Do you mean to cut out and make the crazy block itself or to cut the shape of the jacket? For the block I use the same ruler and rotary cutter as for all blocks. To cut out the pattern, scissors are fine. If you are looking for a gift to put on your list, new scissors, ruler(the 12 1/2" squares are really nice) or rotary blades are always good. The jacket idea for your family for next year sounds great, you'll get an early start.