It’s the Ultimate Gift guide for Catholic Boys – a collection of unique, handmade gifts to inspire and encourage your son in his faith journey.  

Remember that Ultimate Gift Guide for Catholic Girls I posted a few days ago?  Well, it was pretty popular.  So popular that I received more than a few requests for a gift guide for Catholic boys.

This whole time I’d been focusing on my girls.

But I’m not just a girl mom anymore.  I have a boy.  He’s growing up,  and he’s going to be paying more attention to the toys he plays with, not to mention the holidays that bring them.

Cue massive mom guilt.

To remedy this situation, I set out on a quest to find my son some handmade, Catholic goodies.

I hit the jackpot, folks.

The Ultimate Gift Guide for Catholic Boys

Hand-painted Saint Peg Dolls from EmmausRoad

I gush over these at length in my gift guide for girls.  But Kristina’s pegs are perfect for boys, too: she originally started crafting them for her own boys. As noted in the Girls’ Guide, Emmaus Road peg dolls promote catechesis at home through great stories of the saints and holy people who love Jesus. Kristina notes her pegdolls fit perfectly in Little People playsets. Custom orders available.

Discount Code: Free shipping with code FreeShip01 

Order Deadline: November 28 (orders placed after that date will ship the first week of January)

Peg Doll Mass sets, a Peg Saint Encyclopedia and a great “Pin the Bowtie” stocking stuffer from Saintly Heart

At Saintly Heart, Mom and shop owner Maggie specializes in the 2 and 3/8 inch peg dolls – the perfect size for Lego sets and Little People.  In addition to individual saints, Maggie carries a fantastic Mass Set complete with priest, wooden altar and tabernacle, and a clay chalice, paten, and play hosts.  She’s also published a Hardcover Encyclopedia of Peg Saints, an index of 36 holy men and women in an easy-to-read, full color format.  Finally, don’t forget her Pin the Tail on St. Dominic Savio stocking stuffer: a great alternative to Pin the Tail on the Donkey.

You can find Saintly Heart’s saint ministry (with daily devotions and saint profiles) on Instagram and Facebook 

Discount: Free shipping with code Nsf1

Order Deadline (for Christmas delivery): 11/30

Vest Costume and Felt Puzzles from Jacob’s Toy Box and Books

At Jacob’s Toy Box and Books, shop owner Christine puts her heart and soul into beautiful, handmade costumes, dolls and felt goods (she shares the beautiful story of her shop’s origin on the About tab of her site).  I fell in love with her gorgeous Priest Vestment Costume, a complete set that includes everything from the alb to the chasuble.  Christine also offers a lovely set of  Noah’s Ark Felt Puzzles to help keep busy hands occupied.  You can find Jacob’s Toy Box and Books on Facebook.

Saints Matching Game from My Catholic Home

We’ve all played Memory before, right?  The cute pictures are fun, but what if you could play Memory with a set of saints?  Now you can, thanks to this Saints Matching Game from Catholic mom, Catechist, and author Lindsay at My Catholic Home.  Her bright illustrations and quality construction not only encourage concentration skills, but also make for a rousing game of saintly Go Fish.  Lindsay also sells a variety of quality Catholic greeting cards and a lovely handmade prayer board – a handy way to keep track of all your special intentions.

You can learn more about Lindsay on her blog, Inspired for the Journey.

Wooden Mass Kit and Saint Blocks from Almond Rod Toys

There’s probably no better companion for a priest costume than a handmade Wooden Mass Kit from Lindsey at Almond Rod Toys.  It’s even DIY, so your handy guy can turn the beautiful wooden pieces into a chalice, cross, paten, cruet, finger bowl, and brass bell.  Lindsay also offers exquisitely detailed, sturdy saint blocks, perfect for rough and tumble holy adventures inside and out.  To see new designs as they are released or learn more about Lindsay and Almond Rod Toys, follow her on Facebook.

Discount:  One free patron saint block until Dec 18 if you pray a Hail Mary for the conversion of sinners and type in IMMACULATE MARY at check out

Order Deadline: December 18

Lacing Cards and Catholic Mass felt playset from Juniper Plum

My son is very two, if you know what I mean.  The lacing cards and Catholic Mass playset from Juniper Plum are the perfect way to keep him occupied and focused during mass.  Shop owner Katheryn hand paints these beautiful icons, then laminates them to ensure durability.  This set for boys includes three cards, one each of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, St. Meinrad of Einsiedeln, and St. John the Baptist.

Equally beautiful is Katheryn’s Catholic Mass felt playset.  The level of detail is astounding: each set includes a priest, a variety of vestment colors, an altar boy, and every item needed to create a full Catholic mass (including a tabernacle, chalice, paten and hosts).  Katheryn notes these are a favorite among her own children; I can certainly see why!

Discount: 10% off your entire purchase with code nov10 (until 11/16)

Order Deadline: December 12.

Sacrifice Beads from Holy Heroes 

Looking for the perfect stocking stuffer?  Inspired by those carried by St. Therese, these sacrifice beads from Holy Heroes encourage your child to find their own “little way” to heaven.  Available in a range of colors, each set is strung on sturdy white cord and attached to a carabiner – perfect for clipping to a book bag, jacket, or belt buckle.  Holy Heroes carries a variety of other items to encourage your son on his faith journey, from books and DVDs to games and toys.

Discount:  Sign up for Holy Heroes free Advent Adventures  program for discount codes and coupons

Order Deadlines:  See website

Adventure Bags from Wild Things Adventures

Lastly, here’s another favorite from the gift guide for girls – Adventure Bags from Wild Things Adventures.  You can find more about them here, but let me just say – these are perfect for the naturalist in your household, with tools for exploring, recording, and recreating God’s beautiful creation.

Discount Code:  10% off with code NSF10

Order deadline: December 10 for Christmas delivery

I hope you find this list as helpful as I have.  These fantastic finds have not only assuaged my mom guilt, but also helped me curate a list of toys that will encourage my son as he grows into a young man of virtue.

Bonus points if it brings him to the priesthood, right?