When You Need a Really Good Gift for Your Husband, Do-It-Yourself! 10 DIY Gift Ideas for Husband's Birthday or Anniversary

No matter how unique, creative and interesting the gift you founds after a load of research and hunting, nothing changes the fact that someone else can buy the exact same thing and, shudder, give it to your husband at the same time you are giving it to him. Store bought gifts aren’t as unique as we would like to believe they are and for that reason alone do-it-yourself gifts trump over them. There is no end to how imaginative you can get.

Even if you take inspiration from books and websites on crafting and gifting, the way you make it will truly be unique. Combine that inspiration with your own ideas and come up with a gift that is truly out of the box. It can be personalised in every imaginable way, right from the use of materials, colour, including your husband’s name, birthday, the date of your wedding, or something else entirely.

Making something by hand makes it so much more personal, much more than gifts which have been personalised by a store. There is an intimate connection between a gift made by hand and the receiver - you think of them the entire time you are involved with it, and they are very aware of this. Even the simplest of handmade gift will make your husband wonder what you were thinking of while you were making it.

Compare a handmade present to one that has been personalised by the manufacturer or store. Adding a name or picking a colour or pattern is no match for a gift that has been made by hand; it is so much more personal as you aren’t restricted to customising certain aspects of it but can create a present tailormade for your husband. Such gifts work very well for people who are very close to us as we know exactly what they like, and making it yourself can be a lot simpler than trying to find something you already have in your mind.

As much as people enjoy using their mind to solve problems, making use of the hands to create something is incredibly satisfying. If you need proof of this, just watch children making craft projects. People do not grow out of that enjoyment, they just get busy with other things as they get older. If you haven’t tried making anything in a while it’s time to rediscover the pleasure of using your hands.

DIY gifts are a wonderful way to rediscover old talents and find new ones. Even those of you who do not consider yourself as being particularly creative will surprise yourself with what you find yourself capable of. The bottomline is, DIY gifts are incredibly fun to make so it will be a win-win for you and your husband.

Whether your man is a fan of playing pool or has never tried his hand at the pool table, this mini table will appeal to the little boy inside him. It is a pretty cool gift for just about any man, but knowing his wife spent hours labouring over it will thrill him all the more. You can follow step by step pictures on consumercrafts.com

The thing about foodies is they aren’t content with only having good food, they like to take things a step ahead by trying to make foods that catch their fancy. If your husband happens to be one of these then he may have a fascination with smoked foods. Since home smoking devices can be quite expensive, here’s how you can make him his very own meat smoker.

Every man has a few ties in his closet that he never uses and even though he knows he will probably never wear them again, they still stick around as no one throws them away. Do both of you a favour by using them to make something a lot more useful, such as zipper bags. You can follow detailed steps with pictures on polkadotchair.com

Handmade soaps have a much more luxurious feel than standard store bought soaps. There are plenty of very good options available to buy handmade soaps but this small luxury can also be made at home quite easily. There is an easy to follow recipe on savvyhomemade.com for a soap made for men. The great thing is you can use this as a guideline to create your own signature soap using ingredients and fragrances you think will appeal to your husband.

Feeling overwhelmed by the homemade gift ideas so far and need a simpler gift you can quickly put together without having to whip out pots, pans and sewing machines? We have just the thing! Calendars, diarys and planners are very useful tools to organise your life and daily activities, more so when you have kids and need to monitor everyone’s needs and activities. Your husband too could do with a good one.

Now most organisers often do not have enough space to fit everything you need to jot down. They are also very simple to make. Even if you don’t know the first thing about making layouts and worksheets on a computer, there are printable calendar planners available online, one such example being brandyshappyhome.com

Mouse pads are an often overlooked computer accessory, they have a fairly important role but few people really bother with the design on them. There are mouse pads available in nice colours and interesting designs but you may not feel like spending so much on such a basic item. But if you want to add a pop of colour to your husband’s desk or workspace, try making a designer mouse pad yourself. It is fairly straightforward and the results are quite nice. We found this DIY project by ManMade.com quite easy to follow. You can use your own designs but the website has interesting templates you could use.

