Popular Items for Regifting

I’m staring at a shelf of unopened stuff—gifts I never wanted. Three electric wine openers? Eighteen lavender candles? Who needs this? These are the things that get regifted over and over, and weirdly, they’re always the panic-buys people grab for others. The trick: pick things that are useful, look new, and don’t scream “I was a last-minute save.”

Wine and Spirits

Wine is the classic panic gift, right? I never know if it’s cheap or if the cork will explode. I can’t remember who gave me which bottle, and honestly, by the time it’s opened, nobody cares. Riesling, cabernet, random red blends—there’s always one floating around.

Regifting alcohol is like playing with fire. Good Housekeeping says it’s fine if the packaging looks untouched and you don’t regift in the same circle. Label the year it came in, or you’ll forget. Sometimes I find a “vintage” bottle that’s just been sitting in my cabinet for years.

People love rare stuff—local gin, small-batch whiskey, those sampler boxes. But check the dates. Cream liqueurs and vermouth go bad way faster than you think.

Candles, Lotions, and Gift Sets

My aunt gave me a “Sunset Meadow” candle set. Did anyone ever use “Sunset Meadow?” I regifted it at work, no one noticed. Candles, lotions, bath sets—everyone acts like they love them.

But I’m the person who checks expiration dates on lotion. Is that weird? Most people regift spa stuff, but Wise Bread says only do it if it’s sealed and not battered from moving house three times.

Scent is risky. If it’s weird, I save it for someone I barely know. How do we all end up with peppermint foot scrub? Who’s buying this stuff?

Toys and Jewelry

Kids have too many toys. Adults get jewelry they’ll never wear. My nephew gets duplicate action figures every year, so I just shuffle boxes around. Regifting grown-up jewelry is risky unless it’s classic and untouched.

Yardbarker’s regifting guide says games, puzzles, and plushies are fine if they’re still sealed. I’ve heard horror stories about missing puzzle pieces. Don’t be that person.

Personalized jewelry? Never. Nobody wants a necklace with someone else’s name. Scarves and fake pearls, though—always safe.

Gift Cards

Gift cards sound safe, but nope. Got a spa card for a place two hours away. Useless. I’ve handed off chain restaurant cards and pre-loaded Visas more times than I can count, and nobody’s complained. Everyday Cheapskate says check the balance, make sure it’s not registered to you, and don’t regift half-used cards.

I used a few bucks on a coffee card and forgot, then regifted it. Oops. Always check the balance. Sometimes I wonder if anyone’s ever given an empty card as a joke. Probably.

If it’s still sealed, regift away. But local or experience cards? Save them for someone who’ll actually use them. Don’t give your coworker in another state a card for your neighborhood escape room.

Creative Ways to Present a Regift

Honestly, it’s funny how nobody notices a regift if you just rewrap it. Unless it’s the same lavender soap you gave them last year. That’s on you. New tag, fresh tape, different paper—suddenly it fits right in. People talk about tag mix-ups more than reused candles, from what I’ve seen.

Rewrapping and Presentation Tips

I’m always fighting with the tape, cat on the tissue paper, staring at another floral mug. Why not wrap it up like I meant it? I keep leftover boxes and ribbons with the new stuff. Doesn’t matter as long as it looks neat. Double-sided tape is magic—no weird edges. I even ironed used wrapping paper once because my old boss swore it worked. It kind of did.

If someone’s checking my tape seams, I’ve already lost. Gift tags are chaos—if you mess up, slap a sticker over it or cut it off. I peek inside for old notes. “To Aunt Lisa” becomes “To… Mom” with a new label. Nobody asks.

Using Original Packaging

Torn boxes and faded barcodes? Obvious. Leaving something in its original packaging works for gadgets or kitchen stuff, but ditch the price stickers. A clearance tag killed the mood at a party once. If the box is ugly, swap it for a gift bag—burlap ones from craft stores hide everything. And check expiration dates on chocolates and bath sets unless you want to be remembered for giving out stale soap.

Nobody says you can’t improve the original packaging. Add tissue, use crinkle paper, toss in a recipe card. People see sealed boxes and assume it’s new. It’s all about the presentation, not the backstory.

Thoughtful Touches for Regifted Items

Honestly, nobody expects much from a regift, right? But throwing in a little real effort—like, actual thought, which is apparently rare—can turn a “wellness basket” you forgot you had into something people weirdly appreciate. I’m not saying I’m a gifting genius, but a handwritten card (even if my handwriting’s a disaster), or a quick note explaining what the heck the thing does—like, “This neck massager will not choke you if you wear scarves, I promise”—suddenly makes it feel intentional. Sometimes I get weird and tape on a QR code to a random YouTube video about the product, mostly to distract from the fact that the box is suspiciously untouched.

I’ll scribble a joke, share a dumb story about where I found it, or just doodle on the wrapping paper. People notice. There was this White Elephant thing where I drew a cartoon on a $10 candle tag and, I kid you not, four people fought over it. Was it the candle? No, it was the doodle. If I’m tossing out a plant or mug, I’ll drop in a tea bag or seeds, and suddenly it’s “Wow, so thoughtful!” Never mind that I dug it out of my closet at the last second.

Nobody ever writes a rulebook for the emotional loophole here: a little visible effort, even if it’s not perfect, beats the pants off a generic, obviously store-bought thing. It’s not about covering your tracks—everyone knows, let’s be real. It’s just, I don’t know, making it feel like you gave a damn.