DIY GIFT: Urban Survival Kit!

Well hello there beautiful people!

I had the afternoon to myself on Saturday and made the ginormous mistake of going to the shopping centre to pick something up.  HUGE MISTAKE.  It was like all of the people of Co. Armagh were sent a text to say Christmas had been bumped up a few weeks and the shops were running out of all the things.  I got what I needed and was in and out in half-an-agonising-hour.

I have become less and less of a shopping centre shopper these years (much to my mother’s dismay).  I find it all a bit claustrophobic and mind-numbing.  Give me a charity shop or a high street full of little one-offs any day.

I guess that Christmas build up is inevitable though, eh?  John Lewis have given us their loved up penguins, Santa is drinking Coca-cola and we are counting down the days until we head to Canada to spend the holidays with my whole family.

Last year, Dave decided to try his hand at a little DIY gifting and came up with the genius idea to create little Urban Survival Kits for his mates.  He was pretty full on about it – writing lists, buying bits and bobs off eBay, giving it a LOT of thought.  He gave it SO much thought that he didn’t actually get them ready in time to give them to anyone for Christmas.  So thorough, my Dave.

He has, instead, been giving them to people throughout the year for birthdays, as thank-you gifts etc.  It’s really fun, doesn’t cost the earth and is just that little bit more thoughtful so I thought I’d get in there nice and early in case you wanted to create your own!

Nice, right?

He ordered a bunch of old tobacco tins off eBay and stocked them with a bunch of stuff he thought his guy friends would appreciate.  Stuff that would come in handy if kept in the glove box of your car, that kind of idea – not if you were lost in the woods for 5 days.  This tin would be useless to you if that happened.

This is a sample of contents that fit well in such a small tin, but OBVIOUSLY feel free to go wild with your own ideas!

*  Teabag – because is there anything worse than running out of teabags for a brew?

*  Multi-tool – apparently this thing is capable of doing just about anything – it’s a saw, a bottle opener, a knife, a screwdriver, a spanner, a ruler and it can also pick dirty washing off the floor and put it in the washing basket! (…wait…)

*  Matches

*  Pencil (thanks IKEA!)

*  Chewing gum – for after that sneaky packet of cheese and onion crisps.

*  Chocolate coins (R.I.P. Cadbury’s Chocolate Coins…what a huge Christmas disappointment) – these are in there for blood sugar reasons.

*  Elastic band – just cause.

*  Paperclip

*  Plaster – never too old to tend to a paper cut.

Other options/ideas: 

*  Sachet of Ketchup or HP – MUST BE Heinz or Original HP.  Don’t even think of giving anyone any of that ‘Daddies’ or own-brand crap.  That’s not friendship.

*  One of those coins that fits in shopping trolly locks or even a pound coin.  THOSE are handy.

*  Earplugs (?!)

*  Tea-light – for the romantics amongst us.

The world is your tobacco tin, folks!

    

What do you think?  Kind of fun, right?!  What else could you put in that would be helpful?  Maybe a slightly more feminine version for the lay-days?  Would love to hear your ideas!