45 Last-Minute Gift Ideas That Are Perfect for DIYers
Updated: Dec. 16, 2020Haven’t found that perfect gift for your favorite DIYer? There’s still time to snag one of these gems, guaranteed to be a hit with any handyperson.
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Still haven’t found that perfect gift for your favorite DIYer? There’s still time to snag one of these gems, guaranteed to be a hit with any handyperson.
Apple AirPods with Charging Case
Wireless earbuds are essential for techies, but they can be too expensive to buy for yourself. Give the gift of music on the go with Apple AirPods. This pair comes with a charging case to keep them clean and safe when not in use.
Coleman Portable Propane Gas Classic Stove
Camping and tailgating meals are easy and delicious with this portable propane stove. It folds up for easy transport and storage.
Cast Iron Skillet Set
This three-piece cast iron skillet set will please any amateur chef. It can be used at home or on the go with the Coleman Portable Stove.
Freestanding Shelving Unit for Yard Tools
Organizing yard tools can be a difficult task, so any homeowner can benefit from this simple shelving unit. It features holders for long-handled tools and hooks for hand tools. There are even small holes for screwdrivers.
Portable Tabletop Steel Firebowl
If you have a friend or family member who always throws backyard barbecues and late-night happy hours, outdoor accessories are the perfect gifts. This tabletop firebowl offers warmth and mood lighting without the need for firewood.
Smart Home Starter Bundle
For that tech savvy friend who always has the latest gadgets, a smart home starter kit is the way to go. Smart light bulbs, smart plugs and a security camera are endlessly useful in any household. With this gift, your loved one can turn off the lights and keep an eye on the house remotely.
Seed Starting System
The gardener in your life will love this indoor seed starter kit. Winter can be cold and boring for those who love working outdoors and tending a garden. With this grow light and planter, gardeners can keep enjoying their hobby even while snow flies.
Sparkling Water Maker
If you know someone who always shows up with a can of bubbly water in their hand, get them this sparkling water maker. They’ll be able to create their own flavors, and they’ll never run out of refreshments again.
Craft Beer Brewing Kit
Breweries are a fun way to taste new types of beer. But when patios close this winter, they’ll be more difficult to visit. Help craft beer fans keep their favorite hobby going with this home brewing kit. They might share to say thank you.
DeWalt Heated Jacket
Keep your loves ones warm and toasty this winter with a heated jacket. This can be worn as a regular jacket or it can be heated. It’s water and wind resistant with a soft fleece lining.
Stainless Straws with Silicone Tips
Your green-living friends will appreciate a sustainable gift. These stainless steel straws are good for smoothies, teas and any other drink. The straws and silicone tips are dishwasher safe, and they come with a cleaning brush, too.
NutriBullet Single-Serve Blender
Like the reusable straws, a single-serving blender is a thoughtful gift for health nuts. The NutriBullet is famous for its easy-to-use design. Just screw on the blender blades, press it into the base and let the magic happen.
KitchenAid Hand Mixer
A hand mixer is one of the handiest kitchen tools, so if you know a new homeowner they’re sure to appreciate this gift. It will help them whip up homemade whipped cream, merengue and other baking essentials in half the time.
Letterboard
Letterboards are a trendy décor item and a versatile gift. Pre-load the board with a personalized message to surprise the gift-receiver when they open your package. This can be hung on a wall, set on a shelf or kept on a desk — the options are endless.
French Press Coffee Maker
If you’re always grabbing coffee with a friend, give them a French press this holiday season. This affordable gift is anything but cheap. At just $20, it will pay for itself after just a few cups of coffee. Pair it with a coffee sampler so they can try it out immediately.
Mini Waffle Maker
This mini waffle maker will be a hit among your brunch friends. Its waffles are the perfect size for one person, but it cooks quickly enough to feed guests. It comes in six colors to match any kitchen.
Keurig Single-Serve Coffee Maker
When counter space is limited, a full-sized coffee maker doesn’t always fit. Luckily, Keurig offers this slim design. It provides the convenience of k-cups without hogging kitchen space.
