Dude Gifts

By {show of hands} how many of you have a hard time with homemade gifts for guys?

me too...

My BIL had a birthday last week, and I really, {really} wanted to do something homemade for him. 

The men in my life fall into three categories: 

1) Hunter-gatherer, do it your self-ers

2) Computer geeks / LOTR fans

3) 4-year olds 

This particular BIL is solidly in category 1. 

So I created.... {drumroll} the Man Roll!

(Slogan: "It's like a Crayon Roll, but for a Man!")

(Did you know you can actually buy one of these at Sears? Why would you though, when you can {make} one?)

You will need:

Something manly to put into the roll 

( I used a set of open end wrenches, $6.99 at Harbor Freight Tools)

2 contrasting fabrics 

a fastener (velcro on a strap, or a big snap)

***

I decided to use a pair of jeans for my main fabric. Herr Handsome informed me that his bro will get these wrenches greasy, and that it should be made out of some {manly} fabric that he can, I don't know, wipe clean or something. You could use canvas or nylon, or something like that, but I chose to use denim. I cut off both pant legs to use, but if you're buying fabric, 2/3 yard should be adequate. 

In an attempt to blend manliness with cuteness, I chose this fabric for my inside fabric

nuts and bolts! {So cute!}

The dimensions for this particular project were 19x11" for each of the denim rectangles 

and since my largest wrench was 9" 

I made my contrasting fabric 18x19", and folded it in half so it is 9x19.

Lay your folded contrast fabric on {top} of one of your rectangles

(Pressed fold pointing up in this pic...)

Take whatever manly items you're making this roll for, and lay them on the contrast fabric, pinning so there is an acceptably sized {pocket} for each item

once you have all the individual spaces pinned, appreciate how {cute} wrenches look in a roll. It's like they're sleeping!

Now sew a straight(ish) line down from the top of your contrasting material to the bottom of the roll. 

Dang, I just realized that I'm giving this to my BIL, Scott who as an ex-Navy fabricator welder guy will probably totally notice if the lines aren't {perfectly} straight. 

Hmmm. All well. 

Since this is for a {man}, make sure you securely reinforce the top inch or so, so he doesn't have to treat this man roll delicately. 

Tuck in your cute little wrenches  big manly wrenches, and pin beneath them in a diagonal, so that they will sit {more or less} evenly. 

Here is a close up of the pins to give you a better idea...

now sew a {diagonal} line from one end to the other, following the pins. (Make sure you take the wrenches out of the roll before trying to sew...)

Say some bad words when you realize you ran out of bobbin thread 10 inches ago

Decide what you're going to use to fasten the roll. I made a band with a leftover piece of my contrasting fabric, but you could use snaps, nylon webbing, whatever to attach it once it is rolled up.

Pin your large rectangles right sides together, and stick your strap (if you're using one) in between, (like the pickles on a sandwich...)

Pin it. {Do it!} If you don't it will fall out, and you'll have to get out your seam ripper, blah-blah...

Make sure (If you're using jean legs) to NOT line up the seams. It will make the fabric waaay too thick to sew through, and you'll feel stupid. {Really}. Learn from my mistakes, sister. 

Now sew around the edges, with a 1/2" or sew (get it?!) seam allowance, leaving a hole big enough to get your hand through on one edge. Turn and press, and sew the hole shut. Stick your wrenches in and admire. 

Roll the man roll up, and wrap the strap around, marking with a pin where the two spots meet (so you'll know where to put the velcro/snap, whatever)

Sew on the velcro, and give to a man for his {26th} birthday (his 22nd would probably be okay, too)

(Happy Birthday, Scott!)

Other items you could put in the man roll:

drill bits

saw blades

fishing stuff (and yes, that's a {technical} term)

bullets

shaving supplies 

whatever your man is into... 

<3 AmberLou

I'll be sharing this at these parties

1. Have you ever broke a bone or anything on your body?
never broken. I had a cracked toe once when a horsie stepped on it

2. What is your favorite drink?

Dr. Pepper. (It makes the world taste better!)

3. When is your birthday! You don't have to tell the year you were born!

October 1st

4. Do you have an allergies?

Vicodin and dissolvable sutures. (don't ask...) Oh and fabric softener!

5. What is one of your all time favorite movies?
Love, Actually (the clean version... that movie is so dirty otherwise!)




p.s. Check out this new, fun blog! She has some really great ideas, and is brand new!