Mother's Day was named an official U.S. holiday in 1914. Father's Day? Not until 1972. Since the beginning of time, it seems dads - a historical afterthought - have got the short end of the celebration stick. Often tasked with the least glamorous of household duties (trash, dog and car maintenance), fathers work just as hard as moms, and yet no breakfast in bed, no demonstrative hoopla. Even so, dads being dads still accept their argyle socks and plaid neckties with unconditional appreciation.

So, if dads are known to repair, to fix and to build, it's only fitting you should ignore the menswear section of Sears this year, and make something yourself he will actually love.

The way to a man's heart is clearly through his stomach and this Father's Day these two projects have got you covered. If your dad prides himself on being King of the Grill, try these spice rub recipes from Loblaws Chef Mark Russell. Not only will this thoughtful gift spice up his life, but it looks awesome, like some sort of delicious science experiment.

What you need

- Mason jars (set of 12, $8) 500 ml size

- spices (see recipes)

Recipes:

CHICKEN: Currey Spiced Rub

-¾ cup curry powder

-2 Tbsp. coarse salt

-8 tsp. dried crushed red pepper

-2 Tbsp. cumin

-2 Tbsp. ground coriander

-2 Tbsp. dried mint

-4 tsp. turmeric

-4 tsp. ginger

-4 tsp. garlic salt

-2 tsp. ground fennel seeds

-2 Tbsp. diced lemongrass stem

PORK: Chipotle Lime Rub

-2 Tbsp. lime zest

-1 cup brown sugar

-¼ cup chipotle chili powder

-¼ cup smoked paprika

-¼ cup dry mustard

-¼ cup ground cumin

-¼ cup salt

-1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper

-2 Tbsp. fresh thyme

BEEF: Coffee Rub

-½ cup ancho chili powder

-½ cup ground espresso

-¼ cup Spanish paprika

-¼ cup brown sugar

-1/8 cup dry mustard powder

-1/8 cup salt

-1/8 cup ground cilantro

-1/8 cup ground ginger

-1 Tbsp. oregano

SPICE RUB HOW-TO

1. Once you have your spices, measure out amounts and separate each spice into a bag or container. Some recipes call for a large amount of one spice, so this way it's easy for you to layer spices multiple times to break up the colours.

2. Layer spices in a Mason jar or desired clear receptacle. *Layering spices in the jar is just for show, for cooking use you'll have to mix spices together and put it back in the jar.

3. When I think dad, I think plaid, so I printed out random plaid pattern photos for a masculine label.

4. Trace jar lid onto the plaid picture and cut a circle out. Put it between the lid and disc, finish off with adhesive label. (Brown labels from Martha Stewart's Home Office collection ($4).

5. Chef Mark says the general rule for spice rubs is 1 Tbsp. per pound of meat. (These 500 ml jars contain enough spice for 33 lbs. of meat!)

Chef Mark Russell, executive chef at the Loblaws Maple Leaf Garden in Toronto, recommends patting the meat dry, then lightly coating it with olive oil to help spices adhere. He also suggests keeping spice rubs in jars with screw-top lids.

Call for submissions

Every week, Julia Dilworth's DIY File will feature do-it-yourself projects, big and small. To submit a project or send photos of your DIY attempts, email julia.dilworth[at]sunmedia.ca.

You can also find her on Twitter at @JuliaDilworth