Toddler Activity: Tacky Tie for Father’s Day


 

tacky tie for Father's Day - a simple craft for tots

I have been brainstorming ideas for Father’s Day this year that are appropriate for G to give to her dad and are appropriate for my husband.  My husband is apparently not the stereotypical “dad.”  He is not remotely interested in hunting and fishing.  He doesn’t golf.  And though he is a computer nerd (self-admitted), he doesn’t like most of the typical fashionable tech gadgets (we are anti-Apple around here).  He is also not the grill-master or gardening guy.  So, it can get a bit difficult!

Another thing about my husband is I can count on one hand the amount of times I have seen him in a tie.  We are just a casual family around here, so it would look really out-of-place with his one-pocket t-shirt and cargo shorts!  But I got to thinking about turning the typical Dad’s day gift on its head to make it something fun for G to do and something funny for D to receive.

And here is what I came up with: A Tacky Tie

a simple craft for toddlers to do for daddy for Father's Day

You know those ties you see all the anchor men on the news wearing the Monday after Father’s Day?  Those ties.  They were obviously picked out by the hands of a not so fashion forward or aware young one.  These days they have Star Wars characters or teddy bears, something truly tacky!

So I thought it would be fun to help G make her dad a Tacky Tie.  And here is how we did it:

 

Materials:

  • construction paper
  • template
  • scissors
  • contact paper
  • random bits and bobs from around the craft bin (we used homemade confetti, but you could use cotton balls, pipe cleaners, tissue paper, whatever you have on hand)

a simple craft for toddlers to do for daddy for Father's Day

 

Procedure:

  1. Fold construction paper in half, lengthwise.  Trace template onto the folded edge of the construction paper.
  2. Cut out the traced portion of your construction paper (if you can think of a use for the resulting “tie,” please let me know).  Unfold to show the tie in the middle of the paper.
  3. Cut a length of contact paper to fit the back of the construction paper with the tie cut out of it. Apply to the back of the construction paper.
  4. Let your little one create their tacky tie using the bits and bobs you choose.

a simple craft for toddlers to do for daddy for Father's Day

 

I just love the way this turned out and I love the *wink* tacky-ness.

What are you doing with your little one to show Dad some love this year?  I would love to hear from you!

 

a simple craft for toddlers to do for daddy for Father's Day


This Post Has 23 Comments

    1. ussleah

      It adds to the idea that men are hard to shop for! But I love him!

    1. ussleah

      Thanks, Anna! This is the first official year we can do something for him, so it has been fun to come up with different ideas.

  1. Jen

    Great idea and such a cute craft! To answer your question about what to do with the resulting tie, I’ll share what they did at my daughter’s preschool for their Father’s Day gifts: they had a tie shape made from card stock, punched two holes at the top and threaded ribbon through it and tied it in a circle to make a “necklace,” then they decorated the ties with stickers and markers to create a wearable gift. They turned out really cute. So with your craft idea you could make one to hang on the wall and one to hang on dad’s neck. 😉

    1. ussleah

      Love it, Jen! Thank you for answering the question. I kept the “ties” and was still trying to think of something to do with them.

    1. ussleah

      Thanks! Yes, what are they thinking being so atypical? ;). Thanks for pinning!

  2. Debs

    Thanks for linking this to Tuesday Tots. I really like this idea for toddlers. Hands on, tactile and achievable. I’ve featured it this week 🙂

  3. Carrie

    What fun!! We usually do a picture gift or handprint gift since my husband is not into any of those typical things either. Thank you for sharing on Sharing Saturday!!

    1. ussleah

      Isn’t it fun to see the hands and feet grow over a year’s time?! Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment!

  4. Lydia

    Great idea! My 2 year old would LOVE this! Visiting from SITS!

    1. ussleah

      Hi Lydia, Thanks for stopping by and saying hi! Yes, our little one loves working on projects with me!

  5. Amanda

    That’s a gorgeous idea! I’m going to do it with my Aboriginal pre-kindy (3year olds) in Australia! Thanks

    1. Leah Hudson

      How FUN! I would love to see the results!

  6. echaimutenan

    Love it
    i wanna try for my husband’s birthday
    Thank you

    Btw, i love your template <3

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