Christmas Gifts for a Dad Who Has Everything

When your dad already has the tools, the gadgets and three unopened bottles of cologne, another box to unwrap is not the answer. For a dad who has everything, give him something he cannot own yet: time with you, an old favorite made new, or his own story told back to him. These 12 ideas stay well away from the gadget aisle. Our top pick is a song about his life, because no one else can give him that.

Hear what a finished Songbond song sounds like

This one was made for another family. Yours would carry his name and the stories you tell about him.

12 Christmas gifts for a dad who has everything

1. A song about his life ($39.90). Share how he met your mom, the car he drove at 20 and the thing he says every time he leaves a room. Songbond turns it into an original song, ready within 24 hours. It takes up no space on a shelf.
2. His old watch, serviced or restored. Or the leather jacket, the baseball glove, the fountain pen he stopped using. A restorer brings it back, and he gets something he already loves in better shape. Usually $60 to $250.
3. A day on his terms. Offer a full Saturday doing whatever he wants: the long drive, the hardware store, the diner with the bad coffee he likes. Put the date on the card so it happens.
4. His first car, in miniature. Find the make, model and color from an old photo. Most cost $40 to $150, and it will sit on his desk for good.
5. Steaks he would never buy himself. A box of dry-aged cuts delivered frozen. He has a grill. He does not have these. Expect $80 to $200.
6. A tasting set of small-batch bourbon or hot sauce. Something to open, try and finish, so it never turns into clutter. Usually $40 to $90.
7. A blacksmithing or woodturning class, side by side. Knife sharpening and bread baking work too. You come home with a story and he comes home with something he made. About $60 to $150 per person.
8. His team jersey, properly framed. The signed ball, the old jersey or his service patches, out of the closet and onto the wall. Usually $60 to $150.
9. A subscription to his hometown newspaper. He left that town decades ago, and he still wants to know who won the county fair. Usually $5 to $15 a month.
10. An IOU for the jobs he dreads. Cleaning the gutters, hauling junk to the dump, taking down the lights in January. Write three on a card and sign it.
11. A round at the course he always talks about. The one he drives past and never books. Go with him and carry the scorecard. Usually $80 to $250.
12. A better version of the thing he uses every day. Watch what he reaches for each morning: the coffee mug, the reading glasses, the pillow. Replace the tired one with a good one. Usually $30 to $120.

How to choose for a man who needs nothing

Skip anything that needs a spot on a shelf. Look for gifts that get used up, fixed up or lived through. The best clue is whatever he still talks about from 30 years ago.

• If he is nostalgic: the model car, the hometown paper or the song.
• If he would rather do than own: the class, the round of golf or the day on his terms.
• If he loves good food: the steaks or the tasting set.

What to put in a song for a dad who has everything

The details that make a song land are small and specific. Loving, kind and hardworking describe most dads. What makes a song his is the whistle he uses to call everyone to dinner, the name he gave the family car, or the one piece of advice he has repeated since you were twelve. Before you order, spend ten minutes writing down things only your family would recognize. Then ask a sibling. They will remember the things you forgot.

Give him something he does not have yet

Make a song about your dad's life this Christmas. It is ready within 24 hours, and express delivery gets it to you in about an hour, with nothing to ship and no cutoff date.

Also in the Journal: song gift ideas for Father's Day and a personalized song as a Christmas gift.