Even though Father’s Day gifts have been on our minds — and our shopping lists — for weeks now, some of us still have, um, a little bit of work to do before Sunday. But we’re not worried, and you shouldn’t be either, because we’ve rounded up a ton of easy ideas for last-minute Father’s Day gifts right here for you.
From things you and your kids can make yourselves to gifts you can get from your local stores at the 11th hour, we’re sure you’ll find something here that will show Dad just how special he is.
Top: Culture Carton | Cratejoy
CMP is an rstyle and Amazon affiliate
This post has been updated for 2018! Be sure to check out the rest of our 2018 Father’s Day Gift Guide too!
1. Last-minute Father’s Day gift idea: Food. Of course!
They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. We’re not sure that’s entirely true, but it’s still a fun and delicious proverb to test out on Father’s Day. Whatever meal you’re planning for Dad (breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner) and wherever you’re planning it (bedside, poolside, outside)…we’ve got a recipe for that.
–Sweet and savory Father’s Day treats the kids can help make, like the to-die-for Berry-Topped Oreo Tart by I Heart Baking above
–Star Wars-themed Father’s Day food ideas that are almost too amazing to eat
-Our favorite bacon recipe of all time
–Fresh rosé recipes for dads who love summer wine
-How to build the perfect Father’s Day breakfast sandwich
-A bacon mac ‘n’ cheese melt (and other brilliant recipes by the best dad food bloggers)
-Build Dad’s favorite burger with one of these best cuts of beef
-A full-on Father’s Day meal plan (that’s flexible too!)
-A delicious grapefruit cocktail (or mocktail) that goes great with breakfast in bed
-Fix up a customized Father’s Day food bar
-The best cuts of beef for Father’s Day burgers and some eco-friendly burger ideas if Dad’s doing the vegetarian thing
–Pizza, cookies, and other recipes kids can make by themselves (mostly)
–Steak with sweet and sour peppers and 5 other amazing steak recipes (and how to cook them to perfection)
-The most adorable mustache pancakes, and other breakfast recipes expressly made for Dad
–To-die-for Bloody Mary cocktails (and mocktails)
-Rum-soaked grilled pineapple and other delicious Dad’s Day dessert recipes
-Eggs in a basket and sweet heart-shaped food ideas
2. Last-minute Father’s Day gift idea: Something cool from a neighborhood store, flea market, or craft fair.
Photo: @cobigelow on Instagram
We’re all for honoring our pops by supporting our local mom-and-pops. So think about what’s nearby. A cool kitchen or gourmet store? A great indie bookstore? A favorite menswear boutique? A talented florist? An old school indie sporting goods store? A high-end chemist or pharmacist?
If you’re lucky enough to live near C.O. Bigelow Pharmacy in NYC’s West Village, above, there’s always something fantastic at America’s oldest apothecary, like this beard grooming kit by Brooklyn Grooming.
Related: The best daddy-and-me shirts
3. Last-minute Father’s Day gift idea: A monthly subscription box
What dad won’t be thrilled to receive a craft beer of the month subscription, a customized coffee box subscription, a new tie every month, or a box filled with handpicked items from top artisan food makers such as Mantry, above, in the mail? No dad, that’s who! Subscription boxes are always good gift ideas when they’re packed full of things Dad likes most.
The first shipment probably won’t arrive in time for Sunday delivery, but you can gift the subscription with a few cans of his favorite local brew or a bag of his favorite beans, then include a card saying this is just the beginning. Then he’ll have so much to look forward to.
4. Easy last-minute Father’s Day gift idea: A book he’ll love
Bookstores are absolute gold mines for easy last-minute Father’s Day gift ideas. We love the idea of kids picking out a sweet new children’s book about Dad. Dad By My Side by French artist Audrey Maman, above, is guaranteed to get a smile and a sniffle.
We’re also drawn to funny books by funny dads. Our recent post has lots of ideas including You’re Not Doing It Right by Michael Ian Black, a collection of hilarious and self-deprecating essays about fatherhood. It’s basically the dad version of Tina Fey’s Bossypants. Reading win!
But hey, if he’s into bios, mysteries, thrillers, or summer beach romances, then that’s a great last-minute gift idea too.
Related: Father’s Day gifts for less than $20. Yes, really.
5. Last-minute Father’s Day gift idea: A DIY gift basket
Whatever he’s into, whether it’s sports, grilling, fine art, or..you know, zombies, you can create a unique basket of goodies for him just by hitting a few local shops or making use of that Amazon Prime shipping.
In our post about the coolest free Father’s Day printables, we got super-excited when we found Sandy Toes & Popsicles’ zombie survival kit, because we know several Walking Dead fans who would be absolutely thrilled to get this for Father’s Day. Braaaaains!
It’s quick and easy (and free!) to print out all the labels, and kids can get creative matching them to actual products of their choice for a semi-homemade but fairly easy last-minute Father’s Day gift idea.
6. Last-minute Father’s Day gift idea: A one-of-a-kind experience
Maybe the perfect last-minute gift for Dad isn’t something you even have to think about wrapping. For the man who has everything, including great taste, we love the idea of a Master Class Online Video Course, where Dad can learn the art of comedy with Steve Martin or basketball handling with Stephen Curry.
