It’s June! Time for Father’s Day and Graduation celebrations. The Arts Business Institute presents a guide to wonderful handmade gifts for Dads and Grads.
Father’s Day
Dad will enjoy a thoughtful, handcrafted gift that you chose just for him.
Two director style bar stools with seat covers made from recycled Corona Beer billboard, from DorDesign. Seat covers feature palm tree design. Back of seat features image of lime. All upholstery is made by hand in the USA. $200.00 for the pair.
This handmade tankard by Hughes Pottery is the perfect gift for Dad! Priced at $35.00, it’s great for coffee, but just put it in the freezer for a few hours and it’s ready for his favorite beer too. This mug is adorned with Old School Tattoo Dad stamp, made from a hand-carved original.
A one-of-a kind interpretive display of the cars that have moved Dad by award-winning type stylist and car lover Ken McMahan. Each 16″ x 20″ poster is custom-printed by the artist on luxuriously heavy photo paper with premium archival-quality inks. Suitable for framing, perfect for family room, man cave or office. $65.00, includes shipping.
Beautifully made set of etched pint glasses featuring great white sharks, $33.00 the pair, from Amy Davis of Monster Dance Designs. Created with abrasive sandblasting, the etched design is permanent. Dishwasher safe.
For the stylish Dad, don’t miss this Steampunk Tie Clip from artist Gwynne Collins of Days Long Gone, $76.00. A beautiful vintage Hallmark 17 jeweled watch movement and silver ox brass angel wing stamping tie clip. The clip is a vintage silver metal backing. Measures just a little over 2.5″ long.
Fine art woodworker (and classical musician) Jack Cousin offers handmade wine bottle stoppers with their own gift pouch, $40.00 each. One of a kind for the discriminating Dad who is a wine-lover.
Handcrafted cufflinks with “Atlantic City” motif by Paula Jerome are a sure bet for Dad. In sterling silver. Retail $273, or $418 with diamonds. This cufflink design was worn on the 2011 Emmy Red Carpet by cast members of the popular show “Boardwalk Empire.”
Rustic and beautiful, this 22″ handmade lamp by Studio 1136, Inc. would be a gorgeous office accent for Dad. Unusual handmade Raku fired base is 9″h x 6″diameter. Natural white kozo shade is 10″x10″ with a natural carnelian finial. $300.00 + shipping (approx. $40).
For Dad’s library: Personalized bookplate and bookmark set $12.95 – available from Parchment Posies. Designed and handcrafted by Melissa Bowden out of heavy 140lb. watercolor paper and then aged with cocoa colored ink to give them an aged vintage appearance. The set includes six bookplates with self-adhesive tabs for securing to the interior of the book and a coordinating bookmark.
Exotic original art from artist Jason Nelson, The Stone Sculptor, this “Coiled Snake” is carved from pyrophyllite with a rhodonite tongue and moonstone eyes, 8″x4″x4″. Retails for $600.
Wrap it all up in a handmade gift bag by SmART Blondz to make a fun and unique presentation of Dad’s gift. Oatmeal raffia ribbon and masculine nailhead ribbon are added decorative touches. Retails for $4.99.
Graduation
Yes, Grads love cash – but here are some fun and creative gifts that really last. Made in America.
For the younger set who graduate, this handmade letter set from Cutiepie Company, called “Reading & Writing” makes a fun gift. Envelopes are handmade from pages of a vintage schoolbook, with cards designed to look like notebook paper. Also included are vintage postage stamps and address labels. Retail price $24.00.
The perfect gift for a grad who is an avid reader. These fun poppy flower bookmarks are hand cut from red and pink fusing glass, sprinkled with a touch of gold mica for the pollen detail in the center. Created by glass artist CDChilds, each bookmark measures 2″ X 7/8″ and is priced at $10.00.
Useful and beautiful, choose a pen/stylus with two functions in one for the new grad. Perfect for any touch screen device (iphone, ipad, tablet or smartphone) they are made by hand with an intricate polymer pattern by Merrie of Merrily Made. 6.25″ long by .33″ Retail prices start at $58.
From the WristBandit, a handmade cuff is made from repurposed leather, metal brads, acrylic paint and cotton cord. This style, called the “Mechanic” retails for $40.00.
This unique graduation postcard features the gold watch that was always a symbol of graduation in times gone by. A coordinating taupe colored stripe is appliqued to the card and a 3-D “CongratsGrad” embellishment is appliqued to the stripe. Fairy glitter embellishes the gold watches. Yours to give from Fabric Greetings for $9.50.
A clever gift for new grads, this wise, wide-eyed owl is resting on a branch in the woods. 7″ tall, 10″ wide on a 36″ garden stake. $92.00, from Haw Creek Forge.
Choose a talisman for the new grad! All Peace of Stone Studio necklaces are made using an Indian knot tying macrame technique called “Mala.” Each stone is hand selected for its meaning, color, and general beauty and made into a simple and delicate piece of jewelry. $24.00 each. Necklace made of 16″-18″ brown or black leather cord with silver plated clasp.
Earrings with the message “Trust in Your Dreams” for your grad in silver tone imprinted charms and statement charms. Handmade with love by Stephanie Helin of Commodity of Oddities. Approximately 1.5 inches long. Only $6.38 buys the pair.
