Suggestions for Unwanted Gifts
December 11, 2006 by Karen Weideman
Filed under holidays, odds and ends
I just posted The Top 10 Regifting Tips for the Thrifty. Some of you may not want to regift, but are still looking for uses for your unwanted gifts. Here are some suggestions for those items:
Give them to those in need.
1. Donate new, unwanted toys to the Salvation Army, Marines, or some other organization that gives toys to needy children at Christmas.
2. Use small, new toys to fill up shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. I remember one year my daughter got so many little stuffed animals. She was too little to know better and I used them to help stuff my shoeboxes for children in need.
3. Donate new toys, clothes, and other items to a ministry or non-profit organization. They will find needy homes for them or sell them and use the proceeds to help those in need.
Try returning unwanted items. This can somtimes be a real pain because you may not know where the item came from. Also, many times items are significantly reduced after Christmas, but $6 is better than nothing.
Resell the items. You can put the items in your yard sale or you can consign them. You may not get much money for the item, but at least it won’t be sitting around your house collecting dust. You may also want to try E-bay.
It is almost a given that we will receive some gifts every year that we don’t need. To avoid having your gift regifted, I would suggest asking the person for gift suggestions, giving a gift card, or asking for suggestions from their spouse, etc.
Sometimes parts of those, um, not your style gifts can be repurposed or put in the art supply cabinet. For example, maybe you can use the knife from the ugly cheese platter but get rid of the platter. Or maybe the beads on that hideous necklace could become part of a cute bookmark? Ornament? Or maybe that ugly candleholder would make a better plant holder. Get creative and reduce waste. Of course, there’s always freecycle.org!
Thanks for the post! I’m a proud regifter.
Thanks for your suggestions Angie. I find myself with unwanted gifts many times because of lack of space. My house is too overrun with stuff! We are constantly trying to get rid of stuff and it’s never enough. I certainly don’t need more that I don’t really have a purpose for. My parents and aunts ask for suggestions, which is nice. My aunts are especially good for asking for gift suggestions for the kids and actually getting the stuff I suggest. I have some relatives that ask for suggestions and never give them a thing on the list. It’s really frustrating sometimes. Sorry, I am on a tanget now.