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Arts and crafts

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Original poster

What craft item suits a man of 40 up as a gift?

57 replies

fairi · 13/12/2005 21:14

Any craft ideas for making a gift for men in their upper 30's going on seventies (I'm struggling for crafting ideas for Hubby, brother in law, father in law and father) - help!! why are men always so hard for gifts?!

OP posts:
NotQuiteCockney · 13/12/2005 21:36

Huh?

Is this the thread you meant to post that on, moondog?

Original poster
fairi · 13/12/2005 21:38

Anything but knitting - that is one thing I'm utterly useless at and utterly respect those of you who can! (I even mess up a plain square!)

OP posts:
moondog · 13/12/2005 21:41

Ah sorry nqc,was referring to hideous string and nail pictures.

My crafting opus is making a patchwork quilt for everyone I love,but it's a bit late to start now,and suspect that you may not love these chaps in a way that merits quite this much crafting.

Original poster
fairi · 13/12/2005 21:48

I'm just a terrible procrastinator... been planning since october, but only properly started crafting production two weeks ago - ladies are so easy and so many ideas, but the men have been hard so I've let the ideas be hoping something will come, but I have as blank a slate now as I had before - which is why I'm coming for help!

So, yes, with the lack of time, I'm looking at something not too involved... the more I describe it, the more it sounds like mission impossible!

OP posts:
PrincessPlumPuddingHead · 13/12/2005 21:49

may I repeat.
waterstones
book

WeWhizzzYouAMerryXmas · 13/12/2005 21:50

Hand painted mug / T shirt
Decorated photo album / frame

dkdad · 13/12/2005 22:33

no, no, no!

Let a man speak.

We do not want 'crafted' items even if they have been made by the love of our lives.

Yes, we do need hats, scarfs etc. at this time of year but please do not 'craft' them for us. Instead, head to the nearest purveyor of high class Scandinavian-designed winter wear such as this

I thank you for your understanding.

PrincessPlumPuddingHead · 13/12/2005 22:34

ha! told you so.

admit it dkdad you'd be OK with a book, if it was well chosen

Easy · 13/12/2005 22:37

Actually, I don't want hand-crafted items either, and I'm a 45 y.o. lady!!

dkdad · 13/12/2005 22:42

Princess

The book option is always the right one. And made especially easy these days by the simple use of Amazon's 'Wish Lists'. Simply find your beloved's list on Amazon and buy the book that you know he will never get round to buying for himself. There will be many to choose from.

And we will be seriously impressed and grateful.

Never, ever, whatever you do be tempted to 'craft' a book. Something I believe the Americans call 'scrap-booking'

PrincessPlumPuddingHead · 13/12/2005 22:47

shudder at turning scrapbook into a verb...

have bought my dh a book on the american war of independence and a very beautiful, heavy, plain chess set.
I suppose I could have hand-carved the chess , is that called "chessing"???

Easy · 13/12/2005 22:48

Ah but our colonial cousins have never met a word that couldn't be 'verbed'

Curmudgeonlett · 13/12/2005 22:49

is a blow job a craft?

it could be, it could be

think I solved the hubby problem .. depends how you feel about FIL and BIL really

Curmudgeonlett · 13/12/2005 22:49

shit, did I just post that .. bugger went for preview ... snurk ROFL (in drunken heap)

moondog · 13/12/2005 22:51

Who is this dkdad chap? He is rather amusant....

PrincessPlumPuddingHead · 13/12/2005 22:53

curmudgeonlett I think it could be elevated to an art, rather than a craft....

PrincessPlumPuddingHead · 13/12/2005 22:53

no idea moondog, I expect he is danish though so am imagining him as tall, blonde, in one of those chunky snowflake sweaters and slightly dodgy gore-tex walking boots....

thecattleareALOHing · 13/12/2005 22:55

My...that's a nice looking chap on DKdad's link. Sigh.

thecattleareALOHing · 13/12/2005 22:57

PPH, have you been....drinking?

Curmudgeonlett · 13/12/2005 22:58

eeeeuuuw aloha .. no no no

he reminds me of that joke: an anteater walks into a bar

barman says: 'Why the long face'

ROFL .. oo red wine and house to myself truly makes me amusing .. well I'm finding me funny

PS its me again .. twig

PrincessPlumPuddingHead · 13/12/2005 22:59

HA! chance would be a bloody fine thing. Thank you for reminding me that I haven't had a drink since the end of bloody april...

No, I'm just permanently grumpy, permanently uncomfortable, slightly insomniac, and in a rather devil may care mood this evening!!!

How are you all?

Have I scared DKDad off??

PrincessPlumPuddingHead · 13/12/2005 23:00

oooh it is twig! I didn't twig from your xmas name (bad pun, sorry)

I love that joke, but I tell it about a horse. Cracks me up every time. Noone else seems to find it funny though.... sob

Curmudgeonlett · 13/12/2005 23:01

also works with alanis morrisette

hang on, glass empty

thecattleareALOHing · 13/12/2005 23:01

I have a thing for long faces. And big noses.
PPH, we are fine, but as you know, I can't sleep for a slightly different reason to you - my hideous non-sleeping children. Actually both have been completely delightful today. Ds is in love with knock-knock jokes and dd is determined to walk before Christmas. All very amusing.
How is baby Araminta? Kicking vigorously?

dkdad · 13/12/2005 23:02

Princess

You are confusing the Danes with the Swedes.

Snowflake sweaters and dodgy boots are not to be found here.

The Danes have elevated the art of keeping warm whilst staying stylish to a level beyond such vulgarity.

If in doubt, think, 'Now, what would Helena Christensen wear today?'.

By an accident of birth I am a Brit so unfortunately do not have this innate sense of style. A shortcoming my Danish wife attempts to remedy when buying my Christmas presents.