Father's Day, Retirement or Special Birthday Gifts For Dad

This free multi page printable card spells out DAD and can be filled with photos, cross stitched miniatures, or personal memories to make it a special card for Father's Day or your Dad's birthday.

If you're not sure what message to include, About.Com's Guide to Rubberstamping has a great list of sources for Sentiments and Words for Father's Day

These free printable covers and insets for a standard mint tin can be used to make memory tins, practical holders for fishing lures or small parts, or combined with online instructions for mp3 players, survival kits or other items to make an inexpensive, personalized present for a deserving Dad.

If your dad works with model boats, this nautical rope rug can be made from cord or linen embroider thread as a miniature for his model boat or dock. If he would rather have the real thing, you can use the same instructions to make a full size rope rug from discarded climbing ropes or the appropriate number of feet of new rope from a ship's chandler.

If Dad loves the west, make him a tiny felted cowboy hat to decorate a gift or insert into a card. You can also use the hat to dress a mini dad made from polymer clay, following the steps for making figures from polymer clay. If you want to make a caracature or a realistic mini of your Dad you may want to look for Maureen Carlson's book Family and Friends in Polymer Clay.

If your Dad is into die cast cars, you can make him a working miniature trouble light to light up the engine bay of his best collectible.

You can fill a mint tin for Dad with polymer clay food replicas he can reclaim for the real thing. Adding a magnet to the bottom of any of these tiny foods will make them stick to the tin, or to Dad's fridge until he wants to redeem them. Choose from:

• Miniature Waffles or Pancakes
• Miniature Pies
• Miniature Cupcakes or Muffins
• Miniature CakesMiniature Cookies

Is Dad thinking of a long restful holiday or remembering good times when he was a child? Build him this dolls house scale cabin front porch to hang on his wall. You can personalize it by adding items to the porch that symbolize his upcoming retirement, or memories of his youth.

Check out the list of Father's Day Cross Stitch Projects from About.Com's Crosstitch Guide to find a special design for Dad. You can use these designs on pillows, towels, or bookmarks, or workt them in small scale and insert them into the printable Father's Day Card.