As the holidays began to approach late last year, I watched in alarm as my sister entered a state of mild panic: She had no idea what to buy for her husband’s holiday gift. After all, what is the perfect present for a guy who already has everything? We’re talking about a man who hates to shop but somehow already owns a house full of largely unused stuff; needless to say, it was the gift-giving challenge to end all gift-giving challenges.
But when my sister and I put our heads together, we were eventually able to come up with the perfect gift idea: a DIY mechanic gift set! My brother-in-law fancies himself an amateur car-fix-it guy, so we decided to give him some supplies to feed this habit. Before you start the gift-giving brainstorm over with birthdays and Father’s Day, here’s what we put in his gift:
A Magnogrip. The first item in the gift set was central to all the others: The Magnogrip velcros around the wearer’s wrist and contains strong magnets to make it easier to hold onto items like nuts, nails and screws. This handy-dandy item is perfect for a multi-tasking mechanic or handyman, and it worked well as the focal point for my brother-in-law’s gift.
A varied assortment of small metal objects. I also included about half a dozen different types of nuts and bolts to give him something to use along with the Magnogrip. My sister and I weren’t exactly sure what types to buy, but we asked a hardware store employee for help and he suggested a range of different sizes for various jobs.
A ratchet wrench. This gift seemed incomplete without a shiny new wrench to help with difficult nut-tightening jobs. That same hardware store employee guided us to a good-quality ratcheting adjustable wrench that would be able to accommodate all the various sizes of nuts and bolts that we purchased.
A mechanic’s shirt. And finally, just for fun, we included a personalized mechanic’s shirt with my brother-in-law’s first name embroidered on the pocket. We figured that, with all his new tools, he’d really want to look the part while working in his garage!
I’m pleased to report that the gift was well-received and has already gotten some use. Sometimes, the right tools can make it all that much more fun to pursue a hobby, and this was no exception. If you have an aspiring mechanic in your family, consider putting together a similar gift when the next special occasion rolls around. You’ll have fun picking out items to include, and your loved one will enjoy receiving such a practical, thoughtful gift.
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