Just wanted to share this really neat DIY Valentine’s Day ( or birthday or Christmas!) gift idea for your husband (or anyone else for that matter! It’s highly customizable!) ... I made this gift myself several years ago and it turned out much better than I had even hoped for!! It was so fun to make as well!!
My sister in law had told me about this website called ManCrates (basically it’s an online specialty place where you can get gift basket-like gifts for all the guys in your life) but with a twist- most of them are packaged in a wooden crate that is nailed shut (with a mini crowbar included for recipient to open the gift with).
My hubby is a "man's man" and is often hard to buy for. I was thrilled with the idea but when I saw the prices, I was very disappointed. I didn't have $69-$99 to spend on a such small gift that didn't even contain very much anyway (mainly, you are paying for an experience because the gift items included are no where near the value price point) so I got creative and thought - I can make this- so I went to Hobby Lobby on a reconnaissance mission.
I found this hinged wooden box crate thing for $17.99 and used a 40% off coupon ( yes, unfortunately, they no longer do the 40% off coupons anymore, so I would advise trying to snag one when the wood crafting stuff is on sale!) but at that point, with the 40%, it was $10.79 (it was actually a wooden “nursery ABC block” box but I pried off the wooden ABCs glued on the sides)
I stained it a little with some stain I already had in hand to give the box a more weathered, crate-like look and lined the interior with black plastic I had cut from a trash bag. I stapled it to the crate edging to secure it inside as a make-do liner. (you could totally skip this step and opt for using paper shreds as filler/stuffing for displaying your gifts! but I’m just thought the black plastic lining added to the “manly” vibe I was going for!)
I found the mini crow bar @ Dollar tree. (Harbor Freight also carries the Mini crow bars as does most Walmarts - just unfortunately not as cheap! 🙄)
After completing the box, I added small gifts inside - a new wallet, a new leather belt, a stainless coffee mug, gloves, a few project magazines my hubby enjoyed at the time, a couple new shirts rolled up, socks, some of my hubby's favorite snacks- deluxe mixed nuts, specialty homemade Amish sharp cheeses (no refrigeration required 😉) and a few little personal grooming things - like nail clippers, shaving nick stick, and samples of cologne sprays, etc.
After putting it all inside, I nailed the hinged top shut & attached the crowbar with a piece of duct tape. (Optional- u can stencil or sharpie words on sides if u want- to give it a more "crate-like" look) I just freehanded some lettering to enhance the “crate” look.
So all in all, the presentation/experience ended up being less than $12 for my "crate" ($10.79 for crate, $1.00 crowbar and I already has the nails and stain)
The inside gifts can be personalized to your spouse or whoever you decide to gift this fun crate to. That’s the cool part! They can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you like-
I was very happy with how it turned out!
It is the experience of a "mancrate" without the expensive price of the real thing and the ability to gift more affordable/practical items, so total win-win for you and the gift recipient!! (Or perhaps you might want to gift more meaningful/special gifts in your gift crate— or maybe you decide to opt for a few more “quality” items inside - it’s totally up to you!!)
While this particular crate was done several years ago with my husband and Valentine’s Day in mind, this idea is highly customizable and could be used for anyone or even for any holiday—birthdays, Christmas, Father’s Day, etc... It is an especially great way to gift small inexpensive items in a super fun way! —Especially to those “hard to buy for” men in your life, whether it be a dad, brother, uncle, son or grandpa.
Hopefully, if you are in need of any last minute gift ideas or just want to do something different this year, you all will try this little DIY. I hope you will enjoy doing it as much as I did— (And yes, my husband loved it too!! lol 😂)
-Tiphanie ❤️