Craft:

Most years, for Father's Day we let my dad, and now my husband, sleep in, make him a nice breakfast, and then head out for a picnic at the beach or by a creek in the mountains. This tradition is a great way to let the family spend some quality time together, give us an excuse to blow off household chores and head out for a nature excursion, and it's easy on the pocketbook as well.

But we always offer a small gift as well. And the ones that have held up the longest, evoke the strongest memories, and are often displayed as favorites around the house are the ones that are handmade.

Around our house, we have framed finger paintings and sketches of flower vases and pots of gold. We have fish made out of driftwood hanging in the living room, torn-paper hearts on the bedroom walls, and a sea shell and sea glass collage sitting on the mantle. My husband's got a wooden box, painstakingly painted by a then-5-year-old, that holds assorted screws on his tool bench. A decorated tin can holds the pens and pencils on his desk, and my own pen is a flower blooming out of a pot of pinto beans, recently created by our 6-year-old son. One wall in the kitchen is festooned with hand-print castings, along with a beaded crystal hanging, and an Ojo de Dios. All made by our two sons over the years, and all cherished.

Sure, the T-shirts, ties, and necklaces are always appreciated. Neither of us will turn down breakfast in bed or homemade muffins, but getting to see presents made by our children around every corner of our house is truly the gift that keeps on giving!

Feel free to share your homemade gifts, memories, and whatever else is on your mind in the Comments!