17 brilliant last-minute Father's Day gifts

We always love helping you all out with the best last-minute Father’s Day gifts for Dad, Grandpa, your stepdad, or anyone you’re celebrating this Father’s Day. Because it helps us out too! While Father’s Day gifts have been on our minds — and our shopping lists — for weeks now, some of us right here 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, creative ideas for last-minute Father’s Day gifts no matter what your budget, or how limited your time.

From things you and your kids can make yourselves to thoughtful subscription gifts, to gifts you can pick up from your local stores or have delivered at the 11th hour, we’re sure you’ll find something here that doesn’t even feel last-minute at all.

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Last minute Father’s Day Gift idea 1: His favorite food

Goldbelly is always my go-to for last-minute food gifts for any holiday. They’ll ship the best food from around the country…all around the country! Ribs from Memphis? Deep dish pizza from Chicago? Walter’s Hot Dogs from my own hometown? They’ve got you covered. Beyond Goldbelly, he might also like fresh Alaskan seafood delivery from Sitka Seafood Market or if he’s a meat guy, Carnivore Club may be calling his name.

If he loves ice cream, I am 100% on team eCreamery Father’s Day collection (above) especially with a big discount on site and 2 free pints with your order for a limited time.

Of course, you can make something too. Check out these favorite Father’s Day recipes from our favorite online dads, or these 10 fun food gifts for Father’s Day that the kids can help make.

Last minute Father’s Day Gift idea 2: A monthly subscription box

Check out our guide to 21 wildly cool subscription box ideas for every type of dad. Let him know about his gift in a card, and then he can look forward to gifts like:

a shipment of incredibly cool gadgets from BreoBox
tasteful and unique manly gear from Bespoke Post (above)
an affordable grooming subscription to Harry’s Shave
a new plant each month from the Bouqs — or just one plant! (25% off June 11-12)
the super creative Vinebox subscription for a wine lover.
a practical, eco-friendly Keurig alternative from Tayst Coffee
a Grillmasters subscription box for the classic Father’s Day theme. That’s a gift for all of us.

Last minute Father’s Day Gift idea 3: An instant download from Etsy

Find printable Father’s Day coupons (love this editable coupon book from Papermade Studio to ready-to-download artwork or cute cards, there’s a lot to love for last-minute Father’s Day gifts on Etsy – and plenty of shops are offering discounts right now just for us procrastinators. Also look for creative cards like this printable Fathter’s Day photo card from Paper and Stuff Store, that lets you add your own personalized photo to the VW. They’re on sale, too!

Last minute Father’s Day Gift idea 4: Anything he’d love that ships quickly or is available for in-store pickup.

Amazon is obviously ground zero for fast, free overnight shipping (for Prime members) and there are so many great gifts there. In addition to all the tech gear, gadgets, grilling tools, cand clothing, we love the Tell Me Your Life Story interactive book that’s a treasured keepsake.

Also check out so many shops with Priority 1-2 day shipping like Nordstrom, Footlocker, GAP, Kohl’s, Target, and Best Buy. Or if there’s one in your neighborhood, save the extra shipping cost, place the order, and run to the nearest shop yourself!

Last minute Father’s Day Gift idea 5: A treat he can pick out himself.

My dad is partial to Mary Janes, Red Hots, and Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews, so I understand picky dads! I’m always recommending a Sugarwish for a last-minute Father’s Day gift for a dad with a sweet tooth — he gets a text alert, and can pick out his own goodies. They’ve also got savory snacks, popcorn, coffee, and more. Plus save on your first order when you sign up for emails.

Last minute Father’s Day Gift idea 6: A book he’ll love

Bookstores are always gold mines for easy last-minute gifts for dads. Hit your local indie bookseller, a Barnes & Noble, a museum shop, and of course Amazon for loads of ideas. If you have young kids, they can pick out a sweet children’s book about Dad. Or browse bios, mysteries, thrillers, or his own favorite genre for a last-minute Father’s Day gift he’ll love. Audiobooks work too! Above: The Wingmen: The Unlikely, Unusual, Unbreakable Friendship Between John Glenn & Ted Williams, by Adam Lazarus.

Last minute Father’s Day Gift idea 7: Something cool from a local store

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 local to your community? A great indie bookstore? A favorite menswear boutique? A talented florist? An old school indie sporting goods store? Or maybe you have a craft fair, flea market, or even a farmer’s market near you on Saturday where you can grab a cool one-of-a-kind gift for dad. Just take a walk downtown and get inspired.

Last minute Father’s Day Gift idea 8: Tickets to an amazing event

Print out a cute customizable Father’s Day gift certificate like the one above from Mulberry St Paper Goods, and go to town! Literally.

Is he a theater guy? Maybe he’d like to catch a hot new Broadway show if you’re in the NYC area. If he’s a sports guy, tickets to a local game — for the family for him and some buddies— could be so fun. Not just pro ball either; consider tickets to a minor league baseball game or a college game near you. If he’s into the arts, there are always concert tickets, museum exhibitions, shows at a local jazz club or piano bar, film series, an animation festival; or movies under the stars at a local park this summer. A gift card to a favorite local theater works too.

