10 Handmade Gifts for Men for under $30

Handmade is good. But who says it has to be your hands?

It may sound like I'm just trying to get out of shopping (which on some level may be true) but I struggle to buy gifts at Christmas each year. I always end up feeling like a sell out. I can't stand the commerciality of Christmas (which is about as far from the spirit of the Holy Day as it could be) and I hate to feel that gifts are in anyway required, contrived, or obligated. I mean, it's a gift! It takes all the generosity out of it if you felt like you were forced to give it.

On the other hand, giving gifts is a love-language of mine. The more unique the better. I prefer greatly to spend $15 on a gift that is specialized and lovingly-selected than $100 on something they asked for. Yes, even if it's someone else's money. A handmade gift puts money back into the artisan marketplace, and it speaks to how you really feel about the recipient. I have had a lot of luck in the past finding unique and specialized gifts on etsy.com. As I surf the proverbial sea of etsy-handmade, in search of the perfect gift for my husband, I thought I could share a few of my best finds. No endorsement of the vendors intended - just good old fashioned shopping fun!

Here's my 10 favorite handmade gifts for men, all $30 or less.

$26.90 - Dark Blue Herringbone Tweed Wallet (7 pocket billfold)

My man loves a good wallet the way I love a good purse. Soon, our growing collections will need their own room in the house. Classic herringbone in navy.

$16.50 - Guitar Pick Case Keyring (hand-stitched leather) 

Guitarist are notorious for never having a pick when they need it. They're also known for chunky leather accessories. Perfect.

$15.00 - Grey Fingerless Mits/Arm Warmers 

Outfit those fists in the manliest of gloves. As Benjamin Franklin is rumored to have said, "When a man's wrists are encased, he need not triffle with the fingers." (Ok, I made that up)

$30.00 - Silkscreened Hops, Barley and Wheat Necktie (in Dove Gray on Black) 

Deck your neck with the trinity of beer-making grains. Artfully printed onto black, or many other colors.

$15.00 - Personalized Silver Tie Bar (hand-stamped to order) 

Maybe he already has too many ties, so outfit all that neck gear. I flippin' love tie bars. They make me think of my Grandfather, a personal icon of the greatest generation. I wonder if she'd engrave "Tie Master" on there for me...

$24.00 - "Write Drunk Edit Sober" Quotation Print (Original Illustration) 

This artist makes some of the best "man-friendly" art prints out there. Each one is a quote from a famous writer or historical figure, and there are some great ones for men. Feeling Romantic? He's got a great illustration with the quote, "Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." (Emily Bronte).

$18.00 - Upcycled Jack Daniels Torch 

I can think of at least 3 men that would probably hang this outside within 20 minutes of unwrapping. Enough said.

$15.00 - Art Deco Hunting/Pocket Knife (Laser Engraved)   

I just can't believe how great this product looks for the price. Art deco, a truly manly art style, in black metal and polished wood. Cut with lasers. And it's a knife. Can we say testosterone pleaser?

$22.00 - Gift Packaged Old Fashioned Shaving Set (Cup, Soap and Brush) 

If he hasn't yet experienced the difference of an old-fashioned shave, he hasn't lived. Classic shave soap and a beaver hair brush are a great start. This kit, barely more than 2 bits (anyone? anyone?), is a great value.

$24.00 - Wren Pint Glasses (Set of 2, screen-printed) 

This vendor offers several unique designs of charcoal sillouettes on pint glasses. Wrap them with a holiday craft beer, and expect the Christmas stress to wash away in front of your eyes. Luckily, there's a glass for you, too!

Duped Project 14/50: Dawn, Wizard of Kitchens

This is the size of Dawn I buy. Just kidding. Maybe.

I just recently wrote up this review of the guilt-factor on one of my favorite things: Dawn Dishwashing Fluid. It's all a part of my new motto: "Trying always to be socially and environmentally conscious, and making it at least halfway since 2010."

Dawn is fantastic. There's at least a couple dozen uses for it, and I intend to try them all. In the meantime, I thought I would repost the list from my other post on my other blog, so that you can find them on both sites. I believe that this qualifies as a dupe for a few reasons:

1. It's a big help in of reducing the number of cleaning products you need (use, buy, store). This multi-purpose wonder makes it possible to cut out several of the other bottles you need to make your house run. That cuts down on packaging, shipping, cost, and generally wasteful practices.

