Do people really like getting DIY equipment for Christmas or are they the ultimate naff present

A.� That depends which poll or survey you read. DIY gifts recently ranked fourth in men's most unwanted gift top five, just behind handkerchiefs and socks. Apparently non-DIY enthusiasts see them as thinly veiled hints.

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On the other hand, another survey reveals that 75 per cent of us want presents that are useful and long-lasting, women as well as men, and that is borne out by another year of increased sales at the big DIY stores.

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A.� You won't find many power drills or ratchet sets in the top ten gifts for women, but perhaps we should.

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The seemingly unstoppable popularity surge in all things do-it-yourself has been largely fuelled by the scores of television home design and makeover shows watched as much, if not more, by women as by men. Recent polls show that 36 per cent of women now regularly take on DIY jobs, and not just because they are fed up waiting for their male halves to get round to it, but because they enjoy doing it.

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Female-only DIY courses run at their stores by chain B&Q have proved a huge success and the store now reckons that 60 per cent of the power tools they sell before Christmas are bought by women.

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So, perhaps it's time for the men to stop loitering embarrassedly in the lingerie or perfume departments and get down to the DIY store.

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A.� Let's start off with the basics. You will definitely need; a good tape measure, preferably five metres long, with metric and imperial markings, a set of screwdrivers or a multiway type that covers a range of sizes, a spanner set, preferably metric measurements at one end and imperial at the other and a hammer, if possible two, one regular with a claw for removing nails and a second smaller one for tight or narrow spaces, and at least one saw.

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A.� The makeover craze has released a lot of creative juices. Why not think about things like glass painting kits, do-it-yourself stencilling packs, step-by-step guidebooks to design techniques like trompe l'oeil or even a subscription to a favourite home or interiors magazine.

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