DIY Gifts for Dad to Make This Christmas

If you’re looking for unique gifts for dad this Christmas, get the skills you need to make some awesome DIY gifts and surprise him with some homemade pressies! Putting the time and effort into crafting handmade gifts is a lovely way to show someone how much they mean to you and we think your Pops will love receiving a Christmas gift that you’ve made with your own two hands this year. 

When you’ve already bought your dad all his favourites for his birthday and Father’s Day, a handmade gift for Christmas is a nice way to treat him to something a bit different. Whether you choose to make a terrarium, a box of homemade chocolates or some handbuilt pottery, your dad will really appreciate that you’ve put the effort in to create something unique for him. An added bonus of making him a present yourself is that there’s no risk of getting him something that another family member will have already chosen!

Grab a glass of mulled wine or cosy up with a cup of tea and read on to explore some lovely Christmas craft ideas to help you make some wonderful gifts for dad this yuletide.

DIY presents for dad

If you’d like to make a gift for your dad this year instead of buying one outright, choosing to attend a craft class to learn some new skills and make something for him yourself is a pretty awesome option. Whether he’s a plant king with his own houseplant jungle, a baked goods fiend or a coffee aficionado, there’s a DIY craft you can learn to make him something special to fit his hobby, loves or interests. 

DIY gifts for plant-loving dads

If your main man is into his houseplants, learn to make your own terrarium for him at a terrarium workshop this winter. DIY terrariums are a brilliant gift as you can personalise what you make to the person you’re making it for. If your dad loves a particular type of succulent or has his eye on a specific kind of cacti, you can add them to his terrarium for him! You can also add little models or figures to the terrarium to make it extra special and personal (we’re thinking dinosaurs, hobbit doors or your dad’s favourite animal?). Or go more classic and opt for pebbles, gravel or driftwood. Homemade terrariums are easy to care for, look fab in any home and can house a variety of different plants. If your dad likes his aloe vera, jade plants and cacti, make him a succulent terrarium and wrap a Christmas ribbon around the glass for a festive flourish! 

If you take a terrarium class, your teacher will give you a ton of tips on the best terrarium plants to use in your mini plant jungle to ensure it thrives. You’ll end up with the knowledge you need to make a terrarium just right for your dad’s gift.

If your Pops already has a coffee table full of terrariums or you think he’d be keen on something a little more unusual, opt to learn the skills you need to create a kokedama moss ball at a kokedama making class. You could take part in an online class or head to a workshop near you in person. Learning from an expert teacher, you’ll discover how to make a kokedama to surprise your dad with this year. If this is all new to you, a kokedama is a form of Japanese garden art that involves taking the root ball of a plant and binding it into a mud and moss ball which can be either hung from a string or attached to a piece of wood or similar. The plant then grows from the moss ball, creating a beautiful effect.

Does your dad like his houseplants? If he does, a Japanese moss ball is a lovely way for him to decorate his home and add to his collection of greenery. At your plant workshop, you’ll be shown how to combine moss, soil and plants to make a kokedama. You can put it on a tray or in a wide glass vase, or you can make a hanging kokedama – this is a really versatile option as it can be suspended from a shelf or window to add interest and a lovely pop of green in the home! Kokedama making is really taking off in the UK and making one for your dad this Christmas will give him a cool new way to indulge his interest in plants. 

Whichever kind of plant class you go for, you’ll gain some useful new skills, have a great time boosting your knowledge on one of your dad’s favourite things and, most importantly, you’ll be able to give your Pops a cool handmade gift for Christmas based on his love of plants.

Christmas DIY gifts for foodie dads

Thinking about putting together a Christmas hamper for your foodie dad this year? Add some homemade goodness to it by heading along to a baking class or one of our festive cooking classes and learn to bake some delicious homemade Christmas biscuits, gingerbread men or a full-on gingerbread house. If your dad’s a fan of baked goods, he’ll be well impressed with some homemade additions to his Christmas hamper!

You could even go all out and learn to make your own Christmas cake to add to your amazing basket of goodies. If your dad’s dairy-free, take a vegan chocolate making class and learn to make some deliciously decorated chocolates for him to enjoy on Christmas afternoon with a film. 

Ceramic Christmas gift ideas for dad

Does your dad like a nice cup of coffee or a comforting cuppa? Head to a pottery class and make him a lovely handmade mug to brighten up his daily brew. If you’re looking for Christmas gifts for dad that you’ll know he’ll use every day, this is a fab choice. 

Wherever you are in the UK, we’ll have a pottery workshop near you to help you learn some ceramics skills. From pottery classes in London to ceramic classes in Edinburgh and everywhere in between, you’ll find a local pottery studio ready to teach you the tricks of the trade and help you make a unique gift for dad that he’ll love. A handbuilt pottery mug will look awesome in his kitchen and every time he drinks from it, he’ll think of the time you spent making it just for him. Happy craft-mas!

Looking for some more unique gift ideas? Check out our list of the best alternative gifts for your dad here!