Father’s Day craft: 3 gifts to make with your baby or toddler  

Whether it’s your partner’s first Father’s Day, or they’re already a little further on their parenting journey, the first Sunday in September is a day worth celebrating. It’s lovely to have a day just to say “thanks Dad, good job, we love you!”

We’ve found a few simple craft ideas to put together a quick yet heartfelt gift. These are especially good for those who don’t have the time or energy to do anything too fancy – he’ll love them regardless. 

1. Handprint mug 

You don’t need much for this little project – a plain mug, gloss enamel paint, oil-based Sharpie and an oven. Oh, and those cute little hands you’re going to use to stamp onto the mug!

This video below shows all the steps (the handprint section starts at 2:30). NB: Pay attention to the instructions on putting the mug in the oven before it starts warming up, and leaving it in there for quite some time to cool – you really don’t want to do all that work then have it shatter due to a sudden change in temperature.

Oh, and if your partner is into puns, in addition to the handprint, might we suggest adding some text along the lines of “For a HANDsome dad” (sorry, we couldn’t resist). 

2. Poem and prints 

The example below left was made for a Tell Me Baby staff member for Mother’s Day, but the idea still stands: print (or even just write out) a sweet poem, decorate with foot and/or handprints, and frame it for the special day.

If you’re not a natural poet there are oodles of Father’s Day poems on the internet to help you (for example, this page has a wide selection). 

There are also, of course, businesses that can help make it look a little fancier – like this heart print from Etsy seller Pine and Poem Baby, below right.  

3. Mess-free artwork

If you’d like your little one to get creative, and don’t want the mess of a finger-painting session, making some mess-free art could be right up your alley. Watch a video of how to do it here. 

To get started, you’ll need a large clear resealable bag, a few paint colours, a piece of paper or cardboard that will fit in the bag, and some masking tape.

Put a few globs of paint onto the cardboard or paper, then carefully put it into the bag and close it up, using the tape to make sure it can’t be opened. Then let them go crazy with the sealed up paint – it’s finger painting without the mess.

(Another alternative is to use painter’s tape to make a shape or word – like a heart or ‘dad’ – on the cardboard. Afterwards, remove the tape and the unpainted area will stand out in white – see an example here.)

Once the artwork is finished, carefully remove the painting from the bag – don’t let it dry in there. You can then frame it as it is, or follow the tutorial below to make a heart-shaped frame and make the art really stand out.

Watch a video of how to do it here.