Don't Regift

A few years back I was forced to partake in the painful practice of an "office white elephant activity." (yes my friends, it was an activity planned within the office Holiday party!).
In this hideously painful office party activity, all the staff would bring in a gift valued at a predetermined cost and place it under the tree.  We would then pick numbers, and in chronological order pick a gift under the tree.
But wait, it gets painfully worse as the activity reached employee #2 and so forth: He or she, could take a gift under the tree and then have the choice to exchange it with what employee #1 had picked out first.  Employee #1 had to either morn the loss of the gift he or she had, or squeal with delight at the new gift.
Now, employee #3 picks a gift and if he (or she) chooses to take the gift that either employee  #1 or #2 has, and employee #2 can take it away from employee #1.
Does it sound complicated?  Yep - it was!  And worse, it was horribly embarrassing to watch how so-called office friends threw-out perfectly acceptable gifts in exchange for liquor bottles.  (The gift, I found out, that everyone wanted).
One year I had taken the time to meet a letter-press card designer and purchased a hand-wrapped set of note cards and pen, together with a hand-wrapped silk card-case.  I thought that my gift would be fitting of any PR professionals desk and purchased a set for my personal use as well.
When it came time for employee #whatever to pick a gift under the tree, I held my breath.  I had already heard more than one snarky remark about various other gifts under the tree.
Worth more than the pre-set gift value of the exchange, the person that picked the gift smirked at it and threw it across the room!  According to her, it was cheap!
I wanted to crawl into a hole as the beautiful silk box and satin ribbon's unraveled as it was tossed several more times that evening.  The letter-pressed and hand-made linen paper note cards were damaged and the pen was lost in the shuffle.
My feelings were obviously hurt and marked my selection of white elephant gifts: Never again would I go through the trouble of buying something fitting of me.
Since then, I have enjoyed several other white elephant gift exchanges. Most of the gifts -given and received- were cookie-cutter average: ranging from department store gift certificates to pre-packed Holiday gift boxes.  Sometimes, not often, I received a gift that I had no use for.  But when I saw the face of the gift-giver, I couldn't bring myself to do the hurtful thing someone else had done to me years priors.
Many times - actually, most of the time - I have tried to use said gift or display the oh-not-so-me platter that was given to me by someone that cared enough to buy me something.
The over-the-top pieces of jewelry that are more fitting of a black-tie gala than my yuppyesque daily wardrobe, found a spot in my jewelry chest and come-out once or twice a year to adorn my neck and ears.  Surprisingly, unlike my initial "I-so-couldn't-wear-this" personal reaction, I have received various compliments from people who's style I admire.
While I laugh at the snark and creative name-calling for gifts that weren't received with the joy they were given, I find it rather distasteful to re wrap them for someone else.
Why would you give a gift that you found too hideous for yourself to someone else?!


With that in mind, I offer you a suggestion this year: instead of rewrapping gifts, tossing or donating to Goodwill, why don't you try them first?
Ugly Scarf:
That ugly blue scarf might look beautiful as a head-band.

Ugly Bracelet:
The dangly bracelet could be used as key chain.
Ugly Large Earrings:
The ugly and large earrings can be used as a scarf or coat pin
Ugly Platter:
Remember: Pretty food makes any platter look beautiful!
Hope my simple ideas helped make your almost regiftable gifts keepers...and make someone's Holiday much brighter by seeing how you use and appreciate your gift!