Thrifting tips for gift giving; my guide to inexpensive, thoughtful & conscious gift giving.
I’ve shared plenty of thrifted outfits and thrifted décor with you over the years from my favorite thrift stores. But today I’m sharing a new thrifting guide today; thrifted gifts. When it comes to gifting, I want to give thoughtful, meaningful gifts. Staying within a budget and finding affordable gifts that are great quality can easily be done through thrifting!
Who is the ideal ‘thrifted gift’ recipient?
Who is the ideal ‘thrifted gift’ recipient? Literally anyone you’re shopping for! You can find such a wide variety of items at thrift stores so you’re likely going to be able to find something for everyone at very affordable prices. You never know what someone might be ready to part with, so you never know what kinds of donations you’re going to find!
What should I look for while thrifting?
Everyone will have their own approach when it comes to scouring their favorite local thrift store but I’d like to give you some extra guidance here. I have found the most success for my thrifted gifting goals by visiting these sections: Housewares, Books, and Accessories.
Housewares
In the Housewares section you’re likely going to find plenty small, outdated kitchen appliance and well used baking supplies. Not necessarily ideal for gift giving. But I promise you, there are treasures in the housewares section! I typically have the most success here.
A beautiful decorative plate pairs well with some homemade cookies (or cookies from your favorite bakery). Coffee mugs are usually in abundance so you’re likely to find one that fits someone personality; fill it with chocolates or a hot chocolate packet and a cute spoon. Baskets are wonderful for carrying some home-spa items or baked goods. You might find a glass vase that fits with your best friends décor that you can fill with fresh flowers; who doesn’t love fresh flowers?
You’ll want to pay attention to the quality of the glass pieces you’re picking up. Are there any chips or cracks? Does is simply need a good deep clean?
Books
Next we move onto the book section. This is a section where more ‘used’ looking items are still up for gifting consideration. You might find an old copy of a childhood favorite; a perfect gift for a sibling you would have shared a copy with once upon a time. You might find a like-new copy of a great self help book that your co-worker would enjoy. Once I found a brand new Lego sticker book; no missing stickers and in PERFECT condition. It made a perfect gift for my best friend’s son and it only set me back 90 CENTS!
With books, you’ll want to make sure you do a leaf-through to ensure there aren’t any missing pages or scribbles.
Accessories
Last, don’t forget to browse the accessories. You might a nice tote bag with a cute design that has little to no ware. Your sister-in-law would love it! How about a lovely scarf? There always seems to be a nice selection of scarfs for all seasons. Don’t forget to look at the jewelry selection. You might see some jewelry that is broken or out of date for your taste but you also might ‘strike gold’ here. I’ve had some success finding unique enamel pins and broaches that made wonderful gifts!
Keep in mind with accessories, you’re going to want to be careful that the items are able to be laundered or cleaned before you gift them.
When is the best time for thrifting?
When is the best time to thrift? Anytime!! Most thrift stores are always accepting donations and restocking their shelves so you literally never know what you’re going to find. You could visit the same store, two days in a row and see completely different items during each visit. Because of this, I like to keep my eyes peeled for potential gift-giving items every time I thrift. You can start collecting all year for Christmas gifting or keep a stock pile to distribute for birthdays through out the year.
Another thing to keep in mind is sale days and tag sales! You can find some amazing deals for thrifting-gifting. If you have any other thrifting tips for gift giving, leave them in the comments!
