The best gifts my wife has ever given me were the ones I told her to get me.
She's super sentimental and used to give me cards and pictures and stuff. But honestly, if it doesn't have a practical use, it wont do anything more than gather dust. It's sweet that you took time to get this nice picture, or make this wood carving thing... but yeah, it just takes up space on my desk in the end.
Get me headphones, a part for my motorcycle, a nice bottle of scotch, etc and I'll love it.
Gifts should something you want, not something you need. Find something he has been eyeballing or just can't justify buying himself and it will honestly probably be the best gift he has ever gotten.