3M WorkTunes
Nothing says “I love you” like the gift of safety. Your friends and family won’t forget to wear hearing protection after you give them 3M WorkTunes. These earmuffs block harmful external sounds while allowing the wearer to listen to music.
Walabot Wall Scanner Stud Finder
When hanging photos and shelves, a stud finder is invaluable. The Walabot Wall Scanner lets DIYers use their smart phones as stud finders. It’s a handy tool to keep readily available.
Strain-Reducing Snow Shovel
This Snow Joe shovel is geared toward those who endure bad backs every winter from shoveling and snow removal. The product was designed to greatly reduce the effort, strain and potential injury involved in shoveling by up to 30 percent. Meanwhile, the ergonomic shovel grip is spring-loaded, capturing the expended energy from throwing the snow to return and reset the shovel.
Grabber Tool
Ease back stress with this ergonomic grabber tool from Home & Deepsea. Reach anything easily, like wind-blown litter and fallen sticks in your yard. This tool makes yard work so much easier.
DIY University Subscription
Have a DIY-obsessed friend or family member? Or perhaps you’re the one who is impossible to shop for? Family Handyman’s DIY University online quick classes offer the gift of knowledge. This option is designed for DIYers who want to tackle it all — build a wall-mounted bike rack or your own workshop, add elegant kitchen storage and backsplash, install a sleek USB charging station, and much more.
ThermoPro Digital Meat Thermometer with Dual Probe
Thanksgiving is around the corner, and whether you’re roasting your first or fiftieth turkey, you’ll be grateful for a meat thermometer.
This essential grilling tool has all the bells and whistles, too, not the least of which is a hands-free monitor with a large digital LCD screen that displays food and oven temperatures. It works up to 300 feet away, so you can spend time with your guests, guilt-free. It also has a timer and dual probes. Use it with an oven, smoker or barbecue.
Ergonomic Heated Foot Warmer
A workshop can get cold in the winter. If that’s the case and you have a concrete floor, your feet may get cold when you’re at your workbench. This foot-warming mat will keep your feet toasty without using nearly as much electricity as other devices, like a space heater.
Hats for Weather and Debris
When it’s drizzling, you’ll need to keep the rain out of your face. Or if you’d rather not have twigs in your hair while pruning, a hat is an important accessory for autumn yard work. A simple, durable sun hat can serve as all-purpose protective gear for your head for projects in the fall.
Sticky Notes for Your Toolbox
Wouldn’t it be great if there were beefed-up sticky notes that would work outside on bricks and wood and frozen pipes? 3M, creators of the original Post-It Notes, came up with sticky notes 2.0 — Post-It Extreme Notes! These notes are made of strong, durable paper and adhesive. They perform well in hot and cold environments, indoors and out. And if applied to a dry surface, they will hold in wet conditions.
The paper doesn’t tear easily and it has texture that makes Sharpies the recommended writing implement. The only caveat: Don’t use Extreme Notes on paper or other delicate surfaces. Use one as a bookmark and you’ll be sorry.
Alligator Cordless Lopper
Stormy weather can lead to fallen branches and damaged trees limbs. When fall is in full swing, you may notice dead limbs that need to be removed.
While a chainsaw is your go-to, it’s not the easiest to maneuver when pruning trees, with its lack of control and skipping when starting cuts. This cordless lopper is a great hand tool alternative. It adds powerful jaws that clamp the branch in space, so you can cut wood into manageable pieces.
Orientools Collapsible Folding Snow Shovel
This foldable shovel can be adjusted between three positions — folding, vertical and horizontal — making it great for multiple uses. The D-shaped grip ensures comfort and protection from frostbite. The lightweight blade with a durable aluminum edge improves the ability of clearing snow.
Boots Made for Ice
If temperatures drop quickly overnight, you may have to deal with treacherous morning ice during your fall projects. Protect yourself with advanced new boots designed with ice-gripping treads. And check out these boots to help you find the right footing for your sole.
Bucket Tool Organizer
The Bucket Boss turns a five-gallon bucket into an easy-to-carry tool organizer. It comes with 30 pockets that line the outside and inside of the bucket, as well as three interior loops to hold a hammer, drill or other tools with handles. If all your tools are stuffed in plastic buckets or jumbled together in a drawer, check out these simple yet clever tool storage tips.
Garden Hose Nozzle
Not only does this garden hose nozzle from Melnor feature a slip-resistant grip, it has an ergonomic grip design that makes watering easy on the hand, wrist and arm. It attaches to your garden hose and features seven watering patterns.
Snowball Thrower
Need a little more “oomph” for that neighborhood snowball fight? These snowball throwers will make your snowball go the extra distance. Just scoop up some snow, shape it in the mold and let it fly.
Worm Factory Compost Bin
Composting is pretty simple, especially when you have the right tools. An alternative to a tumbler is a worm factory, which puts red wigglers to work turning your kitchen scraps into nutrient-dense worm castings. This multi-layer unit expands from four trays to eight if desired. You can even collect “worm tea” to be used as a liquid fertilizer.
Coveralls for Dirty Jobs
Maybe you have your eyes on even dirtier projects, and would rather not risk any of your nicer outdoor clothing. And in that case, think about a full-body coverall. Slip it on, and you won’t worry as much about mud, oil, paint and other messes.
Beginner Tool Set for DIYer Kids
Great for little helpers, this beginner set offers 11 tools to get kids started with helping out around the house. The tools have smaller handles, making it easier for tiny hands to operate. And all-important safety glasses are also included.
Plug-In Seat Warmer
Just because your car lacks built-in seat warmers doesn’t mean you can’t have a warm seat. Purchase an after-market seat cover to help you and your car warm up while you drive. If your car seats are looking shabby, you need replacement seat covers.
Outdoor Gear Project Book
DIYers will learn outdoor survival tips in this Paracord Outdoor Gear projects book. It includes practical tips for camping and hiking along with 12 projects they can make with parachute cord.
Photo: Courtesy of Fox Chapel Publishing
Tire Coffee Mug
This tire mug will keep your coffee and tea at just the right temperature. A great gift for the gearhead, the stainless steel design will keep hot drinks hot for up to five hours.
Supernova Bug Trap
Bugs swirling around your kitchen is just infuriating! It’s also unappetizing. Keep the pests away with this bug trap. It works best for catching gnats, fruit flies and mosquitoes. The UV light lures them, the fan keeps them in and the super sticky glue boards make sure they never escape.
Cable Clips
These cable clips are perfect for hiding cables from chargers and headphones. They come with a peel-and-stick adhesive so you can place them under desks and tables.
Mechanix Wear M-Pact Gloves
A good pair of gloves can be important for working on the car and Mechanix Wear has some of the best. These M-Pact gloves are machine washable. They include a dual layer for the index finger and thumb and can be used on a touchscreen phone.
Discover other work gloves that work well in various scenarios.
Portable Clamping System
My Triton SuperJaws XXL Portable Clamping System is by far the most versatile tool in my shop. I use it on every single project. It’s a reliable third hand or a clamp when I’m doing a glue-up. When I need a quick work surface, I clamp a scrap of plywood between the jaws. The system folds up for compact storage, but mine is in use constantly and never gets put away.
— Contributing Writer April Wilkerson.
Bug-A-Salt Gun
Kids and adults alike will get great joy out of using this plastic gun to eliminate pesky bugs! The shotgun works by spraying regular table salt to kill flies on contact.
DIY Wood Pallet Projects Book
Upcycling is chic, and wood pallets are abundant (and often free!). Sounds like a good partnership just waiting to be explored. DIY Wood Pallet Projects shows how to turn simple shipping skids into fabulous crafts for the home. Projects include a rustic wood clock, herringbone coffee table, planter box, silhouette art and a bookcase.
Family Handyman Magazine Subscription
Almost every week I hear from someone who built their DIY skills using Family Handyman as a guide — skills that bring a lifetime of satisfaction, savings and independence. If you want to give a skill-building gift, now’s a great time. If you order and pay for a gift subscription online, you can give a second gift FREE!
— Editor-in-Chief Gary Wentz.