To make it more special, add something that goes with the theme — like this cool 50th anniversary Dodgers cap to go with tickets to see them play.

Last minute Father’s Day Gift idea 9: An experience gift to experience together…or not

Uncommon Goods has a fantastic assortment of Uncommon Experience Gifts online, from beer tasting to Carribean soul food cooking, Magic 101 to mapping out your life story. (Above: a very specific class in making cloche smoked cocktails with Matt Levy!) There’s even a beginning ukelele class – just be sure you get him an affordable ukelele to go with it. A Skillshare subscription could also be amazing so he can fill his year with experiences, from lessons in all kinds of hobbies and interests, to brush-up lessons in career skills.

In-person experience gifts are also amazing: Local brewery tours, winery tours , and distillery tours can be a cool, affordable last-minute gift idea for dads if he’s into beer, wine, or whiskey. Or check out a local amusement park, plan a beach trip, or look for in-person classes near you.

Last minute Father’s Day Gift idea 10: A DIY Father’s Daygift basket

We have 5 fun theme ideas for gift baskets for dads. Just hit the local stores and get creative! Whatever he’s into, whether it’s sports, grilling, fine art, or…you know, zombies, you can DIY a creative basket of goodies for him.

Last minute Father’s Day Gift idea 11: A subscription to a helpful service

We included this suggestion our guide to practical Father’s Day gift ideas, and they’re perfect for last-minute Father’s Day gifts too. Consider:

A 1Password subscription to manage his digital life and protect his data
A Nord VPN subscription for a dad on the go.
A fitness subscription like Classpass so he can Soul Cycle or downward dog his way to wellness. (above)
A photo organization service like Mylio for the guy who has every photo of the kids on his phone.
Streaming entertainment for the movie buff, like the Criteron Channel (if he already has all the big streaming services
A shopping subscription like Costco, Instacart or Walmart + (great ideas for grandfathers by the way)
A mindfulness or meditation subscription to Calm

Last minute Father’s Day Gift idea 12: A DIY gift from the kids

These creative DIY Father’s Day gift ideas from the kids are a triple win: They’re one-of-a-kind, they’re keepsakes, and kids love to make them. (Above: DIY “My Dad Rocks” Washi Tape Tie Paperweights from Hello Wonderful) Of course, a last-minute Father’s Day gift could be as simple as framing a photo and letting the kids decorate the matte or painting the frame. Which brings us to….

Last minute Father’s Day Gift idea 13: One perfect photo

You don’t have to be a pro photographer (or even an above-average Instagrammer) to produce a photo that’s 100 percent loved. Just add a frame off the shelf from a local store. (Photo by Olivia Bauso via Unsplash)

Last minute Father’s Day Gift idea 14: A fab DIY Father’s Day card

You can never go wrong with a handmade card from the kids for Father’s Day — or try one from this list of 20 fantastic ideas for DIY Father’s Day gifts, cards, and printables from the kids. One of our favorites: This printable Father’s Day coloring page from Tried & True Blog (above). And who says they can’t be gifts in themselves? Most handmade Father’s Day cards are framable, making them cool keepsake Father’s Day gifts too

Last minute Father’s Day Gift idea 15: A gift card made giftier

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, tech gear sitting in his online cart for ages, new chef’s tools, or days and days of lattes. But we think you need to find a way to make them more personal than just a gift card in an envelope. Check out our post on 12 ways to make popular gift cards more gifty. It’s holiday-focused but there’s lots of inspiration there. Also loving: These free printable gift card holders for dad at Curbly (above). So cute!

PS In addition to gift cards to Amazon or Starbucks, Etsy gift cards give you a way to support all kinds of independent shops. Also walk around your neighborhood and see if your local coffee shops, restaurants and other stores sell gift cards to support the local spots he loves best.

Last minute Father’s Day Gift idea 16: All his favorite mobile photos turned into photo books

A gift photo book subscription to Chatbooks turns all his own best snaps into a new 30- or 60–page photo book each month so he’ll have a year’s worth of memories to keep forever. Use code code FORDAD and get 20% off for Father’s Day.

If you don’t mind an IOU, you can also make him a custom photo book from one of our favorite services, like Artifact Uprising or Pinhole Press. They even offer lovely printable gift cards you can tuck into a Father’s Day greeting card, so he can look forward to his new favorite coffee table book.

Last minute Father’s Day Gift idea 17: A donation in his name to his favorite charity or cause

For lots of dads, the best gift you can give him is support for a cause he truly cares about — the environment, education, military families, science, medical research, the arts — you name it. (Above: Team Rubicon USA) You can also make it a recurring monthly donation, so it goes even further.

If you want some inspiration, we’ve always been fans of charities that honor dads and support other families for Father’s Day tribute gifts.But wherever his own heart is, that is the gift with the most meanting.

MORE FATHER’S DAY GIFT IDEAS FROM OUR GUIDE: