How To Make Your Own Father's Day DIY Fabric Trees

Every dad is different, but there’s one thing that every good father can agree on 一 the love they have for their kids. With Father’s Day coming up, it’s time to let our dear old dads sleep in for all the hard work they do taking care of us. And since he’ll be busy resting, why not spend that time on something he can wake up to?

Our Father’s Day DIY Fabric Trees are the perfect way for you and your little ones to show some love to your dad or grandad, and how much you appreciate him holding your hand. All you’ll need is some leftover fabric, a few art supplies, and just a little patience for a gift that’ll have him smiling all day.

Scroll down to see exactly what you need for this quick craft, so you can give dad something extra special on his special day 一 besides a cozy Father’s Day Gift, of course!

What You’ll Need

• Old bed sheet or pillowcase
• Green and brown paint
• Paint brush and plate
• Two-sided tape
• Scissors
• Pens or markers
• 8” x 10” picture frame
• Stickers & extra add-ons

While these are going to give you the best result, you can be pretty flexible with your supplies for this DIY craft! For example, we recommend two-sided paint brush tape, but just standard one-sided tape will work just fine if that’s all you have on-hand. Also, while we used an 8” x 10” frame for a tree with two hand-prints, bigger families will need a bigger tree to fit everyone in, so make sure you choose a frame that fits your family!

When it comes to your fabric, we always recommend using pre-loved fabric from around the home, rather than buying new fabric. Well-worn, light-coloured bed sheets and pillowcases are an excellent choice for this. But before you get too excited and sacrifice your bedding to the arts, make sure they won't be missed with replacement pillowcase or bed sheets on hand!

Lastly, feel free to get creative if you want some extra decorations! We’ve added a little sticker to prove to dad it was made with love, but any extras like stickers or other paint colours are plenty welcome!

Step 1: Trace Your Fabric

First, you’ll have to get your art ready to fit in its frame. Remove the backing of your photo frame, and place it over your old bed sheet or pillowcase. Using the backing as a reference, draw a square or rectangle that’s at least an inch or so larger than the backing.

As with any fabric craft, make sure you also cut your fabric a little larger than you need ーyou can always cut your fabric more, but you can’t go back if you cut too much!

Step 2: Paint Your Tree

Next, you’re going to be painting right over your fabric! Grab a paintbrush and your brown paint, and use it to make an empty (leafless) tree! Alongside its tall trunk, give your tree one long branch for each person who wants to leave a hand-print, so that everybody has enough space for their full hand.

Once the base of your tree is done, leave your painted fabric to dry for at least 30 minutes. Otherwise, your branches might smudge when you finally add your leaves!

Step 3: Add Your Personal Touch

It’s time to leave your mark on your tree! Put a fresh and even coat of paint on each of your little ones’ hands, making sure to not miss a spot or leave anywhere too goopy. While their hand is still wet, help them press and hold their painted hand over the tree, with the edge of the branch lining up with their wrist for a nice spread of leaves.

Repeat this for all the branches you need to fill, and make sure every little hand gets at least one branch!

Step 4: Frame Your Masterpiece

Once your hand prints have dried (and after you’ve washed the paint off your colourful hands), it’s time to get your work of art ready to deliver! Using your double-sided or rolled up tape, attach the back of your art to the backing you removed to trace out your fabric, so that it’ll line up smoothly when put into the frame.

Then, tape all the loose extra fabric to the back of the backing for extra snugness. This will keep it lined up as you push it into the frame, and prevent your fabric from bunching up or coming loose! From there, simply press the backing into the frame, and your art is ready to show off.

Step 5: Share Your Love!

You can give the art to dad as-is, but why not throw a little message in while you’re at it? Write a little note or print one off your computer as a family, and put it in the frame in front of the tree so you can share exactly what dad means to each of you.

If you want to stay tuned for more seasonal gift ideas, subscribe to our mailing list so we can keep you posted on all our best DIY gifts and craft tutorials! Plus, be sure to also check out any of our 75+ stores, so you can easily replace all the old sheets and covers you just used for your gifts.

And of course, make sure you give dad a big hug with his gift!