I belong to clubs that have Christmas gift exchanges. This year I started buying gifts at yard sales etc. Better gifts than I could buy new for the cost limit. I bought some beautiful crystal in a name brand box, and box shows some age. I prefer to gift wrap it in the box. Does anyone have an idea on how to carry this off without announcing it came from a yard sale. I would appreciate your advice good or negative on this subject. Thanks.
By BJ from MO
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What a great idea! I am thinking that pairing the crstal with another item and making a gift basket would be a nice way to go.
If you are wanting to leave the gift in the box for certain you might try giving the box a light overspray of paint the same color of the box. You will want to take the gift out of the box, mask the areas you don't want painted. You might even try a shade darker and not try to cover the box completely rather make sweeping lines over the box making sure to cover the worn places.
Depending on the number of spots you could attach a decoration of some kind, stamp something, a rub on or cut out a pretty picture and glue it over the bad spot. Good luck and kudos for trying to be frugal in a wise way!
If it's a crystal vase, bowl or glass and you have a paper shredder you could shred some red and/or green tissue paper, place it inside and tie Christmas ribbon around the outside with the gift tag attached to it. If it's crystal that you can't place tissue inside just tie the ribbon with attached tag around the outside of it. Use the box for something else or give it to your local recycling center.
If you can't find a creative way to protect and display the crystal, try splitting the box down one side, turning it inside out. The box will be the perfect size, and you can then either paint it before you retape it, or cover both the inside and outside with wrapping paper.
You might want to put the glass in a nice basket, fill with shredded paper, and include a gift card for a nice bottle of wine, or some wine charms like you can get at the Dollar Tree...or make your own. They are super easy, and here is a link that will help.
www.homemadesimple.com/
I found this by googling "handmade wine charms" then clicked on this one. Another cool idea is to go to the dollar tree or your local store and get candy...now is the time when they are all one sale.
If your recipient is not allergic to chocolate or corn syrup, you can fill the glass with red hots and cover with green saran wrap and a bow...m'and m's are and good choice...you can now get jelly bellies in flavors like margaritas, daquaries, and pina coladas (google jelly belly flavors).
If the box is really unusable, go to the local craft shop and get one in paper mache'...if the item is thin enough, use a pringles can, or decorate a v-8 juice can or 32 oz can with stuffing inside and a nice wrapping on the outside. Happy Shopping!
PS: I once spent 37.50 on 16 people on my list and no one knew I got things at yard sales. My people wouldn't care, but it is possible to buy all summer for the holidays. Good luck!
Great idea; recycling. too! My only concern is that, if you make it look like new, others might think you've gone over budget:-((
I think this is a very frugal and great thing to do. I have bought new items at garage sales and used as teacher gifts. I've bought new and almost new items as gifts for my children too.
I think that if the box looks a bit tattered then you should find a nicer box or wrap in tissue and set down inside a gift bag.
I have a friend that loves garage sales as well as many of her friends. She and a couple of them do a Christmas exchange and the rule is the gifts have to come from garage sales!
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