How to Throw a Re-Gifting Party
Beat the Post-Holiday Blues and Recycle at The Same Time
Jan 4, 2009
Throwing a Re-gifting Party isn’t as tacky as it sounds. It’s not about deliberately re-gifting a present to friends. It is a chance to free one’s home from the clutter of those “oh-you-shouldn’t-have” gifts; prune whip filled chocolates, cocktail napkins of puppies in Santa hats, or sweaters depicting religious scenes in sequin appliqué.
Not only will a re-gift party exorcise those drunk reindeer patterned shot glasses from your home, but you might pick up some kitsch you’ve secretly wanted. If you never quietly hankered for a Frosty The Snowman snow globe, a Re-Gift Party is as good a method to lose the post-holiday blahs as any.
What is a Re-Gift Party?
A re-gift party is a chance for like-minded clutter busters to get rid of unwanted items in good condition – not to mock the gift giver. While everyone has at least one taste-impaired relative, the gathering of friends is a chance to exchange goods in the hope that someone might find a use for one of the items. It is not a pecking party to ridicule friends and relatives.
Reasons to Host a Re-gift Party
Gift giving is over, your home may pass guest inspection, and nobody is in the mood to return to the daily grind. Yes, you're ready for a gathering but the post-holiday blahs are upon us. While you might get away with passing off old fruitcake, a good laugh is what everyone really needs until spring.
Your friends’ resolutions may include goals like “getting rid of clutter” or “getting organised” or even, “donate to charity”: A Re-Gift Party would hit all three of those resolutions in one stroke. Any item that is truly unloved by anyone in your re-gift get-together can be donated to a charity of your choice.
Rules for Throwing a Good Re-Gift Party
- In your invitation, ask that each guest bring a wrapped, clean and unbroken item for the Re-Gift party. Make sure your guests understand that by “junk”, you don’t mean, “trash”: The item may be unwanted but it must ostensibly be a gift. In other words, no single socks, broken crockery, or otherwise grimy, used items.
- Ensure that nothing you are wrapping for your re-gift contribution is a gift from one of your invitees.
- Wrap a couple of extra unwanted items, in case one couple brought one gift between the two of them, or if you have unexpected guests.
- Have everyone draw a name out of a hat, or stand in a circle while someone in the centre spins, then selects someone.
- The chosen person selects a gift, who in turn chooses someone else to pick a wrapped gift from the pile. Another variation has the next person to pick a gift either pick one from the pile or to “steal” a gift from someone who already has selected one.
- Once everyone has a wrapped present, everyone unwraps his or her present at the same time.
- Give everyone the option to swap out the unwrapped presents between themselves so that they can get something they do want.
- Ensure that nobody “accidentally” leaves his or her treasures behind.
Give Your Unwanted Items to Charity
Inevitably, some gifts will generate laughter and loathing in equal measure. For those who don’t want to keep the ceramic teddy-bear cookie jar that sings when it’s hat is removed, it can be donated to a good cause: Get a list of the nearest donation centres for your favourite charity.
Look up charities such as Oasis or Goodwill. Another option would be to later host a jumble sale where the proceeds can be given to a cause everyone believes in. Swapping goods, cleaning your home and donating to a good cause are all ways to bring in a happy new year to all!
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