Tips to regift unwanted presents this Christmas

Making lists is good for family and friends but we all receive gifts we either have or don’t want right? Well 21 million of us receive at least one unwanted gift each Christmas, but are we meant to do with them?

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Statistics show that 23% of people politely keep the presents they dislike. But if you don’t want to add unnecessary clutter or are short on space, you could follow in the footsteps of the 22% who opted to regift it to someone better suited.

How to regift, reuse or recycle unwanted Christmas presents

While typically your wrongly sized tops and hideous jumpers would have gone straight to the charity shop on 2 January, it’s important to give a bit of thought towards exactly what you’re donating.

Following pandemic-induced clear outs earlier this year, charity shops were forced to turn away donations due to over-filling. “Be thoughtful – is this stuff you’d be prepared to buy yourself? Around two thirds of reused clothes from the UK end up oversea

Sell it

Apps like Depop, Vinted and Shpock, alongside the likes of eBay and Facebook marketplace make it easier than ever to sell a multitude of items, from clothes that aren’t quite right to books that you already have in your collection.

“Write a good description for each thing you are selling” report The Stylist and “Include as much detail as you can, particularly accurate measurements. For example, if you’re selling men’s clothes, sellers will definitely want you to include waist and leg measurements for trousers and collar size for work shirts. This will save you time in the long run not having to answer these questions from buyers and means you are more likely to make the sale.”

“Do ensure that the belongings you are selling are in good condition,” she reminds. “Clean and iron them before sending to your buyer. If there are any stains or tears to the item, include a photo of that area and flag this in the description. On Vinted, it’s also really easy to select an option for the condition of your clothes when uploading each piece. Your preloved belongings are more likely to sell if the buyer knows exactly what they’re getting.”

Reuse it however you can

If you’re really struggling to find use for an item, try thinking outside the box about different ways you can make the most of it. Can the pages from a book make cute wrapping paper? Can an item of clothing be altered or cut up to take on a new form? For example, I now use a too-small T-shirt that I bought my boyfriend and couldn’t return as a hair wrap when I’m out of the shower. I’ve also recently hand dyed a gifted jumper I liked the style of but hated the colour of to ensure I get more wear out of it. While this in itself may seem wasteful, anything is better than binning it and it ultimately ending up in landfill.

Recycle it

if you’re unable to exchange your present and don’t fancy selling it, companies including H&M, John Lewis & Partners, M&S and Nike have schemes in which they will buy back your unwanted clothes and trainers, or offer you a voucher. For unwanted games, CDs and electronics, you can also use websites such as MusicMagpie to post your items for an agreed amount of cash, or trade in person in stores like CE

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Sarah Meere

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Sarah looks after corporate enquiries and relationships for UKFilmPremieres, CelebEvents, ShowbizGossip, Celeb Management brands for the MarkMeets Group. Sarah works for numerous media brands across the UK.

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