★ Crafts for Men & Boys to Make | Manly Projects to Build and Sew ★
Ranked #71 in Arts & Design, #867 overall
Men's DIY Craft Ideas & Sewing Tutorials
I'm not a guy myself, but some of my favourite crafts and activities are considered more for men - simply because the end results are big and rugged, and often need some brute force! It can also be hard for guys to find things they can make due to the many, many more projects aimed at women such as jewelry, tote bags etc.
So therefore I've put together this page to list the best craft ideas - from small makes to weekend projects - for 'manly' things to make, plus tutorials for items which are intended for use mainly by men, such as ties and hats.
There are many free building plans on the web for woodworking and larger construction jobs, so if you have something in particular in mind I'm sure there will be help for you either here or elsewhere on the Internet. The larger jobs listed below are mainly links to furniture making plans and fun builds like treehouses and see-saws. These are also great projects to get your kids involved with too - although always keep them away from the dangerous tools of course!
I hope you find this page inspiring :-)
Photo by Bluebirdbaby.
So therefore I've put together this page to list the best craft ideas - from small makes to weekend projects - for 'manly' things to make, plus tutorials for items which are intended for use mainly by men, such as ties and hats.
There are many free building plans on the web for woodworking and larger construction jobs, so if you have something in particular in mind I'm sure there will be help for you either here or elsewhere on the Internet. The larger jobs listed below are mainly links to furniture making plans and fun builds like treehouses and see-saws. These are also great projects to get your kids involved with too - although always keep them away from the dangerous tools of course!
I hope you find this page inspiring :-)
Photo by Bluebirdbaby.
Messenger Bag
Click here for a tutorial on making the messenger bag shown above. A great bag style for guys, whether it's for work, school or for carrying a laptop around in.
Photo by Bluebirdbaby.
Cool Things to Make
- Cork Board Map
- A world map for those who like to travel.
- Coffee Can Lamps
- Modern and stylish hanging lights.
- Mustache Mirror
- Frosted mustache shapes on a mirror.
- Concert Tee Pillows
- Making pillows out of graphic concert t-shirts.
- Manly Curtain
- Made from a wool blanket and leather straps.
- House Number Idea
- Create a sign with just wood and nails - simple!
- Industrial Lamp
- Chic lamp made from pipe fittings.
- Garden Couch
- Create a fun grass covered sofa.
- Monogram Mugs
- Easy and cool mug designs.
- Skateboard Table
- Convert an old skateboard or snowboard into a cool table.
- Halloween Costume
- Loads of DIY ideas for masks, costumes and special effects.
Revamping Furniture
Taking old, broken or discarded funiture and giving it a new life is a fun and rewarding pastime. This set of drawers was found on the street. It was then sanded down, painted an oil based black enamel, sanded again, given a second coat of black, and finally brushed with polyurethane which comes with dark brown pigment to give the drawers the appearance of a dark wood grain showing through.
Photo by Doug Farmer.
DIY Summerhouse
Photo and house by Nathan Barry - click here for construction photos.
Sewing Tutorials
- Adjustable Bow-Tie
- Fun tie style to show personality.
- Firewood Carrier
- Denim carrier made from old jeans.
- Beanbags & Floor Seating
- Lots of tutorials for bean bags, cushions and other seating.
- BBQ Apron
- Stripey apron tutorial with a front pocket detail.
- Laptop/Netbook Pouch
- Smart cover for your portable electronics.
- Neoprene Laptop Bag
- Rugged sleeve made using an old wetsuit.
- Military Laptop Sleeve
- Made from a felted wool blanket and a tent canvas.
- Neck Tie
- Regular tie design to make from scratch.
- Ascot Neck Tie
- Retro style for something a bit different.
- Sweater Blanket
- Recycling old sweaters into a cozy blanket.
- Manly Quilt
- Made from seven men's shirts.
- Flat Cap Pattern
- Smart hat to sew using a free template.
Pallet Table
Click here for a tutorial on making a pallet table similar to this one.
Photo by Kristjan.
Men's Craft Books
Bags, Pouches & Holders You Can Make
- Messenger Bag
- Utilitarian style bag with pockets.
- Suede Bag
- Urban and functional design.
- The Weekender
- Large, stylish bag design.
- Bicycle Lunch Bag
- A bag to hang from the frame of a bike.
