Make a Wallet card:
1. Fold 2 sheets of black or brown paper (card stock or construction paper)
2. Draw an outline of Dad’s wallet, or download pattern and cut out.
3. Cut the 2 front sheets a little shorter than the 2 back sheets to form pockets for “Driver’s license” and “credit cards.”
4. Glue the edges. Clamp with clothespins or heavy books until the glue dries.
5. Buy play money, or make play money. Turn them into coupons for favors, like shoe shine, wash the car, or foot massage.
6. Cut white paper into several rectangles. Copy driver’s license and credit cards for design ideas, but make them say nice things about Dad such as...Thanks for reading me books...You are the best Dad in the world...I love you!
Note: If you want the wallet to stay closed when it is folded, you will need to cut the inside sheets of paper shorter than the outside. But it is less trouble to just make them all the same size, and if you do, it stands up nicely by itself.
Download pattern
Make a computer card:
1. Look on line (Google images works well) for a picture of a keyboard, or take one with a digital camera, and print out.
2. Write a Father’s Day letter to Dad in your mail program, and take a screen shot, and print it out.
3. Cut cardboard or styrofoam sheets to the size of the printed keyboard and screen shot.
4. Glue white or black paper to the outside surfaces of the cardboard or styrofoam. It should be glued in the closed position (see photo on far left), or the paper won’t be long enough to let it close once it has dried.
5. Cut paper so it can be folded over the edges and onto the inside of the “Computer.” Glue and let dry.
6. Glue the “keyboard” and “screen” to the inside and let dry.
7. Make design elements on the outside with tape (for Apple computers, cut an apple shape out of tape and fasten to cover.
Make a Certificate card:
1. Buy an official looking certificate at the hundred yen store.
2. Write the certificate as if your dad has won a “Best Father” contest. If you can’t think what to write, look at cards sold in stores for ideas.
3. Make a tube to hold the certificate by covering a potato chip can or plastic wrap tube with wrapping paper, and tie with a ribbon.
4. Roll up the certificate and slide it into the tube.
Make a Baseball card:
1. Cut cardboard and paper in the shape of bat and balls.
2. Glue paper to the shapes, and write your message.
Download pattern
Make a Soccer card:
1. Cut a circle out of cardboard
2. Draw black pentagons and white 6-sided shapes, and write your messages.
Download pattern
Make a Puzzle card:
1. Buy a puzzle at a 100 yen store.
2. Write a letter to your father.
3. Break up the puzzle and put in an envelope or box.
Alternative: Write a letter on thin cardboard, such as a cereal box. Glue a photo of yourself over the design side. Cut into puzzle pieces.
Make a Golf caddy “card”:
1. Loosely cover a potato chip can with paper cut from a paper bag.
2. Optional: make a pocket and strap.
3. Put tape around the top and bottom of covered chip can.
4. Use Hearty (Karui Kaminendo) to make golf balls
5. Use Hearty to make grips and heads of clubs.
6. Poke bamboo skewers into the grips and heads. Cover with tinfoil.
Make a golf card:
1. Cut a golf club and balls out of thin cardboard.
2. Glue on paper and tinfoil.
3. Write your message.
Make a cell phone card:
1. Borrow your dad’s cell phone and draw an outline around it on paper the same color as his cell phone. Add a 1 inch (2 cm.) border around that line.
2. Cut out the paper.
3. Cut 2 shapes out of cardboard or styrofoam the size of the cell phone (not the size of the paper with the one inch border.) (If your dad’s cell phone does not fold in half, then only cut one shape.)
4. Use a computer to write a message and make the “buttons” for the computer. Alternative: draw with pens that can write on black paper, if the cell phone is black.
5. Print and cut out the inside of the “cell phone.”
6. Glue the outside cover to the cell phone. Clip the corners so that the paper will fold over the rounded corners. Glue in the closed position (like photo next to mug) or the paper will not be long enough to allow the cell phone to close once it is dry.
7. Glue the inside message and buttons to the cell phone.
Download pattern
Make a card with a stand:
1. Buy tiny wooden clothes pins and decorate.
2. Find a photo and write your message on the back.
3. Clip the clothes pins to the card, and leave it someplace your dad will find.
Make a fishing pole card:
1. Cut shapes out of cardboard
2. Cover “pole” with tinfoil
3. write messages on fish.
Download pattern
Make a 3-D fishing pole card:
1. Make fish and pole handle out of Hearty (Karui Kaminendo)
2. Poke a bamboo skewer into the handle.
3. Tie a string to the pole. Fasten with wire.
4. write messages on fish.
Make a necktie rack card:
1. Buy wire at a hundred yen store. Bend into tie rack shape.
2. Cut tie shapes from cardboard and cover with patterned origami or wrapping paper
3. write a messages on each tie.
Make a message swag card:
1. Cut squares or other shapes from colored paper.
2. Use a hole punch to punch a hole in the top of each shape
3. write a messages on each square
4. Poke a string through each hole, and tie a knot.
This swag can be hung vertically or horizontally. it makes a nice Father’s Day decoration.