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Father’s Day Craft: The Daddy Cam!

May27

by Brenda Ponnay

Here is something easy to make for Father’s Day that is sure to put a smile on any dad’s face. You might even get him to mug for some photos with this faux Daddy Cam that doesn’t really take any pictures but looks pretty snazzy on his dresser or desk. All it is is a block of wood painted black with two lids attached as a lens and a “shutter button”. That’s it! Here is how you can make one too:

First you will need to gather your supplies and tools.

materials and tools

Finding the right size block of wood will probably be your biggest challenge. If you’re lucky, you might already have blocks of wood this size on hand if you have a carpenter in your family or you live near a construction site. But if you’re like me, you’ll have to head to the hardware store to find just the right size block of wood.

First check the culled wood in the back of the store to see if you can find a leftover piece for a discounted price. If nothing turns up there, you might be able to turn on the charm and ask your local hardware employee to look through their discards for you. If that fails, then you’ll probably have to buy a full sized board and have the hardware employee cut it down for you. Usually the first two cuts are free and every cut after that costs 25 cents. I purchased a 4×6 eight-foot board for a little under ten dollars and had two 3-inch segments cut off. The rest I took home to save for some other project. Seesaw anyone?

Next you’ll need:

    • Black Paint—acrylic or spray paint, whichever you like best
    • A paint brush if you are using acrylic
    • One large lid like a canning jar lid or a peanut-butter jar lid
    • One small lid like a water bottle cap
    • Two nails to attach your lids
    • A glue gun if you are using a canning jar lid
    • A photo, cut into a circle that will fit inside the larger lid

The rest is easy! All you need to do is sand the wood blocks until they have smooth rounded edges and no super-rough splinters sticking off of them.

sanding

After you have your block sanded, you’re ready to paint!

painting

Painting with acrylic paint and a brush is more hands-on and fun for younger children but spray-painting is quick and easy too. Paint your wood block, your jar lid and the water bottle cap all black. If you live in a warm climate like I do, your paint will be dry in less than an hour.

big ol' lens

Now you’re ready to attach the lens and the shutter button. The peanut butter jar lid was super easy. It only needed a small tack-nail hammered into the middle to affix it nice and tight. A canning jar lid will need to be glued on with a hot glue gun but that’s pretty easy too with a thin bead around the edge. Attaching the shutter button is a snap. Affix it to the top of the block on the left side and nail another nail right through it in the center. Easy peasy and your camera is done!

click!

Say Cheese! You’re on the Daddy Cam!

All you have to do now is glue a photo into the center of the lens and you’re done!

Daddy Cam

Related posts:

  1. Handmade Photo Cube
  2. Tiny Vinyl for Father’s Day
  3. Recycle What’s In Your Lunchbox!
  4. DIY Tiny Apple Magnets for the Refrigerator Art Gallery
  5. Father’s Day Craft: Golf Cover Sock Puppets

10 Responses to “Father’s Day Craft: The Daddy Cam!”

  1. avatar
    Linda Osborn May 27 at 9:59 am Reply

    What a darling idea! It would look great on any father’s desk! The photo is adorable too!

  2. avatar
    BeachMama May 27 at 1:10 pm Reply

    This is a fabulous idea, all those snap happy kids out there! Love the new look of the site too!

  3. avatar
    Nancy Jun 01 at 2:00 am Reply

    Very cool project!
    :-)

  4. avatar
    Lola Jun 01 at 3:44 am Reply

    Wow, this is just TOO cute! love it xo

  5. avatar
    katherinemarie Jun 07 at 1:39 pm Reply

    love love love this!!!!!

  6. avatar

    So I LOVE THIS and I posted it on my blog (just picture)linking them back to you and telling them to check you out!!

    http://lebedafamily.blogspot.com/2010/06/fathers-day-craft-daddy-cam.html

  7. avatar
    Melissa Jun 15 at 9:47 pm Reply

    So I love this and I’m going to do it. Exactly what size did you use for the wood?

  8. avatar
    Cathy P. Jun 17 at 2:39 pm Reply

    oh my gosh! this is supercute!

  9. avatar
    Taci Jun 18 at 9:21 am Reply

    Absolutely LOVED making this with my preschoolers! Their parents were speechless! Thank you so much!
    What a beautiful site!

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