Although fathers and father figures should be celebrated all year round, Father’s Day can be an opportunity to truly make your appreciation for them known. With Father’s Day just around the corner (June 20th!) there is no better way to make your fathers and father figures feel extra special than by making a homemade gift from thrift-store staples! DIY gifts are sentimental, unique, memorable, and often less expensive than buying something new.
St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Stores have compiled a list of easily thrift-able gifts that can make your DIY labor of love come to life without breaking the bank. Click on each photo for tutorials or more information.
1. Personalized Ties
Thrifted ties are often less than a few dollars, making them the perfect canvas for some personalization. Fathers can wear them out and about or simply display them fondly. Whether you stamp on your children’s handprints, paint sweet messages, or add some wacky designs on the ties, it is sure to be received with high praise and sentimentality.
2. Leather Camera Strap for Photographer Dads
Photography can get expensive, especially when we get entranced with all the exciting camera accessories available on the market. Help your father foster his love for photography by getting him one less thing he needs to purchase: a sturdy camera strap. Leather belts give a vintage, romantic look when fastened to a beloved camera, and they work just as well. Visit a thrift store like SVdPLA to find all types of beautifully designed belts that can cost less than $5!
3. Unique Planters
Plants are a go-to gift for any occasion. They liven any room, especially when they are in an attractive planter. Personalize planters to the preferences of your father and father figure to give the gift a little extra love and thought. Whether that means finding a preferred planter material (like ceramic, wicker, or glass) or painting something unique on the planter, it will be a surefire hit. Thrift stores have endless options for planters. Baskets, jars, old file cabinets, hollowed-out books all make excellent options for planters, and many of these might be below $1!
4. DIY Denim Tool Roll
Tools are the ultimate Father’s Day gift, but odds are your father or father figure already owns them. The next best thing is a place to store and organize their tools that also allow for easy access. A denim tool roll provides ease and accessibility, along with an attractive look. It is also affordable and easy to make! All thrift stores have innumerable options for jeans, so buy a pair for cheap and start creating this memorable and functional Father’s Day gift!
5. Framed Memories
There is nothing more sentimental than giving your father or father figure a fond piece of the past. Unique, vintage frames are ample in thrift stores and often inexpensive. Purchase a few and add some photos of happy memories. It might even open up a conversation about beloved memories, life lessons, and funny flashbacks. Give your father and father figures that time to reminisce and bask in their wonderful life!
6. Golfer’s Wine Rack
For the golfer and wine enthusiast in the family, a wine rack made from repurposed golf clubs might just be the perfect Father’s Day gift. This project is simple in design and affordable when using thrifted clubs. A slab of wood and light woodwork is all it takes to make the ultimate gift combo. It is a gift that is sure to bring a smile to your father’s and father figure’s faces.
