I would give it to him. Giving is about love, not about receiving. It is a good lesson for us all to learn. Some of the best gifts I have received have been absolutely free. When my daughter was born my brother came to visit for a week and put in a rose garden for me (I already had the roses just not the time to plant them). One Mother's Day my kids painted the bathroom. One birthday my dad built a children's table and chairs so that the kids would have a place to color that was just the right size for them. He made it all out of "scrap" lumber that he already had. Giving for "free" just takes a little creative thinking.