- Classic Messenger Bag
- The perfect carryall for work or for your laptop.
- Cargo Pants Bag
- Small shoulder bag made by recycling cargo pants.
- Camera Cozy
- You'll probably not want to choose pink florals though!
- 10-Minute Pencil Case
- Super quick way to make a pencil case.
- Car Organizer
- To hang over the back of the seats.
- Pocket Knife/Key Holder
- DIY small leather pouch.
- Vinyl Wallet
- With see-through card holder slots.
Wallets
A classic and useful make for men - and when you make your own wallet, you can make it exactly how you like it.
Photo and wallets by Eve Vandelsen.
Larger Projects
- Sturdy Table
- Stylish table built to last.
- Pallet Dining Table
- Large recycled wood table.
- Furniture Plans
- Huge lot of free step-by-step furniture plans. Fab resource.
- Craft Corner
- Large crafting/study unit complete with tree trunk chair.
- Porch Swing
- Guide to building a chunky wood porch seat.
- Rolling TV Cart
- Highly useful piece of furniture - on wheels.
- Fence Bench
- Made using reclaimed redwood fence posts.
- Sliding Barn Door
- How to make and hang a farmhouse style door.
- Lounge Chair
- An easier project using many poles for the seat.
- Piped Shelves
- Large shelving unit held together with pipes.
- Backyard See-Saw
- Using a giant tractor tyre as the pivot.
- DIY Tree House
- Follow the 5 links provided for different plans and how-tos.
- Pallet Coffee Table
- Cheater's way of making a table.
- Hovercraft
- Make a one-man hovering machine.
Soapbox Racer
Photo by Aroid.
Featured Lenses
Hovercraft
Click here for instructions on making your very own hovercraft.
Photo by Scot Hacker.
The Best 'ReadyMade' Tutorials
My personal favourites from the ReadyMade website.
- Concrete Stick
- Embed a tree branch into concrete for a cool decoration.
- Blender Lamp
- Recycle old blenders into awesome lights.
- Spool Coat Rack
- Re-using antique industrial sewing spools.
- Barn Head Board
- Rustic style bed headboard made using wood planks.
- Deep Thought Bubbles
- Fun chalkboard wall art.
- Hot and Cold Candlestick
- Metal taps attached together to make a candlestick.
- Cement Planter
- Made using recycled food packaging molds.
- Vertical Wine Rack
- Sleek and simple rack for your kitchen.
- Pipe Pot Rack
- Quite simple saucepan holder made using pipe.
- Ski Sled
- Build a sled seat on top of an old pair of skis.
- Bike Wheel Rack
- Eye-catching bicycle wheel upcycled into a pot rack.
- Bath Caddy
- Handy holder to have on your bath.
Carved Pebbles
These beach pebbles were carved under running water using diamond bits in a Dremel tool, then beeswax was rubbed onto them to make the carvings more distinct.
Photo and carving by Lisa Jordan.
Geeky & Tech Projects
- LED Minifigs
- Fun LEGO figures for Halloween.
- Mario Bros. Plant
- Chomper plant copied from the Super Mario games.
- Bar Top
- Compuer keyboard keys embedded in a bar top.
- Wonder Wallet
- Wallet made using a page from a comic book.
- Mario Magnet Board
- Super Mario inspired magnetic board made with card.
- Coding Tie
- How to make a geeky power tie with code printed on.
- Lens Cover Pouch
- Very handy camera accessory.
- Nintendo Messenger Bag
- Nintendo gaming controller bag.
- Compubody Sock
- Funny DIY which you can knit or construct from other sweaters.
- Plush Bombs
- Spiked retro bombs made from felt.
- Squishy Rubik's Cubes
- Fun accessory for your car!
- Polite Car Signals
- Add some good manners to your car.
- Tetris Wall Lights
- Really cool Tetris shapes which contain fairy lights.
- Floppy Disk Table Cover
- Very easy way of recycling your old floppy disks.
Concrete Leaf
Concrete crafts are messy and fun - and if you'd like to make a concrete leaf as shown above, click here for a tutorial.
Photo and leaf by Janice.
Wood Carving
Click here for a handy wood carving how-to.
Click here for a fabulous tutorial on using a saw, plus sanding/drilling bits to carve out a fish.
Photo and carving by Sami Oinonen.
Jewelry & Wearables
- Camera Sling
- To make it easier to handle heavier SLR cameras.