2. Dawn is so effective at cutting any kind of grease, you can use significantly less. It's also popular enough to be sold in bulk at your local grocery (in other words, you don't need to have a pricey annual membership to some builk-buying warehouse to cut down).

3. Even though this is a commercially-available product, you can avoid the dupe by getting the Original Blue Dawn (what I affectionately refer to as "True Blue"). All the other versions (different colors, scents, formulas) mess with something that doesn't need to be change. Introducing additional ingredients can mean introducing phthalates or other toxins, or could worsen the environment impact).

I usually don't repost to both blogs, but this will have to be an exception, since I think it falls right in the center of the imaginary venn diagram in my head. Enjoy this (somewhat hastily) assembled list of uses for True Blue Dawn.

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Uses of DAWN Dishwashing Fluid: A quickly compiled list

NOTE: Original Blue Dawn. Not anything else - no other brand, scent, version. I'm pretty serious about this.

Sources: One Good Thing, Life Crafts & Whatever, Modern Day Moms

Freezer Packs
Partially fill a strong zip-type sandwich bag with Dawn dishwashing liquid, close and freeze. The liquid soap stays cold much longer and it can be re-frozen many times. It will conform to the place you need an ice pack.

Carpet Cleaner/Stain Remover for any Cloth
1 part Dawn with 2 parts Hydrogen Peroxide. Mix together and pour directly on the stain. Add light scrubbing.

Spot Treatment/Pretreat
For oil-based stains such as lipstick, grease, butter, motor oil, cooking oil, and some pen inks, simply apply some Dawn dishwashing liquid directly to the stain and scrub with a small brush or toothbrush until the oil is removed, and then launder as usual.

Flea Dip and Dog Shampoo
Use it to bathe the dogs. It kills fleas on contact and is much cheaper than expensive dog shampoos.

Bubble Solution
1/2 cup Dawn, 1/2 gallon warm water, 1 tbsp glycerin or White Karo syrup. Best. Bubbles. Ever.

Greasy Hair Disasters
If your kids get into the vaseline, or maybe (like me) you're doing a super-cradle cap treatment with mineral/baby oil, you'll want more than shampoo to cut through that mess. Use it just like shampoo and rinse well.

Clean Automotive Tools or Spills, or "Mechanic Hands."
After you have finished your automotive repair project, soak your dirty tools in Dawn before you put them away to remove all the oil and grime. Dawn also helps prevent rust from forming on the tools. Spill oil on the driveway or garage floor? Start with cheapo kitty litter to absorb, then finish up with a scrub of dawn and a stiff bristled brush. It's also the best cleaner for oily, greasy mechanic hands.

Soap Scum Remover
Heat up a cup of vinegar in the microwave to 1.5-2 minutes and add to a spray bottle with an equal amount of Dawn. Little to no scrubbing is needed.

Repel Ants
Spray counter-tops, cupboards and any other area where you see ants with a solution of Dawn and water. Wipe dry. The slight residue of Dawn that remains will not be a problem at all for kids or pets, but ants hate it. Should you see a trail of ants, go ahead and hit them with the Dawn spray.

Stripping Cloth Diapers**
Add a squirt or two of original Dawn dish soap to your washer and run a hot wash, then rinse until there are no more bubbles. Dawn is a degreasing agent and helps stripping by removing oily residue. Be sure to rinse, rinse, rinse until the water runs clear.

** New to cloth diapers? Here's my post on cloth diaper savings, and another about how we cloth diaper. You can also make your own detergent, which is super effective and safe on cloth diapers

Unclogging Toilets
A cup of Dawn detergent poured into a clogged toilet allowed to sit for 15 minutes and then followed with a bucket of hot water poured from waist height will clear out the toilet. Apparently, human waste is grease-based. Yikes.

Poison Ivy Treatment
Poison ivy spreads through the spread of the oil within the blisters. Washing the affected area with Dawn, especially on children who keep scratching the blister’s open, helps dry up the fluid, AND keep it from spreading.

Sidewalk De-Icer
When walkway is clean (right after you did all that crazy hard work) pour on a mix of 1 tsp of Dawn, 1 tbsp of rubbing alcohol, and 1/2 gallon hot water. They won’t refreeze.

