11 Practical Gifts for the Handy DIYer in Your Life

While it’s great to give fun presents, sometimes, the best gifts are practical. If someone you know is a DIYer or likes to fix things, chances are he’s put off buying necessary supplies. Why not give the gift of stuff he needs?

Don’t Buy Tools

The one thing you won’t find on this list is tools. It’s tempting to gift tools, especially when you find a great deal, but that’s always a mistake. Tools are a very personal choice, and often, they require shared systems for batteries and other features.

That battery-powered drill you’re looking at might be excellent, but it also might be incompatible with the rest of your friend or family member’s battery-powered devices. That means extra chargers, extra spaces, and a battery that only works for one tool instead of many.

It’s like gifting a piccolo to someone who plays the flute. Sure, a piccolo is a type of flute, but it’s probably not the same kind of flute your friend plays. She’ll probably politely thank you for the gift, but won’t appreciate it as much as you thought.

If you want to gift a tool, consult the recipient first. That might take the surprise out of the holiday, but a good gift is better than the surprise of an unwanted present.

Get Supplies Instead

In addition to tools, every DIYer needs supplies. Disposable items and components wear out and need to be replaced. However, supplies aren’t fun and shiny, like a new tool or accessory. That’s why a lot of people re-use things like sandpaper much longer than they should.

Eventually, though, they’ll run out, have to stop what they’re doing, and head to the store. You can save your friend or loved one a trip to Home Depot this year by gifting her the supplies she needs and has waited too long to replace (again).

All the Sandpaper: 400 to 3000 Assorted Grit

Sandpaper is one of those provisions nearly every DIYer or handy-type needs, and yet, it’s never in good supply. Rather than throwing out that last sheet and buying more, people just continue using a tired piece well past the end of its life.

Sandpaper comes in multiple grits, from very coarse to very fine. Each level has a specific use, so this assorted grit pack makes for a good resupply. The pack includes 36 sheets, ranging from 400 to 3000 grit (four sheets of each).

Wood Glue: Titebond II Premium

Glue is the stuff that holds the world together (along with duct tape), and it comes in thousands of varieties. It might surprise you to know that in woodworking, glue (not screws) is the preferable way to join two boards. That’s because a glued joint is much stronger than one held together by screws; however, people can and do use both.

Titebond II Wood Glue is an excellent option for a variety of scenarios. It’s also food-safe, so if your intended gift recipient uses it to make tables, it’s safe! It also has a long drying time, which helps when things have to fit together precisely before the adhesive sets. And after this glue sets, you won’t get the two pieces apart without a great deal of effort.

A Box of Pre-sharpened Pencils

I know what you’re thinking—pencils sound like an incredibly boring present. That might be true, but it doesn’t mean they won’t make someone happy. Pencils are another item you can never have too many of.

Carpenters, creative types, and DIYers need pencils all the time to mark measurements, sketch ideas, and more. But pencils break, get sharpened until they’re just a nub, or others swipe them. Whenever you need one the most, there are none to be found.

This box of 150 pencils will help solve this problem. They’re the classic style, but the best part is they’re all pre-sharpened—because the only thing worse than a lost pencil is an unsharpened one.

Kutir Premium Tape Measure

That handy person in your life almost certainly has one or two tape measures. But it’s also a fact of life that as soon as they need it, they won’t be able to find it. When they don’t need it, they’ll find it easily. Having one more probably won’t solve this problem entirely, but it might help.

Tape measures are another thing that tends to be used well beyond its shelf life. It’s not that they wear down, but the metal catch on the end can shift out of alignment. Since most people use the hook as “zero” when they measure, this can make all of your measurements incorrect.

You can buy a good tape measure for less than $10, but Kutir’s model is worth springing for. The metal catch at the end is magnetic, which makes measuring large distances by yourself much easier.

This Cadillac of measuring tapes has large, easy-to-read numbers on both sides of the tape in imperial and metric measurements. It measures up to 25 feet.

DEWALT Drill and Driver Set

The handy person in your life might already have a bit set for her drill and impact driver, but try to take a look at what she has. Are there bits missing or worn down? In that case, a new bit set is the perfect gift.

This DEWALT set includes all the most common bits, including multiple sizes of Phillips, square, slotted, and several drill bits. Best of all, it includes a magnetic dish that’s perfect for storing a bit for a moment without worrying about it falling into some dark hole, never to be found again. The dish also doubles as screw storage.

30-Foot Extension Cord Reel with Four Outlets

Extension cords are a necessary evil in any workshop. They allow tools that aren’t battery-powered to reach the corners of a workspace. However, they’re also a double-edged sword, all that reach and wire adds clutter to limited space. This extension cord and reel can help with that problem.

Long enough to reach the corners of most decent-sized workshops, it’s easily stowed away in a tight package without much effort. This cord is rated for 13 amps, which should be enough for most small- to medium-sized tools (basically, anything short of a table saw).

The bonus is it has four outlets built into the reel container, so your friend or family member can easily plug it into multiple tools.

The Stuff Your Handy Friend Will Love

DIYers and handy types tend to splurge on tools rather than stuff that would make them more comfortable. They’ll stand on the concrete instead of a comfort matt or use disposable masks instead of a full rebreather.

You can improve your handy friend’s life by gifting him things that he might not necessarily need but will improve his comfort while he works.

The Anti-Fatigue Comfort Floor Mat

Many workshops—especially garages—have cold, hard concrete floors. Depending on the task, your gift recipient might have to stand in one spot for a long time while to sand, saw, or glue things into place. By the end of the day, she might have very sore legs.

A comfortable floor mat is an easily overlooked solution to a widespread problem. Sky Solution’s Anti-Fatigue Floor Mat is large enough to allow some movement, like retrieving nearby tools, but small enough to be moved around the shop as needed. It’s easy to clean and available in several colors.

Premium Knee Pads for Hard Workers

The only thing worse than standing on concrete all day is kneeling on it. Knee pads are a great solution, and probably something the DIYer, mechanic, or handy type in your life has overlooked.

This pair features a nonslip gel, so your friend won’t slide around while working. They also provide a tight fit to prevent the pads from slipping.

The Pro-LifT C-2036D Creeper Seat

A lot of handy-type people work under things, like cars. If you think standing or kneeling on concrete is painful, try lying on it. Friends don’t let friends lie down on the concrete. Instead, gift them this creeper seat. It rolls around, has plenty of padding, and even turns into a chair if needed.

To switch modes, all your friend has to do is pull a pin, lift (or lower), and then put the pin back. The large casters will keep this creeper rolling smoothly.

Clean Breathing: 3M Half Facepiece Reusable Respirator

Whether it’s wood- or metalworking, staining, painting, or finishing, a lot of hobbies are bad for the lungs. People shouldn’t inhale particulates or fumes, but sanding and staining can lead to exactly that.

If the DIYer in your life works indoors without a respirator, give her the gift of longer life with this respirator. It’s reasonably comfortable and accepts a multitude of filter cartridges to protect your friend from many breathing hazards.

Don’t forget to pick up some filters, too.

To Cover Her Beautiful Eyes: DEWALT Antifog Safety Goggles

Power tools are dangerous for multiple reasons, one of which is a piece of material hurtling at high speed toward the face. Without a good pair of safety glasses, one runs the risk of blindness. Yet some people skip this important equipment because of discomfort or fogging issues.

The DEWALT Safety Goggles are comfortable, compatible with other safety equipment (like respirators), and feature an antifog coating. The latter is especially important, as many respirators direct air toward glasses or goggles, which can lead to fogged vision. This set should help the recipient avoid that problem.

.