# Gift ideas for my husband
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [May 12, 2014, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223 "2014-05-12T00:53:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2014, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223/1 "2014-05-12T00:53:50Z")
Today was Mother’s Day and my husband knocked it out of the park. Seriously, short of a giant bag full of money he could not have done any better. Perfect gifts, a big brunch that he made and then cleaned up all the dishes afterward, and letting me sleep until almost 9 a.m. made this a perfect day. This took quite a bit of planning on his part, including driving to another state to pick up my present and doing an internet search for specific foods for the brunch. He did an awesome job.
I want to make sure that his Father’s Day is just as perfect. The one thing he has asked for is some type of hands-on hobby. He has decided he plays too many computer games and is looking for an alternative way to keep himself entertained. He is happy to consider a wide variety of stuff but he leans towards the more productive sort of thing (so, for example, he would rather build a model airplane than take up origami) and if it were something we could do together from time to time that would be good too. Any suggestions?
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### Author:  [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2014, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223/2 "2014-05-12T00:57:30Z")
Fly tying? That’s only useful if you then fish with the flies.
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### Author:  [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2014, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223/3 "2014-05-12T01:01:39Z")
Crochet? It may not seem manly, but I know plenty of men into yarn crafts. And it’s very easy, very creative, and he can churn out hats, scarves, stuffed toys, etc, as he improves. Plus, bonus, you always have gift ideas for him: new hooks, yarn, patterns (although there’s LOTS for free, start at [ravelry.com](http://ravelry.com)).
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### Author:  [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2014, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223/4 "2014-05-12T01:38:35Z")
Wood burning is cool- you can make interesting decorative items.
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### Author:  [@Nikki\_Tikki\_Tavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nikki_Tikki_Tavi)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2014, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223/5 "2014-05-12T02:09:09Z")
Maybe glance through your local community college course catalog and see if anything strikes your mutual fancy? A culinary course, photography, a language neither of you knows? Those sound like fun things to do together and “productive”.
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### Author:  [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2014, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223/6 "2014-05-12T04:34:00Z")
Culinary courses
Hot air balloon ride
RC vehicles
Metal detector
A day with a pro fishing guide
Pool table
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### Author:  [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2014, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223/7 "2014-05-12T04:38:08Z")
There’s always the classic “building things out of wood”. 🙂 It’s tactile, with beautiful textures and smells, can be done on a large or small scale depending on how much room you have, and you can end up with useful objects!
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### Author:  [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2014, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223/8 "2014-05-12T05:16:35Z")
Model rocketry
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### Author:  [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2014, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223/9 "2014-05-12T08:04:12Z")
photography, train set, radio controlled plane, beer/wine making.
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### Author:  [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2014, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223/10 "2014-05-12T08:11:14Z")
> [@Magiver](#):
>
> photography, train set, radio controlled plane, beer/wine making.
Train making, radio controlled beer, wine photography
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### Author:  [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2014, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223/11 "2014-05-12T08:30:13Z")
Home brewing? Hands-on work with excellent productive drinkable results!
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### Author:  [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2014, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223/12 "2014-05-12T10:13:36Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#):
>
> Wood burning is cool- you can make interesting decorative items.
Pyrography? They do make some beautiful things that way.
If there’s a woodworking club in the area, he might be able to try things like pyrography, wood turning and scroll work to see if he enjoys them.
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### Author:  [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2014, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223/13 "2014-05-12T10:25:05Z")
I agree with the suggestion to see if the community college in your area offers classes. Places like Home Depot also offer classes on basic things.
My former manager was given a woodworking class from his MIL and he was instantly hooked. He now makes the most incredible hand hewn items, such as a dining room table and a rocking chair.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2014, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223/14 "2014-05-12T10:50:15Z")
> [@Sattua](#):
>
> Fly tying? That’s only useful if you then fish with the flies.
I was going to suggest the exact same thing. Took a wonderful fly fishing course this morning. Picked up a fine rod,reel, line and case. [Go here.](http://www.echoflyfishing.com/) Excellent fly fishing starter set for \< 200. Of course, she may never see her husband again, but that may not be such a bad thing…🙂 At least keep him outta the house.
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### Author:  [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2014, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223/15 "2014-05-12T12:41:12Z")
Some wonderful responses! Just to give people a little more information, he is looking for something that can be done mostly at home to avoid having to pay for a babysitter. Also we don’t drink so home brewing is right out. But I will take a look at some of the other ideas and see what works for him. Keep the ideas coming!
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### Author:  [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2014, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223/16 "2014-05-12T13:10:06Z")
You in some new sexy lingerie.
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### Author:  [@Inna\_Minnit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inna_Minnit)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2014, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223/17 "2014-05-12T13:17:00Z")
Picking a hobby for someone else is tricky. Unless he has expressed a specific interest. Maybe a gift certificate? Does he have a space of his own to do said hobby? Maybe having his own home studio / workshop would be nice. Do you have a spare room, attic, corner of the garage that can be _his_ space?
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### Author:  [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2014, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223/18 "2014-05-12T13:18:31Z")
> [@Sunspace](#):
>
> There’s always the classic “building things out of wood”. 🙂 It’s tactile, with beautiful textures and smells, can be done on a large or small scale depending on how much room you have, and you can end up with useful objects!
As a guy who just picked up this hobby less than a year ago, I’m loving it. My suggestion would be to start him off slow (and more controlled) by getting him a small lathe for turning pens and handles and the like. It requires a lot less equipment if it’s focused on this part of woodmaking, but I’ve got an uncle that’s really into it and just loves (and sells) his finished products.
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### Author:  [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2014, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223/19 "2014-05-12T13:35:54Z")
Golf clubs. A lifetime of enjoyment. And, yes, it’s something you can do together.
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### Author:  [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2014, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-my-husband/688223/20 "2014-05-12T19:27:39Z")
I’d like to digress for a minute.
You had a baby in the last year, right **pbbth**? And it was your first? Okay. You are riding the wave of that. Next Mother’s Day won’t be half so awesome. Be nice to your husband because you love him and stuff, but understand, this was a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Just… sharing my empirical observations…
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