Your comic book fan husband will be thrilled to receive a set of coasters with his favourite characters and scenes. If you have had trouble getting him to use coasters when sitting at your lovely new coffee table, after giving him these you won’t have to anymore. These eyecatching coasters are a nice way to brighten your home as well. Visit modpodgerocksblog.com to see detailed instructions and pictures for each step.

The wonderful thing about homemade gifts is you take ordinary items and give them a whole new spin, such as with this paracord watch strap, or bracelet. Your husband may have an old watch lying around the house that he doesn’t use anymore only because the strap is frayed and he may not think it’s worth the effort of having it changed. That or he has probably forgotten about it entirely. The lack of such a watch should not stop you from attempting to make the bracelet instead - when made in the right colour they can be very nice looking accessories for your husband’s wrist. You may like this DIY gift for your husband by instructables.com

Everybody likes being told they are loved; they like it even more when you spell out the reasons why you love them. Giving your husband 50 reasons why you love him will make his day in a way you cannot even imagine. But instead of making a simple list, or even jotting them down on slips of paper, turn your list into a delicious gifts. What you will need is individually wrapped pieces of candy or chocolate that he likes, plain stickers and a jar. Why candy? It is the perfect to make the experience of finding out why he is loved a whole lot sweeter.

Start by writing your reasons on the stickers; use small stickers so you can stick them easily on the chocolate, and keep your notes brief and snappy - write him a long love letter if you want to give him a longer, more elaborate explanation. Next, stick the stickers on to the chocolate or candy and drop them into a jar. There are lovely printable labels available on the datingdivas.com for I Love You jars including 50 Reasons Why I Love You, 30 Reasons Why I Love You, Just a Few Reasons Why I love You and so on. Your husband is going to eat all that candy so give him only as many reasons as he can handle, the rest can go in your love letter! Print and attach the label, or use your own imagination to decorate the jar and give it to a delighted husband.

Don’t you love the smell of aftershave on your man. The masculine smell after a shave. Apart from the physical effect on you, the lotion has numerous benefits for your husband too - it soothes the skin and helps it recover from the effects of a sharp razor being run all over it. Did you know you can make after shave at home, using ingredients to target specific concern areas for your man? This aftershave made from rum and orange peels by popsugar.com is just the thing you want to start with if you want to have a go at it; you may find your husband doesn’t want to go back to back to his old aftershave after using this.

If you are fortunate enough to have many friends and family, you know one of the pleasures of an active social life is the exchange of gifts. However, there are so many occasions when one must give a present and often you may feel pressurised to give really memorable presents.

Thoughtful and touching gifts don't necessarily translate to spending lots of money, you can easily balance it out with a good mix of handmade presents and things you can buy. Making gifts can be a lot of fun and the more items you make, the easier it will become. Many presents can be made out of simple things already at home and once you start making DIY gifts and things for the house, it will be easier to come up with ideas and to spot useful odds and ends which could come in handy for a new project.

You may not always have time to make presents but then there is always the option to buy a gift. However, knowing you can make certain things yourself can be your own little backup plan in case you cannot find the right gift for a certain occasion.

Make no mistake about it, homemade gifts don't always mean cheaper than store bought options - if you decide to use really good quality ingredients, which you will be quite tempted to, DIY gifts can turn out to be the same price as a similar thing you may have bought or perhaps even a shade more expensive. But they are often a much cheaper alternative.

When you are making a present yourself you can set a budget at the start, allocate funds for material and ingredients accordingly and make sure everything fits within that budget. The same discipline may not always work when buying gifts as you may not find what you are looking for in your budget.

DIY gifts are a great alternative when you are low on cash as you can choose to make gifts with things you already have at home, all you need is lots of creativity and enthusiasm and a little bit of inspiration.