Homemade git ideas for MEN!

[mrsbernstein]

Hello!

Not that much time...and so much to do!!!

Personally, my mother is easy to shop for...with or without MAKING her gift. My dad, brother adn husband...not so easy. I know for husband I could make him some pants or new shirts...but dad and brother...

What do y'all like to maek for your men for Christmas?

Thank you!

Mrs B

[Storm Bride]

This may sound odd, but are they beer drinkers? I've done beer glass candles for several of the beer drinkers I know, and they've all liked them a lot.

[mrsbernstein]

First, my dad is the only beer drinker.

Second, what is a beer-glass candle?

Mrs B

[Storm Bride]

I'd take a beer glass, usually a pilsner style, and place a wick in a wick holder in the bottom. Then, I melted wax and dyed it "beer colour" (anywhere from yellow to brown, sometimes with a hint of red, depending if I was trying for a certain style) and poured it up to about an inch or so from the top of the glass. Once that had set, I melted more wax, but didn't colour it. I whipped that wax with a whisk and when it looked like foam (or snow - I've also used it for snowballs), I piled it on top of the "beer". Once that had completely set, I cut off the wax. My dad's stepson actually asked him why he had a glass of beer in his china cabinet, so I think they were fairly realistic. `

[NoliMum]

I am running out of things to make too!

In the past I have made DP:
wallet (found easy instructions on About.com)

hat (bought a blank baseball cap and embroidered a patch, then sewed the patch on the front)

guitar strap (actually just embellished one he already has by embroidering our daughter's initials on it)

I think the next thing I might make him is a felted "painting" of a rhinocerous, his favorite animal.

I've done a donation to a save-the-rhino fund before, and also bought him a tshirt from a rhino charity. Not handmade but still non-materialistic and meaningful.

[RollerCoasterMama]

subbing.

[woodchick]

Do you knit? I've had good luck giving the Irish Hiking Scarf. And it's not a bear to knit.

I just looked at the link...done in brown it doens't look nearly as girly as that lovely blue!

[Theia]

subbing for ideas!

[selena_ski]

i am making DH a keyboard circutboard wallet
a pencil holder from floppy disks
and some sort of "mess kit" so he will stop taking my dishes to work and losing them- still working out ideas for this one, i needs some sort of bag/container to store/transport in and be unbreakable because he rides a scooter to work. I don't want it to be to campish, so still working on this one.

[ellemnop]

I'm trying this (Dopp's kit) for a particularly hard person on my list:

http://dragoknit.blogspot.com/2007/0...-tutorial.html

Other ideas that I'm doing this year: tie dyed BBQ apron (not by me), homemade spice rubs (not by me but I think I could do this), and fleece winter hat in camoflauge (for a hunter), also framing an 8x10 of Buffalo, NY for DH's brother who moved to Florida but sometimes gets homesick.

Another good idea for men is homemade candy, I may do some of this for my dad.

Take care,
El

[AndVeeGeeMakes3]

subbing

[rere]

I made my brother flannel pj pants and apliqued a t-shirt to match.I'm going to put together some sort of food kit for my husband's uncle.And maybe felt slippers for my husband.(Here's a slipper tut. )I made some out of old sweaters that I felted.Last year I made fleece scarves for some of the fellas on my list and a flannel blanket for my brother.And the year before that I had my daughter paint t-shirts and aprons.

[rajahkat]

knit & felted I-pod case.

[damyen's mommy]

i am making DH a keyboard circutboard wallet
a pencil holder from floppy disks
this sounds so perfect for my spouse... How do you do this? Do you have links? My hubby is a huge computer geek and his b-day is in december.

[wombatclay]

I really like doing felted sweater crafts for "guy gifts"... go to thrift store, find wool sweater felt it and cut it up, sew craft. I love knitting but when time is an issue this is soooo much faster. Using this felt I've made:

--"manly man" scarves (browns and reds and blacks and hunter greens, done in a sort of patchwork, needle felted with the guy's name, or favorite image, or something significant)

--ipod, mp3 player, cell phone, random tech stuff cases- usually with loops to attach to a belt

--funny key ring things- DH is a big fan of quirky sci-fi stuff, so a GIR or Dalek or FireFly class ship. Things like that.

--floor pillows or those "laptop" pillows (felted sweater pillow with a "solid side"

--book covers (sleeves to go over books... I've also made cd booklets by taking the plastic guts out of commercial cd booklets but using the felt o make the outside. I use a tie instead of a zipper).

--"stress dolls"... looks like a computer, or the boss, but basically a beanbag that can be thrown at the wall when necessary.

--holiday ornaments, luggage tags, rear view mirror dangles (you have to know the guy in question... these were wanted/loved items )

--bomber style hats

--slippers


I've also knit scarves and Jayne hats, made duct tape wallets, made double batches of biscotti and wrapped the cookies up with packets of homemade chili pepper hot cocoa (add some spice and/or pepper heat to a generic hot cocoa recipe), made hot pepper jelly or jelly in neat combos (ginger peach, chocolate cherry, etc), love coupon booklet, chili or cookie kits with directions, bay rum after shave splash, and shaving soap.

[Jemmind]

Originally Posted by damyen's mommy

this sounds so perfect for my spouse... How do you do this? Do you have links? My hubby is a huge computer geek and his b-day is in december.

I found these for you:
http://geekyfunny.blogspot.com/2007/...-keyboard.html

http://www.instructables.com/id/Floppy-Disk-Pen-Holder/

[mama_mich]

Originally Posted by ellemnop

Another good idea for men is homemade candy, I may do some of this for my dad.
El

Fully agree. Homemade candy is way easier then you think and the dudes love it. If you need recipes let me know. Or the good ol stand by cheese ball. I was just reading how to make your own cheese too. Surprisingly not that hard really!

This year I am making infused vodkas. We had a ton of plums and the deer didn't get them so lots of plum vodka. Might be weird. Originally wanted to do plum wine. Anyway you can use any fruit spice etc. Like make a great bloody mary vodka with dill and cocktail onions fennel maybe some garlic. Then you just put it in a pretty bottle.

You could also try to freecycle some beer making supplies and put together a beer making basket where that special guy could have his own craft/draft to do!!

My husbands personal favorite...The Coupon Book!!!

(ok so apparently I'm having a salty sweet tooth, need a drink and am feeling randy!!)

You could also make music cd's. With a special holder box/bag...

If it's your Dad, bil, dil, etc you could always put together one of those cute layered jar things. Meaning you basically do sand art in a jar but the sand is the ingredients to something edible. Then you could label it all you cute like..."The In a Fix Mix. Breakfeast In Bed for Mama. Situation Diffuser". And in the directions you can add things some helpful hints on getting out of trouble like last step clean the kitchen (VERY IMPORTANT!!) I guess I'm trying to play off men getting themselves into trouble and voiala here comes this magical mix he can make his wife and save the day. Am I really writing this? I guess you could make a daddy to the rescue recipe jar too.

[mama_mich]

[rere]

Oh yeah,I forgot about the vodka.I have a big jug of lemon vodka stewing.

[AndVeeGeeMakes3]

Will you vodka makers give us the how-to?