It can be pretty tricky to find a homemade gift that even the men will love. But here's an idea: cornhole! The pre-made sets can be pricey, but some craft store sells blank boards at a fraction of the price, just add paint and beanbags. Even the board blanks look rather simple, and even they can be made from scratch.
Believe it or not, there's an American Cornhole Association. The ACA has adopted equipment standards. That means if you want to make a regulation cornhole set, plan on two boards made of 48"x24" plywood. Each board will need a hole, six inches in diameter, placed 9" from the top and 12" from each side of the platform. The back of the platform is to be placed at a 90 degree angle to the face of the board, and the back needs to be elevated 12". The surface of the board should be sanded smooth and painted in a high gloss latex paint for that optimal slid-ability. You will also need beanbags made from duck canvas and measuring 6"x6". It should be filled with 2 cups of corn feed and weigh 14-16 oz.
There is a page over at the Fun Times Guide with links to tutorials and videos to guide you through every step. Looking to jazz up the bags a little? Here's a tutorial over at Infarrantly Creative, with a way to make photo bean bags without photo transfer paper.
Another gift for a man, although it was a little involved, is a wooden labyrinth game. I bought a 12"x12" shadowbox for the base, and two frames for the top. The shadowbox wasn't deep enough, so my husband had to add trim to the top, and the frames had to be cut down a hair so that they had room to rock. This was still easier than making them from scratch. In the end, they turned out awesome!
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