Repel Pests from House Plants/Aphid Control on Fruit Trees
In a spray bottle, combine 2 tablespoons Dawn in a gallon of water. Try to get spray both sides of the leaves, branches and the tree trunks. In the case of fruit trees, let sit for about 15 minutes and then rinse the trees thoroughly.

The Duped Project 12/50: Dishwashing Detergent with Rinser

If you are slowly working your way toward a DIY cleaning supply, you will begin to find there are some ingredients that show up over and over. In this one, you'll find ingredients from two of the other projects: super washing soda from powdered laundry detergent and white vinegar from DIY orange cleaner. Washing soda has awesome grease-busting abilities, and vinegar is a natural acid, making it a perfect rinse agent. Farewell to chemical residue on the dishes that feed your family, and hello to more dollars in the grocery budget. Who needs coupons?

Why rinser, you ask? Well you certainly don't need it, but the idea is to have our DIY version compete with the commercially available detergents out there. The rinser, like jet dry, will keep water spots and residue at bay.

Again, thanks to Elisa and Elisa Loves for this idea! I have combined my rinser ingredients in advance in a squirt bottle to keep it simple enough that my husband won't complain. Oops! My marriage is showing! Follow the "read more" link for this easy recipe.

The Duped Project 11/50: DIY Orange Cleaner

I love Earth. I do not love the smell of vinegar. For years, these two things were in conflict, and my cleaning products continued to cost me too much simply because I preferred the smell of bleach or "clean linen" fragrance (which never smells like linen, by the way).

Recently, I decided it was time to give homemade all-purpose cleaner a shot when I came across this idea from Little Brick Ranch to harness the power of citric acid by essentially pickling orange peels. The claim: you won't smell the vinegar AND you'll get the added cleaning from the fruity goodness.

So did it turn out? Yes ma'am. I'll admit, there's a bit of a vinegarishness to the concoction, but nothing I can't handle. It cleans very well, is healthier for my family and the environment, and like any other homemade cleaning product, reduces packaging and fattens your wallet.

Ready to try it? Read on, dupers!

The Duped Project 10/50: Powdered Laundry Detergent

This project isn't as big as I would like it. I planned a huge scheme, including 3 recipes, each tested by 5 households and rated on a predetermined scale. I bought all of the ingredients I could find, but in the end, I was missing one ingredient, and I ran out of time. And my old detergent.

On the up side, I see a plus to making your own: you will not run out. You may run out of ingredients after, I estimate, about 2 years, but when the container is empty, it will take all of about 5 minutes to refill with a fresh mix. Very important when your kid's uniforms are ALL dirty, or your puppy peed on his dog bed that he won't sleep without. Dogs crying are worse than kids. Seriously.

I've been using this recipe for about a month. So far, awesome. I'm super pleased with it's cleaning ability. No fancy smell, but it's economic, space-saving eco-friendliness will make up for that. (Still want scented laundry? There's DIY Febreeze in the works. Just you wait.) But I digress - this recipe, like many others I have heard about, performs like the stuff in the store, but costs less than a fourth of the price. Bonus: It's also free of some of the ingredients that I'm not too fond of in commercial detergents:

• Optical Brighteners
• Dyes
• Artificial fragrance
• Bleach

Find out how to make this little gem after the jump!

The Duped Project 9/50: Re-Crayons

First, my apologies for my absence. We got a new puppy. Bad excuse, but it's the truth. I'll have a lot of catching up to do to get back on my 50 projects in 365 days plan!

Normally I start out my posts with a rant about why the commercially available product is A) Hazardous B) Unhealthy C) Overpriced D) All of the Above. Crayons, however, are rather wholesome. They are non-toxic, inexpensive, and generally fun for all ages. There are brands with a higher wax-to-pigment ratio (that's fancy talk for they don't write as well), but even the super-cheapo crayons that they give your kid to distract them at chain restaurants aren't all that bad.

The dupe here is that they break. Lots. It doesn't matter if you get the big thick ones, the triangular ones, the ones with the sharpener. They are going to break into a million little pieces that even the smallest hands can't use. It's wasteful, I say!

