Simple Father's Day DIY

 

Father’s Day is a perfect opportunity to show appreciation for dear old dad.  What better way to spread the love than with an adorable handmade gift?  Follow the instructions below to create this simple DIY necktie card with a Q and A on the inside for your child to document their thoughts on their dad.  The question-and-answer portion of this craft is sure to illicit giggles for years to come. 

 Note: I shamelessly pilfered this idea form my son’s 1st grade teacher. We still have the card our son Andrew made for his dad 15 years ago, because his answers were so funny! My favorite quotes from his card were:

What does dad like to do?

Andrew's answer: “Scream at the Tv during football games!” 

What does dad do for  a living?

Andrew's answer: “Play on the computer!”

Classic!

Materials

- Colored construction paper or cardstock

- Scissors (safety scissors for younger children)

- Glue stick

- Markers or crayons

- A ruler

- Pencil

- Decorative items (optional: stickers, glitter, buttons, etc.)

Instructions:

Prepare the Card Base

  1. Fold the Cardstock: Take a piece of construction paper or cardstock and fold it in half to create the card base. This will be the "shirt" for your tie card. Let the kids help with the folding—they’ll love being part of the process!

  Make the Shirt Collar

  1. Measure and Mark the Collar: Open the card and, using a ruler and pencil, mark about 1.5 inches from the top edge on both sides of the front of the card. From these points, draw diagonal lines towards the center to form two triangular flaps. Guide the children in marking and drawing the lines.
  2. Cut the Collar: Help the kids cut along the lines to create the collar flaps. Fold the triangles down towards the center to form the shirt collar. Adjust as needed to ensure they are symmetrical.

 Create the Tie

  1. Draw the Tie: On a separate piece of construction paper (in a color of your choice), draw the shape of a tie. You can either draw it freehand or use a tie template that the kids can trace around.
  2. Cut Out the Tie: Let the children cut out the tie shape with safety scissors. This part is especially fun for them, and it doesn’t need to be perfect!

 Assemble the Card

  1. Attach the Tie: Help the kids glue the top part of the tie underneath the collar flaps, so it looks like it’s coming out from under the collar. Make sure the tie is centered.

      2. Secure the Collar: Apply a small amount of glue to the tips of the collar flaps       and press them down onto the card to secure the tie in place.

 

 Add Personal Touches

  1. Decorate the Tie: Give the kids markers, crayons, and stickers to personalize the tie. They can draw patterns, write messages, or add glitter—let their creativity shine!

 

Inside the card:

Feel free to come up with your own list of questions but these are what I came up:

  1. How old is daddy?
  2. What is daddy’s job?
  3. What is your dad’s favorite food?
  4. What do you like to do with daddy?
  5. What is your dad’s favorite activity?
  6. What does your daddy love the most?
  7. If you could go anywhere with your dad, where would you go?

If you child is too little to write their answers fill it in for them and get ready to giggle over their surprising and adorable responses.  Happy Father’s Day to all the great dad’s out there!  For matching daddy and Me looks, Visit our Brother shop, Me and Henry for some super cute options. 

— Siobhan Braun

On the journal