We all know, of course, that the amount of money you spend on a Father's Day gift has no correlation with love whatsoever. Not that there's anything wrong with splurges. But if you're on a tight budget, if you're not a spendy gift kind of a family, or if you have the kind of dad on your list who really is just comfortable with a small token, we've got you covered with 17 super cool Father's Day gift ideas for you that all ring in under $25. They're also great for kids who are saving their allowances, and maybe buying their very own Father's Day gifts for the first time (awww).
Be sure to check our list of 20 fantastic ideas for DIY Father’s Day gifts from the kids too, plenty of which are totally free or very close to it, and our other posts in our Father's Day Gift Guide series, which feature lots of gift ideas for dads and grandpas in every price range.
And don't forget: A hug, a phone call, or an "I love you" don't cost a penny. Maybe even all three.
There has been no compensation in exchange for recommendations; all picks determined by our editorial staff. CMP is an rstyle and amazon affiliate.
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Don't forget to enter our awesome Father's Day Gift Guide giveaway by leaving a comment on this post! All the details below, and every post in our guide series is another chance to enter. Dad's Book of Awesome Recipes by Mike Adamick ($14 on Amazon; $9.99 for Kindle) Next in the series of "Awesome" books from prolific writer, stay-at-home dad, and evidently home cook extraordinaire Mike Adamick, comes a really terrific book of 100 recipes for the whole family. From Sweet Candy Bacon Flapjacks (yes please!) to Watermelon Light Sabers and Blowtorch Marshmallows, which happen to score a difficulty rating of "easy, dangerous, and fun." There are plenty of great standard family-friendly recipes in here too that frankly, make it a fantastic cookbook for any chef of the house; but should Dad like the idea of his very own cookbook then this is it. And it's not condescending in the least, lest you're wondering. No lessons on boiling water or making toast. Just wonderful advice and inspiration for kitchen bonding time, passing important cooking skills to the next generation, and unleashing kids' creative skills together as a family. We love this book so much. (Also see Dad’s Book of Awesome Science Experiments and Dad’s Book of Awesome Projects if you want a nice little package of titles.)Related: 13 great gourmet gifts for the dad who loves to cook, grill, or just eat
Printable Superhero Dad Print ($6.36, Angela Maroske Design) As you may know by now, we are suckers for superhero = dad references. (Also mom. But this is his holiday right now.) We are glad that we found such a great design to express that sentiment on Etsy. Download it then print it as a poster, or even in a smaller 5x7 size to prop up on a desk or nightstand. Father's Day Edition Cord Taco ($12 each, This is Ground) Our friends at This is Ground are offering their genius little handmade leather cord tamer, The Cord Taco, in special Father's Day designs for a limited time. They're fantastic for getting those earbuds wrangled in his bag or gym tote and we use them ourselves. If you don't want to sport for the whole set of five, you can buy them individually for just $12 each. The stamped bike one is pretty darn cool, but you know. Hard to compete with mustaches these days. Instagram photo book ($18.90 on sale, Rag and Bone Bindery) Sure you can print one special photo for him. But how about ten? Our favorite little bindery that still makes beautiful albums of all kinds by hand now has these awesome accordion-fold photo albums on sale. It's a great excuse to print out your favorite 4x4 or 5x5 square photos for an easy, affordable, very very sweet Father's Day keepsake. Homemade Pop Tarts ($4.25 each, Mouth.com) You intrepid bakers can try your hand at your own, but we're perfectly satisfied with letting NY's Megpie Bakeshop do it for us. At this price get a whole bunch -- chocolate looks just perfect, but there's blueberry and cinnamon brown sugar, too. Monogrammed chambray pocket square ($23, Mizu) If he's a dapper dad of the pocket square variety, we think he'll love this modern take on a pocket square from Mizu at a very nice price. If you order quickly, you still have time to have it monogrammed too. His favorite album on vinyl ($ varies) Hit this online shop or one in your neighborhood and seek out his favorite band on vinyl, a gift a real music lover will totally appreciate. The prices vary, and you can always look for respected sellers on eBay too, but we found this Sticky Fingers Deluxe LP for under $20 at Vintage Vinyl. Then save up, so that for the holidays, you can get him a new turntable. Number One Dad Darth Vader Mug ($15-18, Society 6) Okay, so how many times in your life has he breathed heavily into his cupped hands and said, I am your father! (Just our dads? Okay.) Rebel Art Collective has created this fun mug in two sizes, perfect for sipping his java each day. Or maybe some Ondaran Willek Juice, though we have it on good word that's a little strong for the mornings. Delton Sonic Wave Headphones ($25, Fab; use our membership link to join) Tech gifts are a hit with plenty of dads on Father's Day, but not always affordable. If you think he'd like a little quiet time with his favorite show or album, these hot Delton headphones are a very cool idea. Lots of colors, too. Dad Heart Tattoo Cookies ($18/6, PF Confections) This PA Etsy shop custom can do things with royal icing that we could only dream about and we adore the dad tattoo shown here. Just be sure to message the seller to be sure she can hook you up in time for Father's Day before you order! Dad and Me personalized journal or notebook ($16, Minted) Better hurry, but there's still time to grab an awesome personalized Father's Day gift that's as thoughtful as it is affordable. Just upload your own photo -- Minted makes it super easy, and we love how all their products are created by indie designers. Plus everything always comes out beautifully. (Rush shipping available for later order dates.) Personalized Papa since… t-shirt ($20, Branded) This is an especially sweet gift for a new dad who's been a papa since 2015, but we could see quite a few proud papas loving a new favorite weekend t-shirt. You can also have it made with Dad, Grandpa, Pops and more, and with any date you'd like. Hey, guys who became papas in 1966 are proud too! (Order by 6/15 for Father's Day delivery.) The Gentleman Deck of Cards ($15.95, Gent Supply Co) If he's a bit of a dandy -- or you wish he were -- we love this fun little deck of cards, featuring 50 life lessons for true (if traditional) gentlemen, from the proper way to tie a Windsor knot to situational etiquette. I Love You Dad Pencils ($4/3 The Carbon Crusader) There is so much to love at this cool little Etsy shop, but I Love You Dad certainly does the trick. (And might be more appropriate for Father's Day than the ones that say Dumb and Dumber.) He'll think of you every time he helps you with your homework, or does the Sunday crossword. Flash Cufflinks ($15.90, Sunday Best Fashions) If you think Superman has been done, then how about the Flash? Or try Iron Man, the Dark Knight...and okay Superman. You name it, this Etsy shop probably has it in affordable cufflink form. What I Love About Us Book ($10, Uncommon Goods) We love this book as a thoughtful gift idea for a new dad from his partner, especially if he needs a little reminder that he's still the love of your life. Because as we all know, early parenthood means you've probably both been too exhausted to do anything together lately that doesn't involve feeding someone, changing someone, or carrying someone to be fed or changed. You've got 100 pages of prompts to express your love, if you haven't done it enough on your own lately. We like that. Hand-illustrated portrait of him. By the kids (Free download, Tried and True Blog) If you haven't visited our list of 20 DIY gifts, printables and cards for Father's Day, there are lots of ideas but this one is a favorite for sure. Just print, let the kids go crazy with paints, markers, colored pencils or crayons, and add your own frame. To a special Dad or Grandpa, just may be worth more than any Rembrant or Picasso.
