Great Ideas for Father’s Day Gifts

Father’s Day is kind of bittersweet for me these days; it’s lovely to celebrate with the kiddos, painting pictures and choosing little presents for their Dad… but I do miss doing that for mine. I still go through the motions; buying the card with the meaningful words, trying to find something that he might still recognise and even enjoy – Alzheimer’s has robbed him of his memories and his enthusiasm for life, but he’s still my Dad, and he still deserves his special day. Even if he does think I’m his sister half the time!

If you’re struggling for ideas, I’ve joined up with the lovely folks at Homesense to put together a nifty little gift guide – so for anyone desperate to avoid the usual socks-chocolates-aftershave route, read on for a bit of inspiration!

For Garden-Loving Dads

• DIY garden tool kit – collect together a trug, basic tools, watering can, string and so on, and package it all up together in a nice wooden crate or box. You could even personalise everything by using a stencil and spray paint to monogram his initials on it. Fancy!
• A horticulture course – the RHS do a variety of morning and afternoon courses, covering everything from creating a cutting garden and pruning fruit to making willow wigwams and dry stone walling! There’s loads of choice, and venues are all over the country.
• A garden box subscription – subscription boxes are one of my favourite gift ideas, so they’ll appear in this post quite a lot! A monthly seed box is a great idea, especially the ones from Plant-n-Grow; they’re sent so you have plenty of time to sow them at the ideal time, and vary from edible flowers to stir-fry leaves and micro-greens.

5. Watering can  // 6. Twine and holder // 7. Garden bench, £69.99  // 10. Gardening set, £14.99

For Work-from-Home Dads 

• A stationery subscription – there are gazillions of great stationary subscription boxes at the moment, but the one at Spotlight Stationery is beautifully contemporary and features products such as notebooks, pens, postcards and correspondence items. 
• DIY office kit – if your Dad’s home office is more bleak than bright, why not put together a package of goodies to help organise and brighten his space? A well-designed desk lamp, selection of plants and simple pen-pots can make a huge difference to the dullest of desks!
• DIY noticeboard – help your Dad to get organised by making him a wire noticeboard, from the tutorial I did for Roost. It’s really simple, but looks pretty impressive, and you could even fill it with a calendar, prints and family photos.

1. Table light, £29.99   // 2. Potted plant, £3.99   

For Food-and-Drink Loving Dads

• A chef experience – keen foodies will all tell you that a professional cooking experience makes the BEST gift; buyagift.co.uk has a huge range of cooking and eating adventures, from vineyard visits and chocolate making to afternoon tea and cookery lessons. Something for everyone!
• DIY food or drink hamper – if your Dad enjoys a particular food or drink, why not make a DIY kit for him? If he’s a coffee drinker, a new espresso maker, grinder, beans and cup would make a great treat, or a selection of cheeses, slate board and serving knives would be great for any savoury snackers!
• Tea of coffee subscription – as a self-confessed tea-and-coffee addict, even I’d love this; a monthly subscription means that the recipient gets regular deliveries of new flavours to try, and never has to worry about running out completely. For coffee, try artisan roasters The Coffee Factory, who take ethics and sustainability VERY seriously, or for tea, gourmet tea company, Bruutea.

3. Espresso pot, £6.99 // 4. Copper mug, £4.99 // 8. Embossed glass pitcher, £7.99 // 9. Embossed glass tumbler, £1.99 // 

Many thanks to Homesense for collaborating on this post.