Any ideas for what to do with old gift bags?

[AFwife Claire]

We will be moving to Ohio this summer, and that, combined with all the decluttering going on around the hive, is inspiring me to get moving!  

 

This morning I went through my huge collection of gift bags, saving some birthday, Christmas, and baby ones.  But now I have a huge pile of ones to get rid of.  Do they get recycled?  Just tossed in the trash?  Or anything else? 

 

They're so darned expensive--but we don't need a supply for the world, you know?!  In fact, it's a standing joke in our family that we reuse the same 3 birthday gift bags for each child's birthday!  And we don't do birthday parties for our kids, which does cut down on the amount of gift bags incoming, but still--we end up with a positive net flow each year.

 

So what should I do with them??  

[Miss Peregrine]

I use them to take my decluttering to the thrift store.

[marbel]

I would throw away/recycle any that are not fresh-looking. Any left over, how about offering to people you know?   Homeschool group, neighbors, random friends, relatives, church?  

[happi duck]

I would donate them to the resale shop.

 

I'd even donate the less than perfect looking ones because our local shop would use them to bag purchases.

[Sherry in OH]

I use them to take my decluttering to the thrift store.

 

:iagree:

 

They aren't sturdy enough for books though.  Put the books in your excess reusable grocery bags.  

[Carol in Cal.]

I sometimes use them in applications where others would use baskets.

 

For instance, on a shelf in the linen closet holding hotel soaps.  Or with a food grade plastic bag inside, I might use one to serve breadsticks.  

 

Any extras i would donate to the hunger nonprofit downtown that has a big Christmas give away every year.  They would bundle things in them to give to the guests.

[Kareni]

I've seen many gently used gift bags at thrift stores, so I recommend donating them.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[PrairieSong]

Donate to a thrift store or put a box of them on the curb with a free sign. They will be gone soon, if your area is like mine.

 

 

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[LucyStoner]

That is stuff that I list on my local Buy Nothing group.  I mostly prefer to give stuff like that away to someone who comes to me and picks up up off of my front stoop than drive it to the thrift store.  

[SparklyUnicorn]

curb alert posted on freecycle or wherever (along with anything else you want to get rid of)...if not gone..recycle

 

This to me is the easiest way to try and give it to someone without dealing with all the annoyances that come with that.

 

 

[Annie G]

Thanks for asking- the replies have spurred me to change my habit, which is to save gift bags but rarely reuse them. I have a large bag of bags just taking up space. But someone can use them....

Thanks!

[ScoutTN]

I use them to take my decluttering to the thrift store.

 

 

Do this because then people like me can buy them. 

Keep a couple that are really nice. 

[AFwife Claire]

Well, this worked out!  I was talking to my good friend about all these extra gift bags, and she said she would love to have them.  She had just had to buy a baby one because she couldn't find an old one, and she remembered that at Christmas, she needed some ones too.  So she picked up the big bag of them when she came to my house for our co-op today.  Woo-hoo!  Thanks for all the great ideas!