue from the rag to wipe a little stain on the wood.

Wood Notebook

I cut two pieces of 1/8″ plywood to be 6 inches by 8 inches. I sanded them and stained them.

Once they were dry, I used a wood burning tool to write on it. You could also use paint.

I marked with a pencil where the holes needed to be drilled along the edge of the notebook. I took the paper and added tape to them so they would stay together and so the drilling wouldn’t rip the paper. After I sandwiched it in between the wood covers, I clamped everything so they would stay in place.

Once all the holes were drilled, I used faux leather to bind the notebook. Don’t pull it too tight. It will need some give to be able to open and close.

Whew! There you go! I was tempted to make this into three separate posts since there were three tutorials but I made it! I completed these all in one day and my kids helped along the way. Even though Shane knows about these projects and they won’t be a surprise, I think he’ll enjoy them just the same :)

What are some other homemade gift ideas for dad? I would love to hear some of the things you have made for your fathers!