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Advent Calendar 2008 Day 6: The DIY Christmas Gift Guide

Instead of trooping around endless shops pointlessly glaring from item to item, we've provided a gift guide for the ultimate music fan, from your wrapping paper to a present for your Mum.

Posted 6th December 2008, 3:00pm in Features, by Ruth Offord
The Cribs Here at DIY, we get very excited about Christmas. Very excited indeed. It is for this reason (well, that and we thought it'd be fun) we're running the DIY Advent Calendar 2008. Every day up until Christmas we'll have something new behind that day's metaphorical tinsel-covered door, so keep checking back. Now, we understand that trying to find the perfect gift for a loved one this Christmas is difficult. So instead of trooping around endless shops pointlessly glaring from item to item, we've provided a quirky gift guide for the ultimate music fan, from your wrapping paper to a present for your Mum.

Forget Christmas Telly...
This winter why not curl up in front of the television, cook up a cup of cocoa and pop on a DVD? Bands are eager to lap up the Christmas pennies, and with a ridiculous variety, you can find just about anything for all your friends and be home for tea!
Our top five music DVDs:
1. The Cribs Live At The Brudenell Social Club
2. Arctic Monkeys Live At The Apollo
3. Justice: A Cross The Universe CD/DVD
4. Muse Live At Wembley Stadium
5. Kaiser Chiefs Live At Elland Road

Wrap Up Warm This Winter...
BBC 6 Music recently celebrated 'wear your old band t-shirt to work' day - however if you noticed your co-workers t-shirt to be a little too old, an upgrade may be in order.
Our top three band t-shirts:
1. The Mae Shi 'I'm Glad You're Alive'
2. Erol Alkan 'Keeps Kids Dancing'
3. Arcade Fire

Who needs Christmas Decorations...
Gig posters are usually the disused promotional items discarded by record stores, however something to make you remember that special gig is a limited edition handmade poster. Gigposters.com have a huge range, allowing you to search by band and contact the creator. Get a memorable gig poster sent to a distant friend or relative and you're sorted without leaving your computer.

Christmas Gifts Made Easy...
And if after all this you're looking for something unusual to wrap the gifts in, Rough Trade are offering the perfect gift wrapping package. With a selection of sleeves, designs and stickers you can get all kitted out for under a tenner. They have some great gift ideas too.

Things To Do...
Staying at home during Christmas isn't for everyone - there's only so much bad TV and left over Turkey you can take, right? Luckily there are other options too (especially if you're near London, it seems). Here are our favourite festive gigs:
1. Underage Festival Christmas Special, London
2. Bad Sneakers Presents New Years Balls, Leeds
3. Xfm Christmas Special, London

Cracker Sillies...
Finally if music, DVDs and t-shirts are just too mature for some of your silly friends there's a selection of unusual gifts that are sure to bemuse and amuse many.
1. Belle and Sebastian Frisbee
2. Of Montreal Lamp
3. British Sea Power Agrimony Brooch
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