Don't know what the best gift for dad is? Well, don't worry! We've put together this quick and easy tutorial for some DIY Father's Day Gift Ideas. Want to give Dad something with class, eye-catching style, and a handmade touch? Try our faux copper eagle bookends!
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Faux Copper Eagle Bookend | DIY Father's Day Gift Ideas
A Great Last-Minute Gift for Dad
This faux copper eagle bookend is sure to be a stunning, masculine adornment to his office or bookcase. This DIY project is the perfect last-minute Father's Day gift idea. All you need to do is visit your local craft store. Show your dad how much you care with this cheap handmade gift.
You Will Need:
- Plastic, toy eagle (my dad has an affinity for eagles, but any animal would work for this project!) I found my eagle at Michael’s Crafts. Don’t forget to get the Michael’s App for their free coupons – you can save up to 40% on single items when you bring the coupons on your phone, and the savings add up!
- A woodblock from your local craft store – or in my case, Michael’s Crafts, again.
- Metallic copper paint (I only needed one little bottle for my eagle). The little bottles are only a few dollars each.
- A small can of wood stain from your local hardware store. I used a red mahogany stain (as you can see, that little can has been used for many projects already – it’s a great color!), to complement the regal copper of the eagle.
- Disposable sponge applicators or paintbrushes.
- Plastic/paper to cover your work area.
- A strong, all-purpose glue. 3M makes a great all-purpose, super-strength adhesive that I picked up at Ace Hardware.
- OPTIONAL: (a general, indoor wood varnish in a spray can)
Step 1: Stain the Woodblock
Let’s start with the woodblock since we’ll have to stain it in two stages. Cover your work area with newspaper or plastic. Make sure your wood stain is well-mixed after you crack it open, and then use a sponge or disposable paintbrush, to evenly brush on the stain.
Cover the entire block (except for the bottom), and then set it aside to dry. Make sure to stain in a well-ventilated area so you don’t get a headache!
Step 2: Coat the Eagle With Paint
While you’re waiting to flip the block and stain the bottom of it, let’s move on to the eagle. Using a sponge applicator (about .50 from the craft store) or a small paintbrush, coat the eagle evenly in the metallic copper paint.
Step 3: Flip the Woodblock's Bottom Part
Between paint coats on your eagle, check on your woodblock. Once you can touch the top without getting wood stain/stickiness on your fingers, it is ready to flip! Flip it over and stain the bottom.
I’d recommend flipping it over onto something plastic (a grocery bag or garbage bag, for example), instead of onto paper – you don’t want the paper clinging to the block when you lift it off later!
Step 4: Second Coat the Eagle
I needed to do two coats of paint on the eagle to really make it look coppery. The acrylic paint dries pretty quickly, so the wait time between coats was only about 15-30 minutes.
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Step 5 (Optional): Seal the Woodblock
Whenever I stain wood projects, I like to give them a nice coat of wood varnish to seal and protect them. It’s not essential for this project, but if you want to do it, as I did, now’s the time (before you attach the eagle).
Follow the instructions on the back of your wood varnish or polyacrylic protective finish spray can to give the woodblock a nice, protective coat. Make sure the stain is completely dry before you do this.
Step 6: Apply the Adhesive to the Eagle's Feet
Time to attach the eagle! Using a super-strength, all-purpose adhesive, or a glue suited for attaching plastic to wood with a permanent bond, attach the eagle’s feet to the woodblock. Allow it to dry for the time specified on the glue tube (mine took 24 hours to dry).
Step 7: Press the Eagle Firmly to the Block
Firmly press the eagle down onto the block, with his feet in the position that you want. You may need to prop him up under the tail with a few books to keep him standing while he dries.
Step 8: You're Done!
You’re done! Tie a ribbon around it or slip it into a gift bag for Dad on Father’s Day, and it’s sure to be a stunning, manly piece on his bookshelf!
Watch this video from Dan Alexander for other ways on how to make animal bookends and for other DIY Father's Day gift ideas:
That's all folks! We hope you enjoyed our original tutorial on how to make great gifts for dad! I'm sure it was just as fun to make for you as it was for us!
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in June 2014, and updated for quality and relevancy.
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