DIY Fathers’ Day Gift: Painted Cufflink Box

---

Posted On June 05, 2014 / Posted In For Him , Made by hand / Tagged gifts for him, fathers' day, fars dag gave

Text and images by Sarita Rajiv

Isn’t it odd how different countries celebrate days like Fathers’ Day and Mothers’ Day on different days? Germany celebrated Fathers’ Day last month while here in Denmark Fathers’ Day (or Fars Dag as they say in Danish) is today, the same day as Constitution Day! And then there are other countries celebrating it later in June; more like Fathers’ Month if you ask me. But then what’s a month to honour and appreciate all the wonderful dads right?

So for those of you still looking for Fathers’ Day gifting inspiration, here’s a simple homemade Fathers’ Day gift idea. DIY gifts for men can be hard to find and this handpainted cufflink box could be just what you’re looking for. Here’s what you’ll need for your homemade fathers’ day gift:

- A plain wooden box in the size of your choice. I chose a small one that can fit about 3-4 pairs of cufflinks
- Gesso primer
- Acrylic/craft paint and brushes
- Wood varnish (optional)

Here's what my small wooden box looked like at the start. I got it from the Søstrene Grene store on Amagertorv in Copenhagen.

First apply a couple of coats of gesso primer to the box, letting it dry between coats. When you’re painting on wood, you should always use primer as it ensures that the paint holds and stays on.

Now it’s time to get the paint on. I chose the sky blue and pale yellow combination because it’s so soothing and I know blue’s a favourite with many men! Next paint the inside of the box in pale yellow – I mixed a bit of yellow with white paint to get this shade. Once it’s dry, start with the outside.

I drew two diagonal lines on the top cover of the box to make this simple design of four triangles. I coloured them in yellow and blue while colouring the base in blue. Use at least two coats of paint for best results. If you want you can spray a layer of wood varnish when the paint is dry. I didn’t use varnish as I prefer the matt effect to a glossy one for this painted cufflink box.

Ta dah, your homemade Fathers’ Day gift is ready! Wasn’t that quick and simple? This hand painted cuff link box would be perfect not just for Fathers’ Day but for other occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.

If you’re not so much into DIY and would prefer to outsource the job to someone else, take a look at this post on personalised fathers’ day gifts you can buy. It’s sure to give you some gifting inspiration.

What’s the best way to get all these thoughtful and unique gift ideas? Sign up for our mails; enter your email id below:

Sign Me Up!