Have you seen the commercials for the Crayola Crayon Maker? Here it is:


It's all jazz man. Don't get me wrong, I would love to play with one for a couple hours, and I know that the bright colors and shiny national marketing strategy are just what the doctor ordered for a bored kid. Unfortunately, those same cool factors are what's driving the price up to a suggested retail value of $35 plus tax. We can do something ALMOST as cool at home, with stuff you probably already have.

You'll Need:
Compartmental Baking Pan (muffin tin, mini muffin tin, silicon teddy bear candy mold, you name it!)
Crayons that have known better days
Exacto knife or sharp scissors (if your crayons still have paper, optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 200 F while you take all the paper off. I had a lot of crayons that came out of the package broken (grumble grumble) so I used my exacto knife to slice carefully down the crayons long-ways.

2. Break bigger chunks into shorter pieces (small enough to fit into your pan's compartments). Overfill to make sure that your crayons are big enough - the melted wax will fill in all the spaces between your pieces.

3. Group however you want! Some ideas:

• Rainbow Swirls (beautiful, but not too practical to color with)
• Cool/Warm Colors (cool makes beautiful water! stay in the lines)
• Similar Colors (this is what I did, since I had a lot to work with)
• Go the Crayola route and do silly themes. (Brown, pink and white are "neopolitan." Cornflower, Goldenrod and Periwinkle make "bouquet")

4. Melt in the oven for around 20 minutes. Be very careful removing the pan, especially if your compartments are very full or you'll get some unintentional swirlage.

5. Let cool. It takes a long time, especially in rigid (not silicone) pans, but eventually they will pop out if you turn the pan over and deliver a swift hit to each compartment.

We used a mini muffin tin and grouped similar colors so that my daughter could use her new crayons on her coloring books without accidentally getting green in Dora's hair or orange on Elmo. They turned out great, and she loves them. I will never throw away a broken crayon tip again. Photo time! These are some of my favorites yet:

What I learned:

• Crayon brand name and quality makes little difference when recycling. The only difference? the cheap wax rises and is much paler on paper.
• You don't have to use a flexible silicon pan, but you do have to cool a long time with a metal pan.
• Kids think round crayons are cool

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Update: Re-Crayon'd 2.0

Several months ago, I found a cheap ($1, to be precise) ice cube tray at Target. Ice cubes? Nay! Crayons! They turned out even better than the round ones, and were much easier to get out of the pan. Plus my crayons automatically come with 5 perfect points on them now. :-) Happy mommy, happy kiddos.

Viral Word Art #5

Photo Credit: Christa Richert 

See more of Far Beyond's word art for the web, or follow me on Pinterest or Tumblr.

The Duped Project 7/50: Party Decorations

Lots of coordination, lots of cash

When my oldest turned two, I did the Party Superstore thing. I went to the warehouse-style, we've-got-it-all store and spent nearly $60 to get cake-toppers, balloons, streamers, plastic ware, banners and table toppers in her theme. Honestly, it just wasn't worth it. The guests probably noticed, thought "Oh cute," then moved on. All my coordinating colors were not worth all that cash, cute as they were.

More importantly, I was really disappointed in the store itself. Yes, the prices and selection were better than just about anywhere else, but that's to be expected of a nation-wide party decoration chain. But the service -- oh, the service.

Me: If I pick up the balloons the day before, will they stay inflated for, say, 24 hours?

Party Store Employee: Oh yeah. no problem.

12 hours later

In their defense, they replace the balloons for free, but only after I called 3 times and demanded to speak to a manager, and after that manager broke policy to help me. Also, when I went to pick them up, they were not ready (though I called ahead) and the staff was giving me the "Oh, you're the b*tch" look. Lovely. I was definitely duped. 

Then I realized: I am a graphic designer. What am I doing? I can do this jazz myself. Shoot, I could do this if I wasn't a designer. All it takes is a little ingenuity. After all, what's more impressive: spending money on coordinated, copyrighted characters on paperboard-and-staples centerpieces OR doing it all yourself? Oh, I think you know.

When I decided to throw a baby shower for a couple friends who are expecting, I did all the decorations myself, and I decided to share all those decorations with you, in photos and files that you can print out for your own baby shower. You only have to pay what I did. Nothing.

For photos, ideas, and free printable cupcake toppers and banner pieces, read on!

