Here are a few suggestions for the handy or would-be handyperson on your gift list.

• Woodworkers, handymen and hobbyists will be pleased to see the new Dremel Trio or the Dremel Multi-Max under the Christmas tree. The 120-volt Dremel Trio is a sander, router or jigsaw all in one tool. The compact tool comes with a variety of attachments for woodworking, wallboard repair, appliance installation, furniture and wood finishing, and on and on. The Trio retails for $99.99.

Dremel's 120-volt Multi-Max is an oscillating tool used for cutting, sanding, scraping and grinding, or grout removal. The oscillating, side-to-side motion of the blade and the numerous attachments included allow the user to work in tight places where no other tool will go. The Multi-Max retails for $149.99. It and the Trio are available at all major home and hardware stores (www.dremel.com).

• For more than 80 years Arrow Fasteners has been a staple (pun intended) of any handyman's tool kit. What can you do with a manual stapler/brad nailer? Attach roofing, install carpeting, secure wiring and cable, secure insulation, upholstery repair and work with arts and crafts, for starters. No wires and no batteries to buy. The model T50R.E.D retails for $25 and is available at Home Depot and other major hardware stores (www.arrowfastener.com).

• Want to spend some quality time with the newer generation of DIYers? Red Toolbox has introduced a line of tools and tool-kit projects so that parents and children can experience the thrill of completing a project together. Kits for creating a birdhouse, interactive mini-golf holes or a picture pack are available for under $10 at Lowe's or online at www.red-toolbox.com. The line also includes a 10-piece tool set for the beginners in your family.

• Need a stocking stuffer? "Find a Light" by PatBay International is a reflective light-switch cover that glows in the dark without using any electricity or batteries. The switch plates are available for less than $10 from www.patbay reflective.com.

• Need to take care of those tools from Christmas past? Liquid Wrench has a new six-sample pack of specialty spray lubricant and penetrant products that will help tackle a lot of jobs around the house, from squeaky hinges to automotive projects. And it keeps working parts in good working condition. It retails for less than $15 at Lowe's and other major retailers (www.liquidwrench.com).

Dwight Barnett is a certified master inspector with the American Society of Home Inspectors.