Here’s how to deal with those ghastly gifts you did not want for Christmas without ruffling any feathers.
Place your unwanted gift in the family present cupboard. If you don’t have one you must immediately clear out the back of the spare bedroom cupboard and create one. It acts as both a repository for unwanted gifts and a store for emergency presents. Remember to label the gifts to avoid giving the unwanted present to the person who gave it to you in the first place. When you give presents from the cupboard to someone else, the cards betraying a gift’s origins should be removed, the packaging must be intact and it must be something its new owner will love. Handmade or one-of-a-kind items such as a knitted jersey from your grandmother should never be “regifted”.
A more honourable option is to donate the gift to the white elephant stall at your child’s school fête or to a charity shop. While you may scoff at the novelty napkin rings that Aunt Schartzmugel chose for you, someone may be delighted to spend money for them.
The most sensible option of all is to return the gift to the shop whence it came. Any half-decent grandparent or spouse will include a gift receipt (which does not reveal the item’s price) discreetly tucked into the gift. However, if no receipt is included and the gift is clothing, you might say, “You know, I love this blouse, but I think a different colour would work better with my wardrobe, perhaps I’ll see if they have it in red?” Alternatively, you could use the “it’s not the right fit” excuse as the most diplomatic way of getting your hands on the receipt. Without a receipt or proof of purchase, you won’t get very far.
One person’s rubbish is another’s treasure. A Christmas present swapping party might be a good idea but be careful whom you invite as you run the risk of seeing your friends’ faces drop as they realise they’ve all brought each other’s carefully planned and exquisitely wrapped presents along to swap. Everyone should bring a minimum and maximum number of items, and make sure that one person doesn’t run off with all the good things.
Use your imagination to transform your gift into something brilliant. That ugly mug could be a handy gardening pot. A few scissor snips could turn that scarf into just what you need for your child’s costume for the school play.
Another option is to sell the unwanted gift on the Internet using sites such as www.gumtree.co.za or www.sellstuff.co.za.
If all else fails, take a deep breath, step into the shocking pink leopard print onesie or give that nose-shaped shower gel a squeeze and stop being so ungrateful.
Sources
http://news.bbc.co.uk
www.standardlife.co.uk
www.telegraph.co.uk