Build your April Fools' Day arsenal with these fun pranks and 'gifts'

Guys can start April Fools' Day off on the right foot by presenting their girlfriends with the 2-carat Cup ($15 at Andaluz). It looks like a big, sparkling, diamond solitaire engagement ring in an oversized jewelry box -- but the ring is really just a cleverly disguised handle to a coffee mug (albeit a handle she can slip over her ring finger). This should probably come with a disclaimer: Make sure you have a comfortable doghouse -- you may find yourself in it.

Prefer to begin your morning with a jolt of fear? The Mixed Messages do-it-yourself ransom note mug ($16 at Andaluz and Fireworks) makes it easy to create your own ransom message with colorful letters that cling to the enclosed white mug. Your significant other will be sure to meet your caffeine demands when faced with the message, "Fill with coffee and nobody gets hurt."

Another fun way to wake up family members: Pop some Frozen Smiles ice cube dentures ($9.95 at Portage Bay Goods) into an unsuspecting sleepy person's glass and watch them perk right up.

Once you're ready to head out the door, don't forget to accessorize: Fingerless gloves are all the rage, but you can make a real fashion statement by wearing Handerpants (“underpants for your hands,” $11.95 at the legendary Archie McPhee) on April Fools' Day.

Gross out your friends
Have some fun at school, the gym or at the office: Bring along Stuck Up Magnets ($6 at Andaluz), which look just like chewed-up wads of gum.

Not gross enough for you? The latest hot item from Fred & Friends is Lunch Bugs, a box of standard plastic sandwich bags -- with a great big roach printed on the front. These make a boring brown-bag lunch a real scream. Lunch Bugs are so new that none of the stores in Seattle have them yet (Andaluz is awaiting a shipment), but you can score them at Perpetualkid.com (24 bags for $5.95) and on Amazon.com ($11.95). Or, if you're tired of colleagues stealing your lunch out of the office refrigerator, employ the ingenious Anti-theft lunch bags ($7.99 at perpetualkid.com), which deter lunch theft by making it look like your sandwich is covered in mold. (Hopefully, you'll still be in the mood to eat it.)

Amuse and alienate co-workers
Remember in "The Office," when Jim came in early and moved all Dwight's furniture into the men's room? That's far too labor-intensive, but you can stick it to your co-workers by coming in early and putting tiny, creepy-cute eyes and mouths on all their office supplies, courtesy of In Antimate stickers ($3.95 at Portage Bay Goods). It's aliiiive!

Here's an idea from the annals of passive-aggressiveness: Leave a box of Get Along with your Co-workers Tea ($10 for 16 tea bags at Andaluz) on someone's desk. This makes a very Seattle gift -- it's organic.

Get fired
Participate in office meetings by adding your own cartoon soundtrack effects with the Special Sound Machine ($16.50 at Fireworks). Fart machines are so grade school -- this grown-up gadget offers good, clean April Fools' fun by adding effects like head-injury twittering birds, falling anvils, a high-speed running exit and more. It's more fun than Board Room Bingo.