When the holiday arrives, we all spend a considerable amount of time and money buying gifts for our loved ones. While these are mostly given away to the respective recipients, it is also true that some extra gifts may be lying around after you are done with your distribution. It could also be that you received some gifts that you didn’t like, or aren’t of much use to you.
Keeping those around might pile up in your unwanted box. Here is a list of things you can do with those extra gifts to avoid cluttering up your home.
Donate Them To Those In Need
Donate unwanted gifts! The best use you can make out of gifts you do not need is to give to the deprived or one who is in need. Various charity organizations accept donations. You might want to do some research to find one in your area. You can also donate those items to your local orphanage or homeless shelter. You never know; this simple act of kindness can brighten someone’s day, or give them the hope to keep going in life.
Give It To Someone Else
Have you ever gifted someone clothes that don’t fit them? Maybe you got them a perfumethey already had in their collection? When it comes to such situations, you may either have to replace them or return them to the store you purchased from. But what happens if the store does not take returns?
If you aren’t a fan of the product yourself, or you don’t have much use for it, why not stow it away and give it to someone else! Just make sure to keep it safe to keep looking brand new.
Repurpose The Item
Every gift can be repurposed in one way or another. You can try this trick for gifts that you can’t donate (maybe because they look a little used or show signs of wear and tear). Here are some ideas to help you out.
Mugs As Pen Holders
Buying fancy pen holders from your stationery store can help elevate the aesthetic of your work table. However, more than often, these pen holders aren’t large enough to hold all your stationery. Luckily, there are other options, and that is to use mugs.
Decorative mugs are very common gifts. We all have more coffee mugs than we can use. They consume a lot of space in your cupboard, so storing them away isn’t the most efficient way.
Mugs have a larger diameter and therefore can make great pen holders. The handle might seem a little off-putting, but you will eventually get used to it. At least, it won’t be buried under heaps of dust somewhere in your house!
Use Purses To Store Valuables
Purses come in all sizes and designs. Have you ever been given a purse that you didn’t like? Not to worry. You can easily repurpose that as well. If the purse is big enough, you can use it to store paints, art tools, beauty products, or makeup brushes. In the case of smaller purses – ones that are too small to fit anything use those to store jewelry. It should be enough to hold a few bracelets, some light necklaces, or a few pairs of earrings.
Another clever way to reuse unwanted purses is to store your essential cables in them. Smartphone chargers and headphones are extremely fragile; if you leave them out in random places, they will break or tear. Rolling them up and storing them in a purse can help keep them safe and functional for a long time.
Use Bed Sheets for Fun DIY Projects
Bedsheets are also a very common choice of gift. It is boring sometimes, and if you already have a good collection of sheets, then try using them for something else instead of giving them away.
Given your bedsheet is of the right kind, you can use it for many creative and fun DIY projects. Many videos on YouTube explain how you can turn bedsheets into clothes. If you have a sewing machine, then why not give this idea a try?
You can also turn it into a rug on which you can paint or do your art projects. It’s a bad idea to let your kids paint on the floor or the living room carpet. Putting a blanket over the carpet or floor can help the cleanup process in case of an emergency.
Put Them Up For Sale
Some gifts you receive might have a good resale value. Why not try putting them up for sale? If they are still in good condition, you might be able to get a good price. But do not forget to mention that it’s second-hand. There are many online shops out there that will allow you to sell second-hand products.
If you want, you can also hold onto the item and host a yard sale where you can sell a bunch of items at once.
In Conclusion
On more than one occasion, I have gotten gifts that I did not like or had duplicates. The same goes for gifts I’ve bought as well. Although it is very normal to want to give away gifts that you don’t need or want, we sometimes feel guilty about doing so. Hopefully, this guide will make things easier for you. After all, not only will you be giving them away to those who can make better use out of them, you will also be finding creative ways to use them to your convenience. Good luck!