LET’S BE PRACTICAL . . .

Every toolbox should have an electric screwdriver and a cordless drill. There is a huge choice of both on the market, so look for quality names such as Bosch, Black & Decker and DeWalt. Electric screwdrivers cost from £60 to £100, cordless drills from £20 to £300.

A workbench, such as the trusty old Black & Decker Workmate, is a good staple for keen DIY-ers, from about £17, as is a rigid toolbox on wheels; Stanley does a range from about £30. A slimline Maglite torch is a pleasure to hold and use and prices start at less than £10. Try www.thetorchshop.co.uk for various Maglites in snazzy colours. A toolbelt, if you can bear Bob the Builder jokes, is also a sensible gift.

GOT ALL THAT. WHAT’S NEW?

Battery-powered tape measures, like the Black & Decker Autotape, for one. These extend and retract at the push of a button, leaving your hands free, and cost about £20.

Power-sanders are increasingly popular, whether for floor, intricate woodwork, or multi-tasking. Bosch has an impressive collection; Silverline’s Multipurpose Hobby Tool (£12.99, www.transtools.co.uk) has lots of snap-on heads to get into corners of carved wood.

We trust you won’t be tempted by the various lightweight power-tools aimed especially at the ladies. But if you want something ridiculously girlie, www.daysgonebyshop.co.uk has screwdrivers, tape measures, craft knives and hammers, all in delicate floral prints, from £5.95.

WHAT ABOUT A GOOD BOOK?

The Reader’s Digest DIY Manual (£12.99 from www.pickabook.co.uk) is subtitled “The DIY Classic” and rightly so. It has been updated recently and will tell you how to do everything from sawing bits of wood to building a deck. If you have only one DIY book, make it this one.

OR SOMETHING FOR THE GARDEN?

An electric leaf vac turns the endless collection of fallen leaves into a breeze. The top-of-the-range Ryobi 2400 electric leaf blower/vacuum, £78.99 from garden stores or see www.ryobitools.co.uk for stockists, sucks or blows at the flick of a switch; you collect the leaves and dump them straight on to your leaf-mould pile.

I WANT A STOCKING FILLER . . .

Why not wrap up a can of the all-purpose lubricant WD40? It costs less than a fiver and will loosen rusted parts, cure squeaky hinges and generally be a DIY godsend. Drill bits in various sizes are always useful, as are picture-hanging kits, colour-co-ordinated storage pots for nails and nuts, safety goggles, protective gloves and extension cables. A pocket-sized Leatherman multipurpose tool, from about £25, is what every DIY-er dreams of.

STILL STUCK?

Try gift vouchers for B&Q or a similar store. Then your DIY chum can buy what he or she secretly desires.

WEB WATCH

www.diy.com — everything DIY-related from B&Q.

www.argos.co.uk — has competitively priced tools.

www.screwfix.com — good for browsing for DIY bits and pieces.

www.worldofpower.co.uk — has plenty of power-tool favourites.

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