Believe it or not, 2008 marks the 100th anniversary of the first Father’s Day. Since 1908, people have been taking a day out of the year to celebrate and honor their fathers. Just like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day is—at least in the United States—not a religious holiday. It’s just a chance for families to say “Thanks” to dads and grandfathers all over the country.
Father’s Day falls each year on the third Sunday in June. For me, this means a serious crunch of gift-buying for my dad. His birthday is on June 25th, and always falls within a couple of days of Father’s Day. So, each year, I have to come up with great presents for two major dad-related holidays, often in the same week!
Dads are hard to buy for. It’s really hard to find a gift that is both thoughtful and useful. Does your dad like homemade gifts? Or is he more of a slick gadgets kind of guy? Or does he always want things like socks and underwear—things he doesn’t want to bother buying himself?
One great idea for Father’s Day is to have a t-shirt made in honor of your dad, grandpa, or husband. What better way to celebrate your loved one and show your love than with a creative, wearable message that you—or he—can wear over and over again through the years?
If your dad likes wearing t-shirts, you could design a custom t-shirt just for him on Father’s Day. You could go many different directions with your design: you could focus on the holiday and include text, like “World’s Best Dad” or “Today is My Day;” you could choose images from your special man’s favorite sports teams or movies; you could also use pictures of your family—baby pictures, wedding photos, and things like that. This way, your dad can enjoy his gift not just on Father’s Day, but anytime he chooses to wear his t-shirt.
Another way to go would be to design custom t-shirts for the rest of the family—when your dad comes down the stairs on Father’s Day morning, he will see an entire family wearing t-shirts made in his honor. These t-shirts could be matching, with a classic message like, “We love you, Dad!” or “Thanks for being a great dad!” You could also go more in depth and have each family member make an individual t-shirt. This will allow for more creativity, and will probably end up making Dad feel even more special. It is good for everyone to sit down once in awhile and create something out of love and caring for someone else. You’ll be delightfully surprised to see the sweet, funny, and heartfelt messages your family members will come up with for their Father’s Day t-shirts. And dad will be too!
And don’t forget about the other dads in your life: grandpas, husbands, uncles, and even sons! Custom designing a t-shirt for any of these people will send them the message that everyone appreciates the work and love they put into their jobs as dads.