Gifts for Dads with Arkansas Roots

June 13, 2023

I pride myself on being a great gift giver. So, I try to pay attention to the things people use that are worn out or something they would never buy themselves but always talk about. These things make the mobile list on my note app, so I’m ready to buy the perfect gift when the day comes.

But good plans and preparation always leave me dumbfounded on Father’s Day. Whether it’s my dad, husband or father-in-law, I always struggle to be thoughtful and intentional with these great men. Maybe it’s because they already buy themselves everything they need. Or perhaps it’s because I overthink it trying to find the perfect thing and surprise them.

But dads are simple. They like things made just for them, things that make them comfortable, they like things to snack on and drink, and they like having time away to chase their hobbies.

This year, Arkansas has everything you need for dads, stepdads, grandpas and the like. While they might say they want a coupon book to get them out of chores, they want most to spend time with their people and are totally OK with a new tie or pair of socks!

Personalized Gifts for Dad

Whether you order something with his name on it, or the name you call him, or make him something special with your hands, Dad always loves a personalized gift made just for him by the people he loves most. So let him know you appreciate him with personalized gifts from your heart.

Handmade gifts from his children – card, birdhouse, picture frame, windchime, cup holder for work; it never gets old to have something special handmade just for them.
Dryden Pottery in Hot Springs offers personalized mugs.
Handmade accessories from Cummings Handcrafted Leather, including belts, wallets, knife sheaths, saddle bags and shotgun bullet holders.
Make a frame from rocks, Popsicle sticks, or salvaged wood or get something nice at a local art gallery include a favorite family photo, so dad always has a reminder of his inspiration.
Create a coupon book to cover chores.
Keep it easy with a gift certificate to his favorite local restaurant.

Image used with permission from Stirling Soap Co.

Gifts ideas to make Dad comfortable

Whatever his interest, Arkansocks has you covered head to toe. No LIT-erally, ARgyle, Socksquatch and 90s summer trends for the guy who still works from home.
A new mattress – for the house, his camper or the back of his bike. Harness Mattress in Harrison has been making custom foam mattresses for over 65 years.
Arkansas Spa Trail is not just for moms. Dad needs to relax, too, with rejuvenating mud body treatments, needle showering or extended cave massages.
Pamper Dad with natural body and shave products from Stirling Soap Company, a man’s company for men.
It’s summer, and mowing is coming. Make it easier for them with new rotary cutter blades for their mowers from Bush-Whakers.

Image used with permission from Poulos Apiary.

Gifts for Dad to munch and drink

The Honey Soaked Bourbon Pecans from Poulos Apiary is the perfect summer topping for ice cream, peach parfaits or grilled sweet potatoes. Their hot honey and whipped honey do not disappoint, either!
If Dad cooks, let these seasoning blends bring the spices for game day – Bonemaker Outdoors, Fennel and Fire’s Delta Dust or Ruthie Mountain’s vine-ripened smoked pepper blends.
Try Ozark Regular BBQ sauce, seasoned just like Uncle Will made it on Wolly Hollow Mountain.
Grab a taste of breweries across the state at Natural State Beer Co. in Rogers, The Ouachitas in Mena, Ivory Bill Brewing Co. in Siloam Springs, Native Dog Brewing in Camden and selections from other stops along the Arkansas Brew Trail. Or grab a cool can from Fossil Cove Brew Co.
The Opera House Mediterranean Hot Sauce is a perfect addition to the Bloody Darn Good mix. It also works on crab cakes and Dad’s fried fish as well.
Mixed nuts are always a winning gift. Try Mama Dee’s cinnamon buttercream pecans or a savory roasted blend from Ozark Nut Roasters.
Maybe a Sunday drive through the Arkansas Wine Trail is just what Dad needs, with options in Altus, Eureka Springs, Bentonville, Tontitown, Little Rock and Paris.

Image used with permission from the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism.

Gifts to support Dad’s hobbies

Plan a round of golf on the Natural State Golf Trail or a local disc golf course.
Try an all-inclusive weekend at a fishing lodge like White River Inn, and include a guided fishing tour or lesson.
A dad who loves hunting always has new gear on his wish list.
Set him up with an Arkansas-made duck call, and he has plenty of time to practice OUTSIDE before fall.
Grab the Real McCoy from The McCoy family and Quality Knife Sharpeners in Mount Ida, where they only recommend an Arkansas whetstone for sharpening.
LIVSN pants are the only clothes an outdoor guy needs, combining technical features and durable construction with modern styling.
Pack Rat in Fayetteville handmakes bushcraft backroads quivers, perfect for holding everything he needs for archery or a daily hike.
A great book by an Arkansas author, like DaySpring’s President, James Barnett’s Blue Skies, is about the life lessons he learned traveling with his father to America’s National Parks.

Gifts they don’t know they need

Set up a tour of the Delta Dirt Distillery in Helena and take a tour and taste, behind the scenes.
Grab Dad a hand-spun ice cream bowl!
When all else fails, just give him the whole cow! Producers like McNeal Farms or Magnolia Meadows open their meat market weekly, and you can buy meat directly from the farm.
A handmade pen is a perfect addition to his desk or lapel.
Keep his mind busy with a bullet casing peg solitaire game, and he can sit for hours and practice.
Wooden Spalted business cardholder for his desk made by Arkansas Living Treasure, Doug Stowe, who salvages trashed hardwood with a unique design made from fungi and bacteria.