Designing for Dad: DIY Gifts for the OG in Your Life

Unique, creative projects Dad will love.

Nothing gets palms sweaty like shopping for the perfect gift for Dad. Dads seem to have everything they could want or need — and we’ve all been guilty of the gift repeat. (Ties and socks, anyone?) This year, give the Dad/Uncle/Grandfather/Surly Neighbor in your life the perfect gift: one you made yourself. Here are some of our favorite DIY Dad gifts you can design for the father-figure in your life.

1. Dad joke book

Pay homage to what quintessentially makes a Dad with a collection of your Dad’s best (worst) jokes and favorite sayings — the punnier, the better! Keep it simple by selecting a great font from Adobe Typekit. Let the jokes speak for themselves, or add photos or illustrations for an additional personal touch. Here’s one to get you started: How does a penguin build its house? Igloos it together! Now go forth, and make your Dad ROFL.

2. Custom card deck

Mountain Playing Cards by Mac Zafarana.

Whether your Dad is a professional poker player or amateur magician, a custom card deck is the perfect addition to his game collection. Use Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop to personalize a deck of cards with pictures of children or grandchildren, images of his favorite places, or affirmations (for when his game isn’t going quite to plan). Trust us. He’ll love showing off his bridge shuffle with cards that have your face all over them.

3. New daddios

For the newest Dad on the block, give something he can share with his bundle of joy. Use Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop to design a coordinating shirt and onesie, matching hats, or even custom temporary tattoos. Matching does a Daddy good. And even if he doesn’t want to wear the shirt, it’s basically guaranteed his kid will sport the onesie.

4. Grooming kit

AMH - Men’s Grooming Products by Emily Engelson.

Maybe your Dad is holding strong to his combover, or maybe he is working on a perfectly manicured beard. Whatever the case, all Dads can use a few grooming essentials. Take the guesswork out of which product to use where with custom labels designed in Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop that serve as gentle (or not-so-gentle) reminders, and let him know you think he is pretty good-looking. You can even create a custom carrying case or get a case monogrammed for all of his primping needs at home and on-the-go.

5. Dad hats and pins

Team Dad Bod Five Panel Cap by Workout Shirt Studio.

Help your style-conscious Dad stay on trend without an ounce of effort by designing a custom Dad hat. Be it baseball cap, trucker hat, newsboy cap, panama sun hat, or sombrero, adding that personal touch to your Dad’s ensemble is the gift that keeps on giving. You can add a subtle monogram, a custom button or pin, or a meaningful anagram, like “WBD” (world’s best Dad), or “WWGD” (what would grandpa do). Create a simple design or icon in Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop to make a one-of-a-kind hat your guy will want to wear every day.

6. Apron

Dads and grills go together like peanut butter and jelly. Protect your Dad’s unparalleled fashion — be it golf shirts and chinos or hawaiian shirts and cargo shorts — with a custom apron. You can put anything on it you want. Photos, quotes — may we recommend a perfectly Photoshopped Dad bod? All the rage right now.

7. Coloring page

Coloring book by Venya Son.

Nothing is more flattering than a coloring page with your face on it — and nothing will entertain grandchildren more. Buy a few more minutes at dinner with a coloring page (or ten) of grandpa. Using Adobe Capture, you can easily create a coloring page from a favorite photo of your loved one, and let everyone use their imagination to fill in the color as they see fit. Have a high-stress Dad? Create an entire coloring book from photos of yourself and other family or friends that they can color in to unwind and lay it out in Adobe InDesign.

These days, a shout-out on social media is as good as gold because only the best of the best get facetime on our feeds. Go above and beyond the basic photo with a little help from Adobe Spark Post. Their Father’s Day templates are guaranteed to let everyone know your Dad is the best Dad.

9. The classic mug – with a twist

All Dads need a mug — for coffee, pencil holder, or paperweight. Personalize the mug your Dad will use most with a favorite quote or personal sentiment. If your Dad isn’t a huge fan of coffee or tea, consider deviating from the norm and making your Dad a beer stein instead. Equally as useful at different times of day. You can even find mockup templates available through Adobe Stock.

Whether you’re celebrating your biological father, an adopted Dad, your husband, or someone who has been more than a father to you, celebrate them with a gift that you designed with them in mind using your own creativity and Adobe Creative Cloud.