MNN - Mother Nature Network

Valentine's Day gift shopping for the special man in your life isn’t always the easiest task since it’s easy to go the overly sappy and sentimental route or opt for cheesy, novelty gifts that will be received with a smile but quickly relegated to the junk pile. Guys on the other hand, have it easy when it comes to shopping for their established or potential lady-mates: Pick up flowers, chocolate, sexy lingerie and a thoughtful card and the job is done. If you’re having difficulty deciding on a special token for the masculine object of your affection, don’t fret. Our Valentine's Day gifts for him guide has you covered.

 

Has your special man been rocking a ‘stache long before it became an official part of the hipster uniform? Let him know that love him and that you’re tickled by his decision to grow hair above his upper lip with a reclaimed Mustache Mug. Handmade in Portland, Ore., a city where there’s no shortage of burly, bike-riding dudes with facial follicles, the mug makes a great gift with a bag fair trade coffee or tea.

  

Is your valentine a handy kind of man? Encourage his DIY sensibilities — and insure that in the future when something’s broken of the non-hearty variety, that he’ll fix it — with a handsome tool set made from sustainable, new growth beechwood. Includes a LED flashlight, level, ruler and screwdriver.

 

 

 

Is your valentine’s underwear drawer overflowing with cheesy, heart-patterned boxers that he never, ever wears? Mix things up this year by giving him a pair of socially and environmentally conscious underpants from PACT. The sale of these responsibly manufactured, Yves Béhar-designed organic cotton skivvies help to support Forest Ethics.

 

 

Like a pair of boxer shorts festooned with hearts, the Valentine’s Day-themed necktie is a frequently gifted item that could be cast off as a novelty and seldom worn. Here’s a necktie from Cyberoptix that’s still heart-themed but decidedly more edgy. The tie, available in classic silk or microfiber for the vegan punk rocker in your life, is hand-silkscreened by Detroit-based artist and musician Bethany Shorb using environmentally friendly, water-based inks.

 

Sometimes the easiest way to cope with the fact that your man loves baseball (almost) as much as he loves you is to acknowledge it head on. Do so by giving him a pair of handmade cufflinks cut from authentic game day uniforms. Choose from the Yankees, White Sox, Cubs, Phillies and Mets. You’ll be guaranteed an instant number one fan.

  

 

There’s no better way to tell the home improvement-loving man of your dreams that you’re, well, nuts about him than giving him a keychain made from a bunch of gold- and silver-plated hardware. Handmade by Judy Vilmain who donates 10 percent of profits to nonprofit organizations and gives excess materials to the Rhode Island Recycling for Education program. 

 

Have a beer-loving beau? Bestow him with the 33 Bottles of Beer, a notebook that’s similar to a bird-watching journal … but for beer drinkers. Designed “for beer geeks, by beer geeks,” this easy-to-use notebook is made from 100 percent recycled papers sourced in the Pacific Northwest and printed using soy-based inks. Goes great with a growler and a six-pack of his favorite local brew.

 

 

Got other ideas for Valentine's Day gifts for him? Leave us a note in the comments below.

 

See also:

• Valentine's Day gifts for her