6 Father’s Day gifts for the guy who has everything (all under $20)

Portions of this post were also featured on The Stir by CafeMom, and in a TV segment on ABC Action News, the local affiliate in Tampa. Scroll to the bottom of the article to watch the video.

Father’s Day is the worst holiday ever.

Not because I don’t love my dad or hubby.

But because finding a gift for them. Is. Impossible.

Right?

I swear, men are soooo hard to shop for! It’s like trying to figure out how to get my toddler to not have a meltdown every time we pass the Spiderman aisle at Target. (Hint: It’s impossible.)

So that’s why I’ve come up with my 6 favorite Father’s Day gift ideas for the guy who has everything. (Sorry girl. You’re toooootally on your own when it comes to the toddler meltdowns.)

1. Sweats. Seriously. I’m legit wearing a pair right now. (Don’t judge.) But for real. Who doesn’t love laying around in a nice, new, soft pair of sweats? Dad works hard. And, I don’t know any man (or woman for that matter) who doesn’t love relaxing. Just like my inexpensive yet thoughtful ideas for Mother’s Day gifts, it’s really true: Dad (and Mom) just want to relax. Get him something that signifies that. I’ve bought my dad several gifts he’s probably never used, but I know for a fact that he looooves the pair of sweats I got him a couple years ago for his birthday. If you want to get fancy, you can even get a small monogram of his initials sewn onto the sweatshirt, or just under the waist band on the sweat pants. Perfect comfy, cozy gift.

2. Coffee mug with a picture and/or his favorite saying. Most all dads I know drink coffee. Which is really convenient because there are sooo many inexpensive ways to make photo coffee mugs, and you can customize them even further by adding a great quote from your dad. It’ll remind him that you value his wisdom, and that you do remember the things he’s told you. For instance, my dad always says, “If it was easy, everyone would do it.” That bit of wisdom has stuck with me my whole life. Remind Dad that you’ve been listening. Or, make him laugh with one of his funny sayings. My dad likes to say, “You can’t fix stupid.” LOL I could put that on a mug too. One year, I designed a photo coffee mug for my grandpa. I made it personal by adding a photo of him with my son, and then I wrote how he takes his coffee on the side. He loves it so much it travels with him, between California and Missouri, twice a year. (*She beams.*)

3. Handprint gift from the kids. If you have little ones, this is a gimme. And it’s basically free. Because all you need is paper, paint and your little tots’ adorable hands or feet. Here are a couple I’ve made for my husband. One was just a $7 canvas I bought at Michael’s, and $1 in paint from Walmart. (Amazon has some sweet deals, too, if you buy in bulk. I found this set of 12 canvases for only $14.) Add our firstborn’s sweet little footprints. Done. For another gift, I found a cool frame and mat at Walmart, so I used one of my favorite photos of my husband with our kids and used black paint to add their footprints. I hung it on the wall right outside his office. The great thing about these gifts is: these are moments in time. Those perfect little footprints will never be this little again.

And, here’s a helpful hint: It’s waaaay easier to get a baby footprint than a handprint. The little babies want to clench those little hands, and it’s really hard to get a good, outstretched little paw to plant a good paint stamp on the paper. So start with the feet!

4. A mousepad or iPhone case with a photo on it. My dad works a lot. And even if your dad’s retired, chances are he uses the computer or cell phone a fair amount. Spend $8 for the mousepad, or $20 for the iPhone case, upload a great picture of you with your dad, and send it to him. He’ll love it. My father-in-law looooves his personalized iPhone cover with a photo of his 5 grandkids. Like, he shows it to strangers. One year, I got my dad a personalized mousepad. He just loves the photo I chose, of a happy family memory jet-boating on the Rogue River in Oregon. And here’s a tip: you can do this gift every few years. The mousepad gets tattered after a few years, so just get him a new one! Done and done.

5. An experience doing something he loves. I got this great idea from my Facebook fans. One of my friends sends her father-in-law out on a fishing trip with his sons. Another friend gets her husband baseball tickets, since he loves going to games with his brother. It’s something he loves to do but rarely has time for anymore. One year, my sister and I did a sprint triathlon with our dad. My friend Laura’s husband loves cooking, but has yet to master brown butter sage sauce, so she bought him a private session with a chef. It’s thoughtful and something he’ll love doing.

6. Time with you. Don’t overlook this one. Seriously. Just spend time with Dad. Come over to his house that morning, bring his favorite coffee and some groceries to make his favorite breakfast. Or, bring donuts and just sit and look him in the eye and talk with him for a bit. I don’t live near my dad, so I always like to make sure we get a Skype or Facetime session in with the kiddos. In fact, my 3 siblings and I have even organized a group video chat, so my dad can see all his kids at once: in Texas, California, Florida and Washington.

Bottom line: Dad wants to see you. And be reminded that you love him.

Happy Father’s Day to the dads in my life! My hubby, my own dad and my father-in-law!

What are your creative Father’s Day gift ideas? Share them in the comments section below.

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