Homemade Father’s Day Gift – Nuts & Bolts Frame

This post was originally shared at the lovely B-Inspired Mama!

We’re all about kid-made presents in preschool, and this homemade Father’s Day gift is no different.  I’ve done this with a variety of preschool and kindergarten classes, and it’s always met with a lot of enthusiasm.  The dads seem to enjoy receiving their child’s version of this nuts and bolts frame, which is the goal!  Below is a version Engineer made for his grandpa last year.

Are you following Fun-A-Day’s Mother’s Day & Father’s Day Pinterest board?

Dad will love this homemade Father’s Day gift!

Materials
Large craft sticks (the kind that look like tongue depressors)
White glue or a hot glue gun
A few nuts and bolts
Acrylic paint (we used dark blue)

Directions

1. Paint 4 large craft sticks.  Engineer chose a dark blue acrylic paint.  Tempera paint would work well, too, but the coverage might not be the same.
2. Glue the sticks together to create a frame.  We glued our sticks together to create a squarish frame.  If a more rectangular frame is what you want, don’t overlap the sticks as much as we did!
3. Choose a few nuts and bolts to add to the frame.  Be sure not to overload it with too many, though!  If Dad isn’t into building, choose something different to decorate the frame with.
4. Glue the hardware to the frame.  We used regular white glue, but a hot glue gun would work just as well (and would dry faster).
5. Add something to the frame (see ideas below).  Back it with a piece of cardboard.
6. Be sure to write the year on the back of the frame!
7. Add a strip of magnetic tape to the back if you want to feature it on the fridge.

Ideas for What to Frame

• Child’s picture
• Child’s hand print(s)
• A note or a poem from the child
• A picture of Dad with the kiddo(s)

Engineer really wanted to write his grandpa a note, so that’s what we settled on.  My dad loved it, of course, and Engineer was so proud of what he’d made!

What homemade Father’s Day gift are you planning to make with the kiddos?  Any favorite ideas from years past?  I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!