Sometimes it’s hard to buy gifts for all the occasions that happen throughout the year. All that waiting in line, trudging from one store to another, or paying exorbitant shipping costs when ordering online.
Let me introduce you to the wonderful world of re-gifting. I’m not talking about wrapping up a dusty scented candle or glass unicorn you got from your aunt. I’m talking about retrofitting anything and everything, even things that weren’t gifts to begin with. The re in this type of re-gifting is short for recycle. And anything can be recycled into a gift if you try hard enough.
Maybe you want to give someone a gift basket filled lotions and other assorted fancy toiletries. There’s no need to spend lots of money, not when you have everything you need right in your own bathroom. You know those nearly empty lotion, shampoo and body wash bottles taking up space under your sink? If you consolidate each bottle into an empty one, you now have a full lotion, shampoo and soap to add to your basket. You can also take all the old slivers of soap you have and mold them into a shape like a heart or a duck billed platypus.
Want to give a bottle of wine? Get a wine bottle and fill it with water, leftover vodka, and mouthwash. You can claim it’s a fancy new type of wine made from rare hybrid grapes. You can even make your own label on the computer and give your wine its own winery, like “Boozenbrau Farms.” This also works for beer and other assorted spirits.
You can even gift alcohol to a friend even if you don’t have any on hand. Keep in mind that this only works if your friend is a heavy drinker. Just grab an empty bottle of high quality beer, wine, or whatever your friend prefers. Then go to his or her party late and stick it in the cushion of their couch while they are partying in another room. When they come up to you later to ask why you didn’t give them anything, point to the bottle and say, “You already drank it.” They won’t remember and will assume you’re telling the truth. While this may seem deceptive, you’re actually giving the thought of alcohol consumption and it’s the thought that counts.
And let’s say you want to give a gift to a couple’s baby shower? Most new parents prefer practical gifts they can actually use. While you can wash up some old cloth diapers and wrap them up, no one really uses cloth diapers anymore. That’s where used disposable diapers come in. If you wash a disposable diaper by hand in hot water and bleach, then let it dry in the sun for several days, it’s as good as new, albeit a little lumpy and possibly stained. (White out is good at hiding most stains.)
Speaking of babies, cigars are a classic gift to give after a child is born and just a nice gift overall to cigar lovers. And cigars are expensive and just too tempting not to smoke yourself. But if you take several cigar butts and glue them together, you’ll end up with a full sized cigar. You can also dye it pink or blue if you’re planning on giving it to a new father.
That’s just a taste of ways you can turn old items into quick gifts. Do you have any ideas of your own? Leave them in the comments. If you’re shy about leaving comments, then write them down on a piece of paper and paste them to your computer screen.
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