What to do with your unwanted Christmas presents

Every year the same thing happens at Christmas time. People receive gifts that they don’t actually want and the cycle of people finding something to do with them continues. Often the gifts are given with the best intentions but fail to hit the mark. This means that people are then left with the decision on what to do with the gifts. No matter what they decide, it’s always one of those really tricky things that you don’t quite know how to approach. On the one hand, you want to appear grateful for the present, but on the other, the person got you a Christmas gift that you don’t really want.

Firstly, so you don’t hurt their feelings, just act as if you like it and thank them for it. If it’s something they’d expect you to wear or have on display then the best thing to do is display it when they come around or where it once or twice when you’re with them. That way they will think you like the gift, even if you quietly can’t stand it.

If of course, you just want to get rid of the gift and they won’t know, then there are some things you can do with the unwanted present.

Regift your unwanted present.

If you’ve found yourself in the unfortunate situation where you have a gift that you don’t like, then you can always regift it. There are a few things to consider when doing so though. Firstly, you need to make sure that there is no chance that the fact you’ve regifted it will get back to the original giver. If it did then they could be extremely offended and it could get back to them. Regift it to someone outside of that group who doesn’t know the person who originally bought it. Make sure that when you regift it, it’s in good condition and nothing has changed. If you can, you may even want to reuse the wrapping paper, but if you do this, then it’s best to ensure that it looks brand new. If there are any marks, then tape some ribbon or a card and that will conceal the fact that it’s a regifted present.

When you regift it though, be careful to only give it to someone who is likely to enjoy it. There’d be nothing worse than the same present being regifted a second time.

Sell the gift.

If you don’t want a present and you can’t think of anyone to give it to, then why not sell it? Make some money from it. Selling it will allow you to make some money. If you are selling, then just like regifting, be careful to ensure that the person who gave it to you won’t find out. If you’re selling it on an online auction website, then the best thing to do would be to use a fake account that isn’t linked to you to sell it. That will ensure that they don’t find out and you’ll be able to get rid of the gift quite easily.

This is trickier if the item is rare and a one-off. If that’s the case, then rather than selling your unwanted Christmas gift, hold onto it and then when it goes up in value you’ll be able to reap the benefits. Potentially by this stage, the person who gave you the present will have completely forgotten so you won’t need to worry about it.

Donate it to charity

The option, if you’re concerned about your conscience is to donate the present to charity. Think of it this way, there are some people in the world who don’t get presents. Some people would be grateful for anything. Just the very idea of getting a present would please them. Why not take the gift you don’t want and give it to a charity or put it under a shopping centre Christmas Tree next year so that someone else can get enjoyment out of it.

The other thing about giving an unwanted Christmas present to charity is that if the person you originally gave the present to does find out, they’re less likely to be annoyed about it because the gift is now going to someone who will truly enjoy it.

Modify it

This one may not be as obvious, but if you don’t like your gift and you don’t want to get rid of it, then why not remake your Christmas gift. Turn it into something that you will enjoy. For example, if you were given a green top but prefer purple, then colour it. If you were given a chest of drawers om a dark colour but your décor is light, then colour it. If it’s a long skirt but you prefer short skirts, take it to a tailor and you’ll be able to get it designed into something that you will enjoy.

These are just some of the options for you if you’ve been given a Christmas present that you don’t like. Let us know if you have some others that we haven’t thought of. The other option is simply to exchange the item if you know what store it came from.

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