- Buckle Cuff
- Bracelet made from an old belt.
- Loop Braiding
- A technique used to make men's bracelets.
- Leather Braid
- Technique that produces a leather braid to use as a cuff.
- Cool Wave Ring
- How to cut sheet metal to produce a cool ring.
- Paracord Watchband
- Make a new bracelet or band for your watch.
- Knitted Scarf
- If you can knit or would like to learn, this is a good starter project.
- Tread Belt
- Cool belt made using a rubber bike tire.
- Timing Belt
- Making a belt from an old timing belt from a car.
- Hoodie
- How to make a fleece hoodie.
- PJ Pants
- How to make comfy drawstring pants.
Garden Mosaics
The Koi Pond stained glass mosaic art on this bench is by Kathy Prescott Parker.
To learn how to make mosaic stepping stones for your garden, click here.
Photo by Mississippi Artist.
Tutorials for Awesome Makes
- Egg Cup
- Made by upcycing a table fork.
- Painted Wall Art
- Simple but really effective looking wall art with gold leaf.
- Steady Hand Game
- Of course you could make a giant or more difficult version of the game :-)
- Plastic Clone
- Make a plastic tape clone of yourself.
- Typographic Coasters
- Minimalist printed cork coasters.
- Bird House
- Lots of examples of the coolest bird houses, with plans and how-tos.
- Mat Your Own Art
- Learn how to frame your photos and art professionally.
- Brake Disc Clock
- Industrial style clock made from a bicycle brake disc.
- Record Bowls
- A good way to recycle old vinyl records.
- Magnetic Spice Rack
- Stylish DIY spices and sprinkles holder.
- Wooden Salt Cellar
- With a little carved spoon too.
Pyrography
Using a word burning tool on wood produces a lovely effect, and you can learn how to do it here.
Photo and sign by Wood Tattoos.
Making Men's Clothes & Other Useable Items
- Wood Spice Rack Ideas
- Ideas for different wooden designs plus free plans.
- Leather Journal
- How to bind your own book and add a leather cover.
- Portable Fire Pit
- Looks great and is pretty straightforward to make.
- Boxer Shorts
- With an elastic waistband.
- Make a T-Shirt
- By using one of your own as a template.
- Bike Chaps
- Pants to wear when cycling to protect your clothes underneath.
- Stencil a T-Shirt
- Cut out the stencil from freezer paper.
- Screen Print Tees
- Use contact paper and a screen to print.
- Papercut Portrait
- Cut paper to form an effective piece of portrait art.
- Fabric Wallet
- With a cool eyelet feature.
- Tripod Camping Stool
- Awesome wooden seat project.
- Mustache Keychain
- Fun leather keychain for a classy gent.
Melted Toy Bowl
You can use a lot of different designs of small plastic toy to make a bowl like this, but always melt the plastic in a well ventiliated area - and it's probably best to wear a mask too. Click here for the how-to..
Photo and bowl by Deep Fried Kudzu.
Recycled Furniture
Photo by Susanna Hertrich.
Recycling, Revamping and More
- Letter Light
- Awesome showbiz light-up letter art.
- Newspaper Taxidermy
- Wire and newspaper stag wall art.
- Simple Shoe Rack
- Consists of just layers of wood shelving.
- Ottoman
- Make a great ottoman by recycling electrical wire spools.
- Pinhole Camera
- 23 options for how to make your own camera.
- Book Kindle Cover
- Camouflage your Kindle by embedding it in a book.
- Pencil Crossbow
- Made using regular office supplies.
- Concrete Bookends
- Sturdy and durable bookends with a letter embedded.
- Cassette Tape Cuffs
- How to bend a cassette tape into a piece of jewelry.
- DIY Camera Tripod
- Several ways to make a tripod yourself - really cheaply.
- Build or Revamp Furniture
- Lots of tutorials on refurbishing furniture and reupholstering chairs.
Wire Sculpture
I once attempted to create a sculpture using chicken wire in my room when I was about 12 and I didn't half get a lot of scratches - so be careful, and wear goggles/safety specs and gloves!
Click here for a tutorial on making a chicken wire 'ghost' figure.
Photo and sculpture by Ruth Jensen.
Very Useful Products Plus 'Just for Fun' Makes
- Dry Erase Memo Board
- Really easy to make - from just a frame and some fabric.
