Gifts for Handywomen

by Murray Anderson

Figuring out what kind of gift to get for a handywoman can be challenging. If they've been at it for a while they probably already have a fairly complete set of tools and unless you're handy yourself, you won't know what they want. Even if you ask them what they'd like ,most handymen are particular about their tools so there's a strong possibility even if your get them what you think they want, it won't be the right one. While it's starting to sound impossible to choose the right gift for a handyman, with a little creativity and thinking 'outside the box', you can still come up with a gift your handyman will enjoy. Here's some thoughts

Handyman books - If there's one thing a handyman enjoys as much as actually working on a project it's reading about it. There are all kinds of good 'how to' books available at book stores or even at home stores. A reference or resource book that explains how to fix things around the house will probably first be read for enjoyment, then kept for future reference. Handyman books are gifts that keep on giving, because the information is valuable for years.
How to and handy man magazines - Magazines like 'Popular Science' and 'Family Handyman' have been around for years and are still going strong because they provide information in an entertaining way. Most handymen wold love to get a subscription to a magazine that would tell them the right way to do something or detail and interesting project.
Clothes - that will keep him warm and comfortable in any kind of weather will always be a welcome gift. Work gloves, hard toe shoes or boots, tee shirts, work shirts or coveralls are all the kind of gifts a handyman will welcome and use.
Lights - Most handymen will tell you they can never have enough light and they need different lights for different situations. Even if he already has a trouble light he'll likely welcome more and different ones. Besides another corded trouble light you might consider a battery powered trouble light that doesn't require an electrical outlet or a small LED flashlights that can fit in a tool box. There are even lights that you wear on your head like a head band, leaving both hands free or lights that are mounted on the end of a stalk and can be bent around corners to provide light in really out of the way spaces.
Thinking about just getting some 'stocking stuffers' – screwdriver and drill bits are always wearing out and since bits are a common size you could give a gift a set of drill bits or a selection of screw driver bits. Some other great stocking stuffers could be a collection of different types of fasteners (often sold in plastic boxes to keep them organized), or various kinds of tapes - electricians tape, masking tape, painters tape and the handyman's best friend, duct tape.

If none of these slightly different suggestions work for you, you can always opt for the tried and true choice and give a gift card from a home store like Lowe's or Home Depot. That way your handyman can get the gift he really wants.