The Duped Project 2/50: Detergent vs. Soap

Summer

To be perfectly honest, I have no idea what got me started on making my own soap. My family has super sensitive skin, and I love to make a gift for someone that they can actually use. Maybe that was it. Either way, last mothers day, I hit etsy.com looking for a supplier for my newest project: Soap for mom.

First I looked at making soap on my own, but making the base for the soap is complicated, labor intensive, and can release some not-so-great fumes, which presented a problem since I was pregnant at the time.

Then I found Lather and Lotions, with a whole array of "melt-and-pour" soap bases that totally eliminated the need for me to do it myself. I also found some spectacular photography of some artisan-quality soap (I've included some of my favorite shots - soap for every season!). I was convinced. I messaged the shop owner, and Christine responded. It was a great customer service experience. I asked questions and told her what I wanted, and she put together a wonderful array of supplies that would include everything I could need - all for less than $10 per gift.

Autumn

I knew I wanted to talk about soap when I did the duped project, so one of the first things I did was contact Christine again and ask her if she would lend this blog some of her great knowledge. Specifically, I asked her what the dupe is in soap. Here's what she said.

"...Commercial soap is a detergent with the glycerin stripped out. That is why commercial soap is so "bubbly" The melt and pour soap I sell is made out of oils and has a creamier, foamier feel to it. It does bubble nicely but feels much richer. "

Spring

She goes on to explain what makes difference. "When real soap is made the lye reacts with the oils to make glycerin. This process is called Saponification. Glycerin is a humectant, meaning it attracts moisture to your skin (instead of it just being in the soap), that is why so many people feel a big difference in their skin when using handmade soap. The glycerin creates a thin layer on the skin and is absorbing moisture."

Wait, so when I buy commercial soap, I'm not getting soap at all? I'm getting detergent that has the moisturizing part stripped out of it? No wonder I need lotion.

Winter

And don't just take her word for it. Take mine (after all, you are reading my blog). Last month, I finally replaced my bar soap in the shower (in the middle of winter, when my skin is usually cracking-dry) and not only does it feel better, it makes my skin feel completely different.

Unfortunately, I ran out of soap. Perfect timing! Now I can show you how easy it is. After the jump, of course.

Star Wreath Tutorial

It's been a while since I have done a tutorial, so I'm going all out on this one. Just in time for the holidays, make this beautiful wreath with just a few cheap supplies!

Make me!

You'll need:
Card Stock (I used double-sided 12x12 inch scrapbooking card stock, but as long as it's thick, it'll work)
Printer paper
Cardboard (at least 12 inches square)
Printer (or a steady hand and a good eye for stars)
Glue (even Elmer's should work, but I use fabric glue here)
Exacto knife
Ruler
Tape
3-4 inch Star Template (see below)
Ribbon
Buttons (optional)

I originally got this idea, in it's entirety, from Little Birdie Secrets, so mad props to those folks. I take no credit for the genius, but simply wish to pass on my version, which uses less-expensive (or at least easier to find) methods. Basically, I didn't have a hot glue gun, bone folder, scoring template, or die-cutting machine. But I carried on! Here's the steps:

Like my blog, snooze in style!

Giveaway!

To celebrate the new blog, get some more blog followers, and push for more facebook publicity, I've decided to give away one of my new handmade pillows! The winner of this contest will get their choice of one of these throw pillows at no cost, including shipping. This contest is open to the public, and all entries must be submitted by next Saturday, July 23rd at midnight.

Your 6 choices are: (click the link to see a close up image of the art on the pillow)

• "Peacemakers"
• "Pearls for Dog Tags"
• "Distance"
• "Star Spangled"
• "Bless Us O Lord"
• "Irish Blessing"

These preview images are watermarked for the artist's protection. Please note that the pillows do not have the watermark printed on them.

These artist-made pillows are made without any synthetics (100% cotton, through and through!) and come with a machine washable pillowcase over a muslin pillow, filled with upcycled raw cotton. Click the links for more information and photos.

Ready to enter? I'm giving you four ways to do it! Thanks, and good luck!


Rules: Winner must reside in and receive shipment in the continental US or APO/FPO address. All information submitted (email, etc.) is confidential and will not be used or sold. One entry per person. Prizes are subject to availability. Contest ends Saturday July 23 2011 at 11:59 pm.