- Kodachrome Curtains
- Unusual curtains made from old slides.
- Laced Hanging Chair
- Made from a pallet and some paracord.
- Wooly Willy Table
- Add a fun retro game onto a coffee table.
- Tabletop Pinball
- Make your own pinball table using scrap wood and cardboard.
- Customized Plates
- Funky graffiti stencil design revamp on old plates.
- Faux Metal Mirror
- Add a faux metal finish to a mirror frame
- Condiment Picnic Table
- Funny miniature table to house mustard and ketchup.
- Carved Plaster Bookends
- Super easy plaster of Paris project.
- Basic Toolbox
- Simple tool box construction.
- Tyre Toy Box
- Super simple toy box idea which looks very stylish.
- Wooden Salt Dish
- Chunky wood salt dish with a holder for a bud vase too.
Leather Journal
To learn how to bind your own journal and then make a leather cover for it, click here.
DIY Teepee
Photo by GoldenPeacock.
Click here for simple instructions.
For the Home & Garden
- Ladder Bookshelf
- Genius and simple shortcut shelves.
- Giacometti Statue
- Artistic style sculpture for your home.
- Vinyl Wall Decals
- Removeable sticker art for your walls.
- Birch Log Table
- Natural and rustic table just made from logs.
- Mosaic House Sign
- Display your house number with mosaic tiles.
- Cutlery Backsplash
- Resin kitchen backsplash with embedded cutlery.
- Lightbulb Wall Hook
- Contemporary concrete wall hook in the shape of a lightbulb.
- Tufted Headboard
- Professional looking results.
- Candle Sconces
- Old fashioned and elegant wall sconces.
- Lawn Scrabble
- Amazing giant Scrabble game for your backyard.
- Woven Leather Stool
- Very professional looking, and a relatively simple make.
- Industrial Side Tables
- Simple and cool side tables for your bachelor pad.
- DIY Tepee Poles
- Stripping pine trees to makes the basic poles for a tepee.
- Double Exposure Trivet
- A lovely and useful woodwork project.
Whittling
Click here to see a video on whittling a little wooden bird.
Photo and bird by Fayme Harper.
Bookshelves and More
- Invisible Book Shelf
- Fun 'floating' book illusion.
- Inverted Book Shelf
- Clever upside-down shelf.
- Driftwood Rack
- Natural key/coat/bag holding rack.
- Natural Wood Clock
- Rustic clock using wood straight from a tree.
- How to Stencil Furniture
- How to use contact paper to paint a chest of drawers.
- Monogrammed Cufflinks
- Personalized cufflinks with initials embroidered on.
- DIY Honeycomb Shelves
- Cool looking design made in wood.
- 7 Concrete Projects
- Including garden stepping stones and plantpot decorations.
- Outdoor Planting Table
- A smart looking counter for your gardening needs.
- Paper Chess Set
- How to create a chess set by simply rolling paper strips.
- Longboard & More
- Plenty of how-tos including instruments, a clay pot smoker and a longboard.
- Wooden Doormat
- Quick project which every house needs.
Honeycomb Shelving
- Created from reclaimed old cabinet doors.
Photo and shelves by Arrow & Apple - Click here for the instructions.
Cool DIY Projects
- Steampunk Light Switch Plates
- Really cool and original project.
- 2x4 Wooden Chair
- Very efficient way to make a chair - for about the price of a coffee.
- Hanging Bed
- Fabulous porch bed hanging from ropes.
- Superhero Gnomes
- Hilarious tutorial for turning regular gnomes into superheroes!
- Plywood Boat
- Made from a single sheet of plywood.
- Bean Bag Toss
- Fun outdoors game which is straightforward to make.
- Furniture Projects
- All kinds of furniture you can build or restore.
- Homemade Porsche
- Most awesome thing ever!
- Leather Phone Case
- Envelope style pouch for your phone or other electronic gadget.
- Door Lock Key Rack
- Use door knobs and locks to fashion a vintage style rack.
DIY Bird Bath
Photo and bird bath by Laurie.
Craft Tutorials Galore
- Moulded Leather Case
- How to use water to mould leather into an iPod case.
- Leather Pinecone
- Shows techniques which you can use to make any leather ornaments.
- Copper Rain Chain
- Interesting idea for replacing your water downpour pipes.
