Posted on: February 11, 2021 Posted by: Aaron_George Comments: 0

We all received a present from a distant relative, Secret Santa, or from a friend who just does not have talent in picking out gifts. In the moment of unwrapping it you might have faked excitement to not hurt anyone’s feelings. But then what?

What is there to do with an item you dislike or you just don’t care for? There are two ways to go about it, stuff it at the back of your closet or reuse it somehow. You can simply regift it to someone who would actually enjoy it. Or you could alter it in some way that will make you like it more. Here are a few creative ideas of how you can reuse unwanted presents.

1. Regift

Sometimes a present is just not a good fit. If you feel like a gift is not the right match for you, play cupid and try to find a person who is a better fit. Even some seemingly innocent items like wine and chocolate can fail as presents if they end up at a person who does not drink alcohol or is on a diet. However, these are quite easy to regift.

If this present has anything like a shelf life, be careful how long you take to offer it to someone else. And when you find yourself in a pinch and don’t know what to give, you can just take some stored chocolate or wine. Wrap them up nicely, and pass them on.

Just be extra careful not to give them back to the same person you got them from! A simple way to avoid this, if you do not want to strain your memory is to put a nametag on the item with the name of the person who gave it to you.

2. Give it a Chance!

What might first seem like an unfortunate gift, can turn out to be pretty cool, if you just give it a chance. If you received a plant and you are not particularly a fan wait for at least a couple of days before you make a final decision. Maybe it will end up being a great gift that you will love. It might seem like a hassle at first, but you might quickly come to realise that it is not so complicated to look after it.

If someone thought you would enjoy a pretty poinsettia, give it a chance! Here are some poinsettia care tips and tricks that really work even after Christmas!

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3. Repurpose

If you can’t or don’t want to use whatever you were given as it was intended, you can always find it a new use. This is the time to be creative!

A few years ago, my grandma gave me a ghastly, heavy knick-knack, in the shape of a group of dogs. I ended up using it as a door stopper. Although it’s looks might not be to my taste, it is functional. Plus, every time I see it, I think of my grandma.

Just this Christmas a friend of mine repurposed the thousandth mug she got as a candle holder. In these cases, functionality, even if it is not their intended purpose, gives these boring gifts a new life!

4. Use for Parts

Maybe the present you got can’t be repurposed, or regifted. In this case you tear it apart and use it for spare parts. Clothes usually fall in this category, and so do board games.

Recently I took apart a jacket I was given, to remove the beads sewn into it. The jacket is now repurposed as an apron and the beads still wait to be sewn onto a costume I’m working on.

A game of Dixit can become a great teaching tool for kids by using only the cards. The colorful, fun images will easily capture their interest and light their imagination.

5. Save as a Memento

The gift itself may or may not have a deeper meaning, but if it does not, feel free to assign one to it. Attach a memory to the object, whatever it is, and treasure it as a memento of the person who gave it to you.

One of my dearest objects is a slab of stone I found in my backpack at the end of summer camp, six years ago. It was intended as a prank to be thrown out a few days later, but I had the councilors sign it and I still treasure it as a memento of the wonderful time I had at the camp and the great friends I have made there.

Wrapping up

When you receive strange presents, you can do more than just roll your eyes, chuck them in a corner and forget about them. I hope that you have been inspired by the list and give the object a new life, one way or another. What is your favorite way to reuse such a present? 

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