by Christi DuPre

Created on: June 11, 2008

You could do it to save a few dollars. You could do it to exercise your creativity. But whatever your motivation, a hand-crafted Father's Day card is the top way to express your sentiments to Dad. The week before Father's Day I encourage my children to make a card for dad, but as adults, why not join your kids and craft a tribute to your dad too? The time invested in a do-it-yourself greeting speaks volumes to honor the recipient. Card making for Father's Day can be fun family time, just make certain that dad has other plans, and clean up the evidence afterwards.

Children especially like to load up on card-making supplies; however, most adults will not use as many embellishments unless they are particularly artistic. Selecting a good quality paper is essential for any card which worth making. I choose a medium weight art paper that will hold up to erasures and a load of glue and decorations. The paper may be folded in creative ways to resemble a book, an airplane or other shapes that might appeal to your dad. You might even roll the paper in a scroll and write a proclamation designating your dad as king for the day. Other sundries you may want to have handy include tape, glue, scissors, colored pencils or markers, glitter, ribbon, foam shapes, stamps or stencils. You may want to incorporate photographs into your card design by printing them directly to the paper or gluing them in place.

The card design would be lacking without a verse to go with your attractive design. Dad's heart may be warmed by a tender sentiment, or he may be tickled by humorous prose. An easy "starter" is to change the lyrics of a well-known song or words of a favorite poem by inserting personalized verses about your dad. If cleverly written words elude you, consider just writing a brief letter of thanks. Cards sometimes include inspirational words or famous quotations, and www.quote land.com may have just the right language for you. Some of these quotes might make lively captions for photographs you have on your card.

Whatever the outcome, you can't fail by taking time to create a do-it-yourself Father's Day card rather than selecting a card off the rack. Your time and effort go a long way in conveying your love and gratitude to dad. Undoubtedly, a hand-made card is far more likely to be cherished and kept than its store-bought counterpart. And as a bonus, you've saved a little money and enjoyed a creative outlet with your family.

Learn more about this author, Christi DuPre.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.