- Typographic Art
- Use nails, wood and coloured string to make cool letter art.
- Rubik's Cube Chest of Drawers
- Amazing puzzle storage with spinning drawers and hidden locks.
- Geek Tissue Boxes
- Lots of examples of fun nerdy wood boxes.
- Golf Club Cover
- Make your own custom headcovers for your golf clubs.
- Girly Double-Decker Bed
- Make a bed and playhouse combined.
- Creepy Ticket Booth
- An amazing Halloween light-up prop.
- DIY Antler Razor
- Make your own razor handle using a deer antler!
Inspiring Ideas & Impressive Projects
- DIY Hobbit House
- Sensational hobbit house built for £3000.
- Wood & Nail Trick
- Make your friends marvel at how the heck you made this curiosity!
- Backyard Projects
- Including a zip line racer, treehouse and playhouse.
- House Book Holder
- Wooden house for your bedside table.
- Swedish Lawn Game
- Make this wooden stick and block game called Kubb.
- Homemade Cutting Boards
- Practical and aesthetically pleasing chunky cutting boards.
- Salvaged Riddling Rack
- Rustic wine rack made from salvaged wood.
- Plastic Animal Bookends
- Cut a toy tiger in half and create really cheap but cool bookends.
- Beer Bottle Crate
- Useful storage items with rope handles.
- Leather Lunch Bag
- Smart and professional tote to carry your lunch in.
Wall Art
Photo and art by Alex & Sonja.
More Fun Weekend Projects
- DIY Garden Crafts
- Roundup of loads of different outdoor projects you can try.
- Basketball Bag
- Cool and eye-catching bag made with a real basketball.
- Leather Watchstrap
- Swap your watch strap for something DIY.
- Chunky Deer Head
- Wooden mounted deer head made using a bandsaw.
- Mail Basket
- DIY wall mounted basket made with wood and leather.
- Vinyl Record Table
- Cool side table made with just a planter and a vinyl record.
House Number Light
Photo and light by Cleatus Cobb.
The frame is made from metal scraps and the numbers were purchased from a scrap metal shop. The orange plastic pieces are samples from an architecture magazine ad, which have been glued together with acylic cement. There are 3 LEDs on a homemade acrylic frame which attaches to the orange face.
Useful Craft Websites & Blogs
- Evil Mad Scientist
- Blog with many technical projects and experiments.
- Man Made DIY
- Facts, fun videos, projects and men's tutorials.
- Instructables
- Check out the 'Outside' and 'Technology' categories especially.
- Building Furniture
- A guide to getting started making your own furniture.
- Readymade Projects
- Brilliant and huge archive of project how-tos.
- Instructables
- Pages and pages of how-tos to search through.
- Dude Craft
- Showcasing manly arts, crafts and inventions.
- Make Projects
- Sorted into categories like robotics and transportation.
Backyard Rollercoaster
Don't know how realistic this is, but I would love to build one of these!
Photo by Flickr 7500.
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Please Leave a Comment!
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xriotdotbiz
May 13, 2012 @ 11:55 pm | delete
- Enjoyed the Recycled Furniture photo, basic but inspiring.
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JoyfulReviewer
Apr 24, 2012 @ 12:39 pm | delete
- This is quite an array of craft projects ... from fun to practical applications. Thanks for searching out all these great resources and pictures. That backyard roller coaster would sure be an interesting conversation piece. ~~Blessed~~
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jenniferanne.hansen@gmail.com
Apr 1, 2012 @ 4:22 pm | delete
- I am looking for some inspiration. We lost my dad about 2 years ago and I want to make something for each of the grandkids as a memento/heirloom. I found lots of idea for dresses adn skirts from men's shirts for girls, but can't fins anything for the boys. Any ideas? Maybe even from a golf shirt, since he had tons of those, too or even a tie? Thanks.
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Destiny A.
Apr 16, 2012 @ 1:42 am | delete
- I think this sounds like the ticket!
http://go.tipjunkie.com/fd/332/www.luvinthemommyhood.com/2009/05/dads-tie-to-gadget-case-tutorial.html
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JakeDesign
Mar 7, 2012 @ 11:30 am | delete
- I love it! I have always considered myself to be very craft oriented and have sewn, sawed, nailed, screwed and glued tons of projects, but I never imagined so many great projects. I want to build them all. Thanks for the awesome ideas.
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