Home & Garden

We have a great friend named Marc who is a true DIY dad. He re-did his kitchen (like plumbing and all), he's refinished bathrooms, he's built furniture. He is the friend you always want around, the one you would almost pay to have around when you are re-painting as he does a professional-level job. Seriously, we have one wall in our apartment that looks awesome, while the rest are kind of so-so -- we call it the Marc Wall.

Marc is the dad of two amazing little ones, and his wife is always in search of cool tools, gadgets, whatnots to give him. Father's Day is no different, so I'm helping her find some fabu gifts that celebrate his DIY-ness!

Marc comes over a lot ... and usually ends up helping us with something (he can also tap dance and is one of the funniest guys we know). Often, we are caught without tools that he needs to fix something. This keychain multi-tool would solve that -- has a screw wrench, saw blade, direction ancillary wrench, two-position wrench. Ummm, yeah, not sure what all those do, but I know Marc could use them. All on a key chain. Yeah, I think even I would feel like MacGyver with this one. And it's cheap ($8.25 on Amazon).

Marc is always crawling into small dark spaces and never stops a project until it's done -- even if the sun has set. He needs the Original Glove Light ($39.95 from Mechanix). For when he’s working in a low-lit space or at night, it lasts up to 14 hours on batteries, removable, adjustable, awesome.

Maybe this isn’t one for Marc, but definitely a gift for most handymen I know. As your guy totes around his beverage of choice (it works for hot and cold drinks), remind him of his royal title in your home ($22 from Exiled Tees). That halfway done basement? Check! The semi-finished dog house? Check! He’s getting to it, really! On CafePress, it’s also available on t-shirts, mugs, and caps.

Marc would love this as he redoes his attic (they are thinking of making it their master suite). Hauling plywood, large sheets around is tough, not necessarily heavy, but it's awkward. That’s why he needs this Gorilla Gripper ($49.95). It grips on to whatever you have to move and doesn't let go. So cool, so handy. He start quoting lines and talking like Magilla Gorilla, but at least he'll be able to carry large slabs of wood

I saw this and knew Marc would drool. It's pricey ($109 from Amazon), but I think Marc (who is the budget-est guy I know) would spring for this one. This laser distance measure replaces every tape measure your DIY guys has -- it uses a laser to measure distances -- so no need to have a helper hold the end when measuring, no need for really anything but a thumb to push the button. Makes every measuring job cool for one guy. I may get this for myself, just to feel kind of sci-fi-y.

He thinks he’s MacGyver. He wants to be MacGyver. Why not give him some inspiration -- this book actually has a chapter titled “Inner MacGyver.” Author William Gurstelle challenges the everyday DIYer to some ideas on cool thrills he can do (think gunpowder -- I'm not joking). Absinthe & Flamethrowers: Projects and Ruminations on the Art of Living Dangerously ($11.53 on Amazon) is the guide to some-what dangerous fun. I can totally see Marc getting my husband and our friend Jeff into serious trouble with this one.

Wear it loud and proud -- this symbol represents “restoration" without really screaming “I love to do random projects with sawdust.” It's a cool shirt ($28.70 from Zazzle) that he can wear to Lowe’s or to the neighborhood BBQ. Not quite Marc's style, but still pretty cool.

What will you get your DIY handy guy for Father's Day?

Image via CafePress