Gift Shopping at Home-and-Hardware Stores

Are you trying to figure out some perfect gifts to give your friends and relatives for birthdays or holidays? You may be combing malls and catalogs for ideas, but have you thought about shopping for presents at your local hardware retailer or home-repair store? At these shops, there are tons of possibilities for every person on your gift list.

Children

It may surprise you that there are some very cool kids’ gifts just waiting for you to notice them in the inventory of a hardware store. Some examples include:

• PVC piping: You can make a periscope out of plastic piping, or you can assemble a kit of pipe pieces and let them construct their own creations. Children love to make things out of actual building supplies!
• Paint-can drums: Pan containers are the perfect sizes and shapes to craft kid-size drum-sets. You can assemble them, decorate with paint and/or stickers, and let the children bang away. Luckily, these drums are quieter than many other musical instruments.

College Students

Young adults who are away at college can use basic tool sets for repairs, party equipment, and safety gear, all available at home-goods stores. Consider gifting teens and young twenties who are living away from home with:

• Basic hand tools, such as hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, and pliers
• First aid kit, complete with bandages, gauze, small scissors, and antiseptic
• Party food makers, such as popcorn machine, nacho warmer, and sno-cone machine

With these items, your gift recipients can repair things that break in their dorm, doctor up minor injuries, and throw a fun party with their school mates.

DIY Homeowners

For all the do-it-yourselfers on your gift list, you can find a plethora of gift possibilities at an online or in person hardware or home-supply shop, such as equipsupply.com or Home Depot. Some popular gift ideas for DIY homeowners are:

• Heaters or ACs
• Patio heaters
• Batteries and rechargers
• Fans and blowers
• Flashlights
• Lanterns
• Extension cords
• Hand tools
• Power tools

Workshops and Lessons

If you want to give your friends and family members gifts that will last them a lifetime, consider giving them lessons. When they learn how to lay tile, repair a leaky toilet, or replace a roof shingle, they will be able to use that gift of knowledge for many years to come. You can sign them up for classes or workshops at:

• Parks and Recreation departments
• Adult education classes
• Community colleges
• Big box home-store retailers that offer in-store workshops

Tools and equipment can make the perfect presents for your loved ones of all ages, so shop at hardware and home-goods stores for your next gift-giving events.