4 Ideas for Unwanted Christmas Gifts

Its the week after Christmas and you have at least one gift that you don't want. Perhaps it was a cheapo Secret Santa gift or a gag gift from the White Elephant party at the office. Or maybe it was too personal of a gift from someone who has boundary issues. Maybe a family member didn't know you as well as he or she thought they did and bought you something so far removed from your personality, you can't wait to get rid of it. No matter the source of the gift or its flaw, you want it gone. Here are some tips.

First of all, make a note of all the gifts that you and your close circle are returning. You don't want to buy them something they don't like for their birthday or next Christmas because you weren't paying attention. Second, don't bother with returns the day after nor the week after Christmas. The shelves won't be restocked until January and by then, there will be a whole new sale.

Gift Cards

If you were fortunate enough to either receive everything you needed or not need anything in the first place, you may be returning gifts. Instead of buying more stuff you don't need or really want, ask for a gift card. You can use the money again at a later date or, give the gift card to the person who's gift you returned. That is my favorite way of re-gifting. You can give them the card for any holiday or birthday leading up to Christmas the next year, so long as its a non-expiring card.

Charity

If the clothes you received aren't your style or size, consider giving it to charity. My daughter got a bike from Toys for Tots this year and an even bigger and better bike last year from the Boys and Girls club. We re-donated the brand new bike from Toys for Tots to a foster child at her school. She also received a free GORGEOUS puff coat from a school lottery. Her grandmother bought a similar, far more gorgeous coat for Christmas, something we didn't know until that day. So she kept grandma's coat and donated her free coat to a homeless child. My son did the same with his coat. He also received a pair of name brand jeans, so he donated a pair of jeans he was outgrowing faster than he could break them in. My daughter received new boots that were a size too small. Boot season is almost over here and she already has three pairs. She donated the new pair. Purses, bags, shoes, coats, hats, gloves, toys, all can be donated to those who are so quickly forgotten after the holidays are over.

Sell it

No receipt, no tags, no return? No problem. List it on Ebay, Amazon, or any one of the plethora of garage sale apps on your phone. Use the money to pay your bills that may have piled up during the holidays. You could also have a garage sale along with all of those clothes that you thought you'd fit into by the end of the year. Don't have time to wait for a sale? Pawn it.

Repurpose it

Earrings can upgrade a pair of shoes. Necklaces can spruce up a lampshade or make a great curtain draw. Jeans make trendy skirts and the sleeves of hideous sweaters make fantastic legwarmers. Dishes can be painted, glued, and bedazzled to make wonderful decorations, If you like the fabric of a garment but not the garment, use it to make another garment. Daughter received an ugly doll? Re-style her hair and clothing for a one of a kind original creation.