Last week I wrote a Christmas gift guide for 30 under £30 for all the women in your lives (see this blog post here) and I very nearly didn’t write this blog post. Mainly because I have always found buying for men extremely difficult.

My Dad was always very pragmatic when it came to presents. Past Christmas gifts included a wooden toilet seat, a new kettle and a pull string for his bathroom! My husband tends to appreciate amusing Christmas gifts like an inflatable T-Rex costume or a book about steam trains (I’m still yet to fathom whether he actually likes steam trains, or he just says he does because he thinks it’s hilarious?)

So inevitably, I’m found in a large Supermarket a few days before Christmas piling socks, scarves and bottles of booze into my trolley, wrapping them and handing them out like a Santa lucky dip. I swear my Step Dads large fleece jumper collection have all come from me!

Christmas Gift Ideas

I thought I would enlist the help of Instagram this year and ask for Christmas gift ideas for the men in our lives and as always, my followers came up top trumps! I’ve split the gifts into Eat, Wear and random stuff they may like. I’ve already bought 2 items from this list and not an inflatable dinosaur or toilet seat in sight!

Eat, drink and be merry!

I don’t think you can go wrong with food and drink gifts! Buying hampers for people has kind of become my trademark in the last few years and they are always extremely well received. I think they were especially appreciated during lockdown when we couldn’t get out to restaurants and bars, the hampers could bring that restaurant experience to your door.

I’ve tried to put a few things for everyone in here. For the man who loves to cook to the man who just loves to eat!

1. Personalised Engraved Wooden Cheeseboard Set – just so everyone knows who the cheese belongs too!
2. Grind Compostable Nespresso Pods and Ember temperature control smart mug – with coffee this good, you’re not going to want it to cool down
3. Reusable Bamboo Coffee Cup, Wearth – or you could just transport your coffee with you!
4. Panzers Cheese Feast – you’re going to want some cheese to put on that board
5. Personalised Toblerone – does what it says on the box
6. Craft Beer Gift Box – give the gift of Beer this Christmas
7. The Camper Van Cookbook – with a boom in people buying campervans, this helps you to master the art of cooking on 2 rings
8. Nomu Gold Glass Decanter and Tumbler Set, Oliver Bonas – pour your Christmas drink in style
9. Dishoom, Oliver Bonas – if the man in your life is as crazy about curry as my husband is, this is the perfect cookbook

Wear that Christmas Gift

I tried to keep the socks to a minimum in this list. My husband is still wearing a t-shirt he bought when he first joined the Army (we’re talking 20 years ago!) so I often buy him clothes. However, I know nothing about Men’s fashion (I barely know anything about women’s fashion either. Clothes have always been just a necessity to me! ) so, I tried to stick to accessories as Christmas gifts.

1. Frances Waxed Cotton Backpack in Army Green, Tea + Kate – a very stylish man bag indeed
2. Patagonia Reversible Bivy Down Vest – when it’s cold, but not that cold
3. Wool & Cashmere Beanie (Anthropologie) and Checked Wool Scarf (Arket) – keeping you warm, but also cool this winter
4. Jack Wills Batsford Hoodie – this brand that started out in my favourite town of Salcombe is growing from strength to strength
5. Grey wool felt Jon slipper, Trouva – a beautifully crafted slipper
6. Glaw loop scarf, Tea + Kate – no more scarves flapping in the wind
7. Rainbow Coloured Bamboo cotton leftover socks, Thought – socks to brighten up your day using surplus yarn
8. Adidas Hamburg Core black, white and lush red, Trouva – the classic trainer
9. Secrid Miniwallet – I bought this for my husband last Christmas and I have never seen anyone so excited about a wallet! With a click of a button, it pops up all your cards. No fumbling around the depths of your pockets

Fun and useful gifts

If his wardrobe is already overflowing with jumpers and scarves and he’s all beer/cheesed/*insert food stuff here* out, maybe look at getting him a Christmas gift that he wouldn’t think of buying himself.

You could even sneak in something that he’ll love but you’ll equally enjoy! I’m all for sharing the love.

1. Sony WF-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones – I got myself a set of in-ear headphones for running about a year ago and have never looked back. Goodbye pesky wires!
2. Bar Neon Sign, Oliver Bonas – don’t really need to describe this to you, do I? 
3. Japanese Cedar Bonsai Tree Growing Kit, NOTHS – grow your own! And try and keep them alive
4. BBC Science Focus Magazine Subscription – my Step Dad has been getting this magazine for years and I always used to read it after him. It is a fabulous magazine full of all sorts of curiosities such as how the universe works to why cats shouldn’t drink milk. I highly recommend this (and I am seriously thinking of getting it for Mr B, purely for selfish reasons!)
5. Rappers Delight Large Wall Art, Oliver Bonas – an Instagram firm favourite
6. Lego Creator Expert Porsche 911 – when I asked my followers on Instagram for gift ideas, so many people said Lego! But be quick, these sell fast
7. Jo Malone Men’s travel kit – you can’t go wrong with Jo Malone and to be honest, you don’t even have to travel to use this fabulous little kit
8. AirTag and AirTag leather loop, Apple – for the gentleman who is always losing his keys, wallet or mind
9. The Van Conversion Bible: The Ultimate Guide to Converting a Campervan – is there anyone who didn’t contemplate buying a van and turning it into a mobile home this year? Well, this will help you do it. 

And 3 for luck…

I find once we all get to a certain age (of the middle variety) we tend to have everything we need in life and if we do want something, we buy it ourselves. I think this is why I struggle to find Christmas gifts for my Husband, Step-dad or any other male of the species and every year they inevitably end up with a new book or another pair of socks!

So many people mentioned experience days or days out when I asked for some recommendations and I am a big fan of giving these as a Christmas Gifts. We have sent my parents on a 2-night break and an afternoon tea for 2 over the years and they have always enjoyed the experience. Here is a small selection of an ever-growing Christmas gift giving sector!

1. Brewery Tour and Tasting for Two, Prezzy Box – take a tour of one of England’s finest breweries. Check online and find one closest to you
2. One Night Break with Dinner on a Steam Train, Virgin Experience Days – the perfect way to indulge my husband’s “love” of steam trains and enjoy it myself!
3. Quad Bike driving experience, Experience Days – for that active man in your life. 

So, there you have it, a quick and simple Christmas gift guide for all the men in your life. There should be something for everyone in there, whether they be a thrill seeking, Lego enthusiast or a slipper wearing coffee connoisseur. I’ll probably end up buying Mr B some socks… again!

Mel x