And we’re all for Father’s Day experience gifts — sometimes the best presents are made out of memories, don’t you think? You can get Dad season tickets to a sporting event, send him on a fabulous trip, set him up with music or language lessons, give him a gift card for dinner with his favorite kids or grandkids…or even give him the chance to get up close and personal with elephants via IfOnly.
You can also get an experience gift card from Cloud9 Living, which specializes in everything from hot air balloon rides to fancy wine tastings in fancy places. Yes, please.
7. Last-minute Father’s Day gift idea: A fab DIY Father’s Day card
You can never go wrong with a handmade card from the kids for Father’s Day, and who says they can’t be gifts in themselves? The unbelievably clever Father’s Day cards like the one above by Shari’s Berries go above and beyond in delivering a special message to Dad. Kids will have fun putting the cards together and like all of our ideas, in the end, they’re framable, making them cool keepsake Father’s Day gifts too.
And don’t forget to bring the funny! We have an incredible list of Father’s Day cards from Etsy that are so funny, he might even laugh at them as much as he does at his own dad jokes.
8. Last-minute Father’s Day gift idea: A magazine or service subscription
We included this gift in our roundup of practical Father’s Day gift ideas, because magazines will always be cool. A subscription to The New Yorker means he’ll get a new one every week, which is a fantastic steady dose of journalism and wit.
There are other kinds of subscriptions, too. For guys who prefer to read digitally, we suggest Texture, which gives you unlimited access to more than 200 magazines each month.
Another idea is an annual subscription to CLEAR, which is both practical and luxurious for a frequent traveler dad. fter he’s approved, he doesn’t even need an ID to get fast-tracked through security lines in 5 minutes or less. And: Kids under 18 are included free. Hello, easier family vacations!
You could also consider an upgrade to TripIt Pro (we’re huge fans!) or a membership to his preferred airline’s frequent flyer lounge.
For outdoorsy dads, look into a summer parking pass for a favorite beach, hiking trail, or fishing spot. For arts lovers, a family museum membership would be terrific. The ideas are endless, really. Just think of what he loves and would never buy for himself.
Related: 10 truly cool personalized gifts for dad you can still order in time
9. Last-minute Father’s Day gift idea: A DIY photo gift
Creative DIY Father’s Day gift ideas are a triple threat: They’re keepable, they’re one-of-a-kind, and kids love to make them. To make it extra special, especially on behalf of new dads with younger kids, this DIY Father’s Day photo holder by Project Kid meets all three criteria nicely. Click over for the easy tutorial because this is definitely a last-minute Father’s Day gift idea that won’t feel last minute at all.
Which leads us to…
10. Last-minute Father’s Day gift idea: An amazing photo
You don’t have to be a pro photographer (or even average-level Instagrammer) to produce a photo that’s 100 percent cool. Take this adorable I love dad Father’s Day photo from Freckle photo — although she does have great tips on her site for how to get the beautiful focus (and she did use a pro camera), you’ll find her tips helpful and inspiring.
For more ideas, be sure to check out some of our other favorite Father’s Day photo shoot ideas on Cool Mom Tech. It could be as simple as using a well-rated photo filter app, printing and framing.
11. Last-minute Father’s Day gift idea: A cool gift card in a cool holder
Gift cards can wonderful gifts in and of themselves — we know quite a few dads that would be over the moon about a month’s worth of movie tickets, iTunes albums ready for download, or days and days of Starbucks lattes — but they have to be personal if you’re going to present them as a heartfelt gift.
We think gift cards get significantly more special with special kid-made wrapping like this Father’s Day Pop-Up Gamer Card Gift Holder by Jennifer Maker which perfectly complements a gift card for video games or accessories. Click over for a video tutorial. And check out some more ideas in our favorite DIY handmade gift from the kids.
Related: Printable gift card holders to make end of year teacher gifts more special.
12. Last-minute Father’s Day gift idea: An out-of-this-world printable
We’ve often turned to Mr. Printables for its free DIY printable kits for last-minute handmade gift ideas, and here we are, doing it again! Look at the printable Dad glasses above — how cool are they? Not only are they free, they’re also instantly downloadable, which means you could print it out just minutes before you see Dad on Father’s Day, fold and assemble. (Not that you’d procrastinate that long. But you could.)
13. Last minute Father’s Day gift idea: An unforgettable video
How lucky are we to live in a time where we have so many amazingly cool video editing apps — especially when they make last-minute gift giving so easy? Pictured above is the Magisto video editing app, which we’ve had fun with for years. You select the clips and overlay you prefer, and the app puts it all together for you to create an unforgettable video. It will definitely bring a smile to Dad’s lips and (very likely) a tear to his eye.
Related: 6 practical tech gifts you can still get for Father’s Day
14. Last-minute Father’s Day gift idea: A charitable donation
For lots of dads, the best gift you can give him is support for a cause he truly cares about in his name. We’ve always been fans of family-focused organizations (like Fisher House Foundation, above), but whatever charity is closest to his (big) heart is the right one.
