I fear some belt tightening is going to happen around here if the newspaper reports on the economy are to be believed. Which means it doesn't hurt to reign in my rampant consumer tendencies, even if it's not quite as much fun.
So, what better way to start this thrifty adventure than with a handful of homemade Father's Day gifts for the dad who recently told me "don't worry about buying me any presents". I'm not sure receiving some homemade ones was quite what he had in mind, but being a generous soul I've decided to launch my new thrifty adventure on 20 June.
Here at ParentDish we recently showcased some great present ideas but, if you want to save pennies and the planet, you could get thrifty too...So what can we make him?
- Cards: obvious I know, but have you seen how much those folded pieces of cardboard and an envelope cost? I'll have lots to buy so will be saving quite a bit by folding our own card and getting out the glitter. There are some great printables on Activity Village
- Cake: we all know the route to a man's heart and I've yet to meet a daddy who didn't love cake. These chocolate cupcakes look fun to make
- Breakfast in bed: yes, I know this list is heavy on the food but this is also a sure-fire winner. If the children are feeling particularly ambitious there are some good ideas for meals on the Good Food website
- Vouchers: these are ones with a difference. Get the children to print or make a voucher which says "This voucher entitles you to...." then insert relevant treat which could range from "a cup of tea in bed every day for a week" to "a car wash"
- Cookies in a jar: the slight snag with this one is that Dad will have to make the cookies, you just very prettily package up the ingredients, complete with recipe, in a jar. But be assured it will be a great bonding exercise as the children will no doubt love to help make them while you put your feet up after supervising all these creative endeavours
- Handprint gifts: there are lots of things you can do with your child's handprints which would delight dad. You can make a picture out of them, make a handprint tile (and cover in varnish) or a plaster cast of their hand (by pressing them down in air-drying clay)
- Puzzle books: if dad is partial to a crossword or wordsearch get the children to devise their own (which is always fun as you can include family stories and jokes) using online puzzlemakers then print them off
- A video: get the children to make a video showing and telling what it is they love about dad. They could sing, video dad himself, read poems or just interview each other about why he's great. If your child is too young to do that you could get creative and video the baby or toddler holding up signs saying special reasons like "because you're good at changing my nappy".
What are you doing for Father's Day gifts this year? Have you got any thrifty ideas?