Homemade cards from kids are the best kind and they really do mean the most. Treat Dad this Father's Day to something that he will cherish forever and enjoy a crafty morning with the kids!
If you're not naturally crafty or creative - don't worry, we've done the hard work and come up with 16 card ideas for you and the children to get stuck into.
All of our ideas are lockdown-friendly and can be made with minimal card making equipment and materials! Remember, if you want to get dad some Father's Day gifts too, there are plenty of home-made ideas elsewhere on Kidadl, such as these photo book ideas that he would love!
Blow Up Balloon Card
This is such a cute and creative idea that dads will love! Write a lovely message on a piece of paper, roll it up and put it in an empty balloon!
Attach the balloon to the front of the card with tape and also tape a needle to the front. Then inside, inform dad that he has to blow up the balloon and pop it to find the message!
World's Best Dad Hat
Make a Father's Day card into a hat shape that he can wear! Start by folding a piece of card in half and then cutting it into a triangle.
Decorate the front of the card with a message saying 'world's best dad' or something similar and if you add a large elastic band then dad can treasure it and wear it every year! Remember to write a lovely message inside and write the date on it, so that you can add it to your memorabilia.
Scrap Paper Or Fabric Card
Get a piece of coloured card and fold it in half. Make a pattern or a trophy shape out of colourful pieces of card or fabric that you have lying around!
If dad loves keeping memorabilia of the kids, maybe even use snippets of some of their old clothing! This is a great fun way to recycle your old things and for the kids to get really creative!
The Classic Handprint Card
This one is a classic not to be underrated. Get the little ones to make a card and put their paint covered hands on the front of it!
If you make a tradition of doing this every year, dad will get to see their cute little hands growing with every Father's Day that comes! Hand prints can also made great fathers day gifts! Or, if your kids are really young - why not print their tiny feet?
Paper Camera Card
For any dads who love photography, they may love this! Make a camera out of card - cut out the shape of in black card, then a red button and then the brand name of their camera.
Then print their favourite picture and cut it into a circle and put it in the lens. Use a recent photo of them with the kids for him to keep or put up on the wall in a frame!
Handy-Man Card
Make a 'Dad, we're nuts about you' card, with some card cut-outs of some nuts and bolts. This is perfect for dads who love nothing more than building in their workshop!
Make a standard folded card and cut out paper nuts, bolts and washers to put on the front. It would also make a great addition to their shed or workshop wall!
Superhero Dad Card
Why not encourage kids to design their dad his very own superhero cape! Kids who see their dads as their heroes would love to spend a crafty morning designing him a cape - this could easily be made or drawn and stuck onto the front of a card!
Magazine Collage Card
Get the children to design a collage that dad would love! Think about his hobbies or passions and create a special picture for him to keep.
Not only is this an inexpensive way to make cards, but it’s also a good opportunity to teach your kids about recycling! Cut out any interesting images that remind you of Dad from magazines or newspapers, and glue them onto the card. The beauty of these is that each Father's Day card will be completely unique and personalised!
Yarn Design Card
With a piece of folded card and some wool or yarn, you can create a card with any words, patterns or designs - whatever you think dad would like! Ask the kids to come up with card ideas and designs and enjoy a crafty morning with your needle and thread!
Rosette For Best Dad Card
Create a rosette with red and blue card to create the circle shape and the tails below. Write a cute message in the middle such as 'number 1 dad' or 'best dad ever' and put it on the front of the card!
Or, you could put a safety pin through it to attach it to the card and then he can take it off and wear it for the day!
Daddy Bear Card
To make this, fold a piece of card in half and cut it into a circle. Put the folded side at the top and draw a face below it - then attach two more circles to form the ears at the top!
Write a lovely message inside about how they love dad 'beary' much or how much they love 'papa bear'!
You're A Real Fungi Card
For older kids who may want to make more of a light-hearted comical card, get them to make a mushroom out of card. Use a classical red and white toadstool with a brown stalk and write above it 'thanks for being a fungi'! Teenagers are bound to enjoy this crafty and humorous idea!
Tie Card
For dads who always get ties for Christmas and birthday presents, why not add to his collection and make him a tie shaped Father's Day card? Using a similar technique to previous ideas, cut the shape of a tie down the centre fold to ensure that it opens up as a card!
Decorate the front and write in the middle and you're away! This may just be his favourite tie present yet!
Etch-A-Sketch Card
If their dad isn't into tools or ties, try this throwback theme to make a card for him. And don't worry, the design stays put no matter how hard you shake it!
Use a red rectangular piece of card, overlay a smaller white piece and cut two white circles to create the handles at the bottom. Then, write your message in etch-a-sketch font! You may need to google this first and there will be many words that you can print off and trace!
Isometric Print Card
For kids who enjoy maths at school and have some isometric paper - try making an isometric card with the word 'dad' or 'papa'. Again, you can search the internet for some font inspiration, but this can be a really great way for budding graphic designers or mathematicians as it is quite technical!
The isometric font stands out on its own, but you could try to wow him by adding a pop of colour with neon markers.
Dad Glasses Card
Although this is strictly not a card, it can be a fun edition to make to go with his card - whilst you've got your craft things out! Use some card to trace this design for dad glasses and then cut them out!
Present them to dad on the day and enjoy seeing him wear them all day with pride!
Fun Photo Card
Print out your favourite photo of your dad so that it fills up the righthand side of an A4 sheet of paper. Now it's time to personalise it! Cut out glasses, a crown, a speech bubble - anything! - and then stick these onto the card so that it turns into a cool multilayered photo.
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Bachelor's degree specializing in Interior and Spatial Design
Annabelle BeaumontBachelor's degree specializing in Interior and Spatial Design
With a childhood spent traveling and exploring, Annabelle moved to Bahrain at 13 and then to London at 19 to attend Chelsea College of Arts, UAL to study Interior and Spatial Design. She has a passion for all things creative, particularly recycling materials. Outside of art, Annabelle enjoys walking her dogs and cooking for loved ones.
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