What is it about Father’s Day that brings out all the strange, weird gift ideas? Mom’s Day gets flowers, nice cards and perfume, even dinner out. But Dad? How about a personalized bobble-head doll (mycustombobbleheads.com) or a personalized leather beer bottle holster from mrlentz.com? And that’s just the beginning.
The point is: Father’s Day is for fun. Have a good sit down or a catch with the ‘ole man and let him know how much you care, really care about him, enough to want to make him laugh, and make his day totally carefree and stressless; basically, a day OFF from having one of the toughest jobs in the world, being your dad.
The secret behind gifting dad (and grandpa) is knowing him, his likes and dislikes, his favorite foods, sports teams, booze brands, hobbies, etc. Y’know, the stuff that matters.
Of course, you can always go the traditional “tie route.” But make sure it’s 100% silk, in a color that works with his suits and completes his wardrobe. In other words, it shows that you know his needs. Anything but solid red, maybe even a simple meaningful pattern (think anchors for the sailor dad) at ties.com.
To help you get started, here are few distinctive ideas that should put a smile on any dad’s face. Some are funny, some are warm-hearted, all of them fairly unique. Happy shopping, or browsing, as the case may be.
Many dads fall into the steak and potato category for dining habits. There’s always a gift assortment from omahasteaks.com or even a gift card from his favorite local steakhouse. You might be able to find something interesting from meatsbylinz.com, the top-quality steak provider for famous meat-lover spots like Shula’s, the Breakers, STK restaurants, and Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse.
And for the potato: how about a real potato with your dad’s face printed on it? It can be done at potatoparcel.com.
A few other food-related ideas you can find at groovyguygifts.com might include a personalized cutting board with your dad’s image, a personalized “How I cut carbs” pizza slicer, or a stylish “Sarcasm makes me skinny” drink tumbler. The assortment goes on and on.
That’s the thing about Father’s Day gifting this year: the internet makes it extremely easy. Everywhere you look, there’s another source of good ideas. Try Etsy, Amazon, even Wirecutter, and you’ll find an aggregation of unusual ideas. Some risqué, some edgy and embarrassing, but mostly funny and creative. And you can personalize just about anything with your dad’s photo, if you have a decent pic: wine corks, bottle openers, socks and breach towels, with him as the head on a perfect beach body.
For example, you might consider a package of “5 pairs of emergency underpants” at offthewagon.com. Or a classic highball glass etched with the phrase “Dad, you’ve always been like a father to me.” Whenever you land on a site, just look for the Father’s Day gift tab.
Even Michaels, the tchotchke store, gets into the act this year. They have a MakerPlace section where you can get a simple candle labeled “Nacho average dad” personalized with his name.
Another site (uncommongoods.com) even segments their Father’s Day section by “new dads,” “grandads,” or “pet dads,” subdividing even further by your dad’s personality. Under the “geek” tab, you’ll find lollipops based on the planets or a maps quiz book filled with brainteasers about wherever you are in the world. Geeky, huh?
And sooner or later, you’re bound to come across the suggestion of “Dad Jokes.” You can find collections in books, on calendars, napkins, coasters, T-shirts, you name it. You could always “give of thyself” and make up a booklet of personalized dad jokes that you write yourself with your dad in mind. That would be special. One ready-made Dad Joke option that looked fairly fun and unusual was the “Dad Joke 3000,” a big red push button that would say one of 75 classic, cheesy, groaner dad jokes every time he pushes the button. That was easy! (Batteries included on Amazon.)
But for really interesting Dad’s Day cards, check out the Father’s Day category at lovepop.com. You won’t believe the ideas and concepts they can build into a pop-up greeting card, from a “tee-riffic day” golfing theme to a Ted Lasso soccer field to a “best flippin’ dad” BBQ grilling scene. There’s even a “Dad, you’re a fungi” gardener-themed display.
And now for the “ultimate” Father’s Day gift (at least according to FamilyTreeDNA). You can unlock your dad’s history with a gift of Y-DNA that traces your distant paternal history. So, we guess you’d find out a lot about yourself, too. As a reminder, Y-DNA only passes from male to male.
Whatever you land on, you’d better hurry. Father’s Day is approaching fast, June 16th this year. Of course, a favorite child can always get a few extra days reprieve. And you are his favorite, right?
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