Choosing the perfect Christmas pressie for the man in your life - whether he’s your partner, hubby, brother, Dad or son - can be a tad tricky.
Thankfully, most men are pretty easy to please and would be charmed to receive just about anything under the sun – anything apart from these things, that is.
Here are some of the worst Christmas gift ideas for men, gifts you should perhaps pass up unless, of course, you want the man in your life running for his life!
Paintings and poems
Do you want to scare away your guy big-time? Then put these items at the top of your list! Unless he’s William Wordsworth, Picasso or one of those arty/poetic types, then these Christmas ideas for men are a big no-no. They’re too sentimental for the average kind of bloke. Plus, most guys don’t like hearing deep feelings and emotions, nor do they enjoy decoding elusive messages. It’s more likely he’ll take your “beautiful painting or poem” and turn it into a work surface for the project he’s working on in his garage. Men and artwork are just not compatible. So don’t chastise him with something he can barely comprehend.
Pink shirts or jumpers
Unsure of his size, fabric and colour? Steer clear of pink shirts and jumpers, then. He might not share the same level of enthusiasm for the pink jumper or pink shirt as you do. No man in his own right mind would ever wear pink (unless he’s a bit camp). This style may have been trendy for students in the eighties, but today, it is not so. All you’ll get is a strained smile. And most probably see the shirt or jumper in all its pink glory hanging in a charity shop a few days later.
“How to” books on something he’s just attempted
Buying him books on “How to Plaster a Wall” or “How to use a saw” just won’t impress him and, quite frankly, make humdrum, unexciting Xmas presents for men, especially if he plastered the wall in the hall or build a conservatory months and months ago.
A Whitney Houston Greatest Hits CD
Think twice about saying “but Whitney Houston sang I Will Always Love You.” Sure, Whitney might have sold over 170 million albums and singles worldwide. And you may suppose she’s a gift from God, and that her voice sounds like an angel. But the American singer’s music just ain’t the kind you’d find on a bloke’s iPod. If you do, however, stumble across a Whitney Houston track on in his playlist, then you better start asking questions!
Flowers
Doesn’t the word ‘flowers’ say it all? Daisies... Roses... tulips... lilies... irises... What guy would honestly be overjoyed with a beautiful bouquet of blooms? He probably doesn’t – bless him – even know what a vase is. All he’ll do is put the flowers in some sort of container, like a jug, and leave them there to wither. Men and flowers – rarely do they mix. The moral of the story: Flowers do not make good Christmas present ideas for men.
Work Tools
Okay. Do yourself (and him!) a favour by not disheartening him this festive season with a power drill, saw, head torch, iron, vacuum cleaner or garden rake. Where’s the excitement and imagination? Granted, he might not be the world’s best domestic “god” or outdoor handyman, but these presents just suggest you haven’t really thought much about what he actually likes. Plus, if he needed a screw driver, leaf blower or what have you, he’d go out and buy it himself.
Men aren’t always pernickety when it comes to presents and will, by and large, be grateful for their plateful, so long as your stay away from the above gifts!
Susie Davids - Currently an E-Commerce Copywriter at DSG International (The Dixons Stores Group), I have proven editorial experience in the creation of ...
