[How-to Tuesday: Father's Day Jar Tote]

Needing a crafty gift idea for Father's Day?? Well, I've got just the thing that would make any dad (or daddy-to-be) feel extra special this year. BONUS: it will only cost you about 10 bucks!

Items needed:

• 3 mason jars with lids
• wooden plaque (I used a scrap piece of wood and sanded it down)
• drawer handle
• short screws
• stain or paint (optional)
• permanent marker, stickers, etc. (optional)
• nuts, bolts, other embellishments (optional)

Step 1: Start by staining or painting a wooden plaque. I used a scrap piece of wood that is 14 1/2" long and 4 1/4" wide and about 1/2" thick. I used my 3 mason jars to help measure how big I wanted it to be.

Step 2: Begin embellishing. You can modge podge images or words cut out of a magazine. Be as creative as you like! I used a stencil I had on-hand to trace out the letters I wanted, and then I filled them in with a permanent black marker. And if you're a perfectionist like I am, you will measure out the spacing of every single letter to the point that it drives you crazy!

Step 3: Make sure you leave enough room to place the handle in the center of the wood so that it doesn't cover up any of your beautiful artwork. Oh, and if your wondering who "Teetaw" is, it's my father-in-law. All the grand kids call him that, including my daughter. :0)

Step 4: Screw in your drawer handle. I bought this handle for less than 2 bucks at my local hardware store. Also, you might want to measure out where you want your jars to go on your plaque. Or if you want to just eyeball it, then just skip the measuring part.

Step 5: Using a drill, screw on the lids to your jars. You might want to use a couple of screws to keep the lids from spinning around when you attach the jars to the lids. I bought these 3 mason jars at Michael's for $3.

 Step 6: Screw on some nuts and bolts to give it that extra flair. I attached them to the corners of the wood to give it that "heavy duty" look. Plus, I already had them lying around, so I figured I might as well use them. If you aren't planning on do this, then just skip this step.

Step 7: Fill the jars with his favorite treats. Here I filled them with raisins, dried apricots, and mixed nuts.

Voila! The finished product! I just know my father-in-law will just love his father's day gift. And after he finishes eating his yummy treats, he can still use this handy portable storage tote to hold all of his important tools, like nails, screws, washers, etc. A must-have for those DIY Dads!

REMINDER: Father's Day is June 20th!!!