DIY advent calendar ideas for men

[BunnytheFriendlyDragon]

I'd like to make an advent calendar for a male mid twenties

Any tips on what to put in and also the calendar itself?

Ideas so far

• Kraft paper bags with numbered stickers on or the kraft little boxes

• socks
• sweets
• chocolate
• gadgets like Swiss knife type tool, torch, pen

Maybe the odd nicer thing like a wallet or headphones depending on cost

Budget is flexible as would usually spend around £200 on gifts

Maybe male grooming products

Lip balm

Gloves

With £200 you could get a really nice big present he’ll use. My mum used to do this as she liked me to have present to open, but it’s so wasteful. Not only all the wrapping, but most of the little bits went straight in a cupboard then were thrown out a few years later. I think he’d prefer the £200 to be honest.

I will get him a gift as well and not saying I will spend £200 on the calendar but the point is there could be expensive items in it.

I don't think it's wasteful if it's all things he will use but thanks.

But you don’t seem to know what he’d like and use if you’re asking on here? I don’t wish to sound rude, but it seems wasteful with all the extra wrapping, maybe you can put it in a box box instead? Most 20yr olds are concerned with the environment and sustainability. He will probably have a knife and most definitely a pen, as well as toiletries (do you know the brand he buys?).

@Miliaomil I am usually good at knowing what he would like and use but don't have 24 ideas at the moment and I know some creatives on mumsnet will.

He may well have a pen for example but does that mean you'd never give a nice pen as a gift? I still have.

I don't meant be rude either but I'm not asking you whether I should make an advent calendar but for ideas of what to put on and ultimately I may or may not decide to do it.

I agree with Miliaomil to be honest, if you have £200 to spend I would get him something you're sure he would like, not lots of random little bits.

I'm not necessarily spending £200 on the calendar, I'm just saying that's why I usually spend. And if, say, day 25 was his main present then that could be quite good.

It might be a few "nice" things and some sweets in the other drawers.

Just want to do something different this year after a rubbish couple of years.

Thanks so much for your creative ideas though.

I did something similar for DH last year, but rather than different things I got a different bottle of beer / ale each day. He loved it and it all definitely got used!!!

That sounds good @jemimafuddleduck

I'm guessing you might want smaller gifts?

I'd say earphones, cufflinks, miniature smellies, you can get miniture bottles of aftershave in a set, creed do a nice one, and split them, miniature festive boozeballs, nail kit, keyring ...

All pointless tat imho, but I am particularly 'bah humbug' personally

eyerolling at the unhelpful comments and the top of this thread.

I'm sure your husband will love the thought and effort gone into this, whether or not other people would prefer the £200! Maybe you and your husband love the whole hype up to Christmas and want to make the time leading up as special as possible. 100% get that after such a crappy year. I agree that generic gifts can be a bit annoying but I think small gifts can be just as thoughtful and lovely as bigger gifts if you pick well.

Maybe mini gins or whiskey, coffee pods (if you have a machine) or nice French press coffee or fancy teas, travel/ sample sizes of nice toiletries that he maybe hasn’t tried before, could see if he likes them without spending too much. What about a cinema voucher or a voucher for a meal? Could then make that one into a date night. If he’s into fitness some grenade bars or some skinny food co spread (I always put some in my BFs stocking), a card game if you and your family like games nights, a new phone case. If he’s a foodie, what about some nice chutney from a food market, or cheese?

Try to think of this he will actually use, but it sounds super fun!

I've done a beer one, bought all his favourite/craft independent. Then a big one for Christmas Eve.

Gift card for Costa/Starbuck's/Nando's.
Lottery ticket.
Packet of park scratchings (I saw an advent calendar last year with 25 different flavours of pork scratching!) or fancy flavoured popcorn.
Paperback.
Personalised chopsticks.
Chocolate covered coffee beans from Whittards.
Rubik's cube.

I’d do a cocktail recipe book for day 1, then alcohol miniatures and mixers to make up specific recipes from it - so every 3/4 days he will have everything needed to make a new cocktail

I've done a beer one too. No waste at all!

A scratch card
Post it notes
A bar of nice chocolate
Aftershave
Hair product
Voucher for iTunes Etc
Mini puzzle

yep, another one who did a beer advent calendar....dh loved it.

Except for the bottle of Nanny State I bought, not realising it was non alcoholic!

Gin, beer etc isnt really a gift unless he cant afford to buy it normally?
Lots of the ideas are great for a 13 year old but notfor an adult who has access to his own funds?

Great pen can be £200, a pair of gloves can be £100, these are once in 15-year purchases. If you have a pair of gloves - you only need 1.
Headphones £150 plus etc. Wouldn't he like 1 nice item ?

beerhawk do a beer one for under £100- its ok
What about a different sweet or chocolate each day if he likes that?

@BunnytheFriendlyDragon

I'd like to make an advent calendar for a male mid twenties

Any tips on what to put in and also the calendar itself?

Ideas so far

• Kraft paper bags with numbered stickers on or the kraft little boxes

• socks
• sweets
• chocolate
• gadgets like Swiss knife type tool, torch, pen

Maybe the odd nicer thing like a wallet or headphones depending on cost

Budget is flexible as would usually spend around £200 on gifts

I do a variation on this each year for my DH. I actually bought little hessian bags and wooden number tags, and wooden reindeer pegs. I stick them all along a garland and re-use each year, filling with new treats.

The first year, like you, I went for different small gifts (socks, sweets, novelty items from Tiger store like puzzles etc). Then the following year we both agreed that both of us would prefer "consumable" gifts like food or drink rather than things that would take up more space. So I focused on only filling the calendar with his favourite sweets. Things that were a little novel like American import stuff, or retro sweets. DH says he gets more of a kick out of the calendar each year than gifts on Xmas day!

@BeastOfBODMAS Love your cocktail theme idea, definitely considering that for DP!

@YoungGiftedPlump

Gin, beer etc isnt really a gift unless he cant afford to buy it normally? Lots of the ideas are great for a 13 year old but notfor an adult who has access to his own funds?

Great pen can be £200, a pair of gloves can be £100, these are once in 15-year purchases. If you have a pair of gloves - you only need 1.
Headphones £150 plus etc. Wouldn't he like 1 nice item ?

beerhawk do a beer one for under £100- its ok
What about a different sweet or chocolate each day if he likes that?

I'm not sure I agree - my son got me the Sainsbury's version of the gin advent calendar one year and honestly, I REALLY enjoyed it. Something about the novelty of opening tiny little packages every day with different surprises of things I wouldn't normally try. I would love a homemade cocktail or beer one myself if anyone could kindly suggest to my DP?!

@jemimafuddleduck

I did something similar for DH last year, but rather than different things I got a different bottle of beer / ale each day. He loved it and it all definitely got used!!!

We do standard £1 chocolate advents but I do do '12 day of xmas' as beers and its always popular with DH, gets used and isnt wastefull.

Yes there is just something fun about opening a calendar or small gift every day.