DIY: Craft Beer Gifts for Dad

Father’s day is just around the corner and you haven’t bought a gift.  That’s why you clicked on this post or were brought here by Google.  There are plenty of original things that can be made for the craft beer enthusiast in your life but I only know how to make two so that’s what we’ll be doing today.

Craft Beer String Art

The first thing we’ll be making is “string art.”  Don’t leave this article to Google what that is (what’s with you and Google already?) because I’m about to drop the knowledge you seek: String Art is where you hammer some nails into some wood, then wrap string around those nails to make a design.  Let’s dive right into this thing by starting with what you’ll need.

Materials
A Wood Plaque (something like this)
Wood Stain
Tape
Different Colored String
Hammer
Wire Nails
Picture frame hook (optional)
Outline of an image you’d like to use
Glue Gun
Cardboard to work on

Step 1
Apply some wood stain to your wood plaque and let it completely dry.

Step 2
Tape your image to the wood.

Step 3
Begin hammering nails into the wood.  Make sure they’re in deep enough to not move when you start wrapping string around them and also make sure they’re all the same height.

Step 4
Remove the paper you taped.

Step 5
Take your string and tie it to a single nail, trimming the excess.

Step 6
Get to wrapping.  There’s no set pattern to wrap in, just try to fill in your shape.  This is the most time consuming part of the project and can take 30-45 minutes.  Yes, really.

Step 7
When done, cut the excess string and dab some hot glue on the final knot you made so it doesn’t loosen or fray.

Step 8
If you’re going to hang on the wall, add a picture frame hook to the back. If you’re going to do something other than hang it, then do the other thing you’re going to do.

Step 9
Sit back and drink a beer.  You’ve earned it.

Craft Beer Label Coasters

When you drink your beer, unfortunately you have to set it down from time to time. You could act like a neanderthal and set your beer directly on the closest surface. But why not protect your beautiful IKEA products from getting those dreaded water rings?  You took 9 hours to assemble it so treat it with some respect already.  The coasters we’re going to look at making are pretty simple to create, last a long time, and are truly unique.

Materials
Ceramic Tiles
Cork
Scissors
Modge Podge
Acrylic Spray
OxiClean
Beer Labels
Wax Paper
Cardboard to work on

Step 1
Soak bottles in warm water and OxiClean.

Step 2
After an hour or so, the labels should be ready to come off (some are definitely easier than others).  Gently peel them off and place them upside down on your wax paper to dry.  They still have some glue on the back so be careful, they’re quite sticky still.

Step 3
Once dry, they’re ready to go on your tiles.  Trim them if necessary to fit the tile however you please.

Step 4
Apply Modge Podge to the surface of the tile.

Step 5
Place the label on the tile and center it as you desire.

Step 6
Coat the top of the label with Modge Podge, being sure to get out any bubbles or creases in the label. As you can see I wasn’t 100% successful in getting the creases out.  That just makes these more “special.”

Step 7
Once dry, add your epoxy to the tiles.  I used acrylic spray but you can use whatever works best for you.

Step 8
Cut the cork into small pieces to go in each corner of the bottom of each tile (4 pieces per tile).

Step 9
Use your Modge Podge to apply those cork pieces to each tile.  These are going to further protect those IKEA surfaces.

Step 10
Sit back and drink a beer.  You’ve earned it.

As you can see, these projects don’t require a lot of materials, time or even skill.  Are mine perfect?  Nope.  Not even close.  Will yours be perfect?  Maybe.  Probably not but maybe.  That’s half the fun of making something yourself though, right?  It’s a one-of-a-kind!  If you give either of these projects a try, good luck and let us know how they turn out!

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Justin Phelps

Co-Founder at Saint Brewis

Justin Phelps is a Certified Cicerone® who was born and raised in St. Louis. His passion for beer goes beyond just drinking it as he is also an award-winning home brewer. While he may be a marketing professional by day, he's a blogger, brewery hopper, and beer enthusiast by night.

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