Gifts for men

Has anyone else noticed that Web sites offering handmade gift ideas always focus on things you can make for moms, grandmas, sisters, etc.? What about gifts for the men in your life? Do you always buy them something or just skip them entirely? (Personally, I find men of all ages very hard to shop for anyway!)

Yes, unless the guy has a particular hobby, like golf or fishing, it’s pretty hard to buy for them. I know most men like crafts from their kids, but anything else does seem too girly for most of them. My dad loves reading and every year I just buy him a bunch of books, but it would be nice to come up with something more creative.

I totally agree.  Men are hard to shop for, and it’s even more difficult to make gifts for them.  Not sure what I’m doing for the guys in my life this year, but here are a few gifts I’ve made in the past:

*Reusable shopping bags for my Dad (he loves grocery shopping and is worried about the environment)
*Canoe paddle cover for my brother-in-law (he was worried it would get scratched)
*Polarfleece throws for my father-in-law and brother-in-law
*Velvet dice bag for my husband (he’s a gamer)

On years when I’m really organized (I can already tell this won’t be one of those years), I make at least one homemade gift for each person on my list.  It’s nearly impossible to come up with stuff for the men, though!

So I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one who finds men very difficult to shop for. As far as homemade gifts, I rarely do anything for the men because it never seems to go over well. The exceptions…
* I knitted a bunch of hats for my son, who tells everyone who sees him that Mommy made them!
* I made a scrapbook for my stepdad with copies of childhood photos he lost in a flood the year before.
* I had my son decorate a picture frame, then we stuck a typed list in it with “Reasons Why I Love My Daddy”—ranging from him being good at video games to him liking to eat bubble gum too.

I also completely agree with you all - Men are much harder to buy gifts for and almost impossible to make gifts for - although Kate and Dana did make some really nice men’s gifts in the past.

That’s a great idea about making the picture frame with the list in it. If you need a present for a man who doesn’t have a child, you could something similar with a list from their pet and sort of a humorous top ten list of funny memories.

For dads or grandfathers, there’s a lot you could do with picture frames either by using a favorite picture or having the child hold up an “I love you, Dad” sign.

Hi Holly - I think the framed list of funny memories from a dog’s perspective is an absolutely great idea! I think I may give that one a try for a few people on my lsit this year! Thanks