Have you got items sitting around the house that you could give to someone else as a gift this Christmas? Well, don’t feel as if you can’t. According to a survey by www.bookoo.com, 92 per cent of people believe that recycling gifts is okay, even though most of them were aware at some point that they had received a regifted present.

So, what are the advantages of regifting? Well, for starters, it’ll save you money and it’s environmentally friendly. It’s also good for decluttering your home and it’ll save you time at the shops. But there are a few regifting guidelines you should follow should you decide to pass on your presents.

Keep track of who gave what

This is the number one rule of regifting. Don’t give someone a gift they gave to you. Enough said?

Make sure it looks new

The hard and fast rules here are that if you have to dust it off, don’t give it as a gift. If it’s an item in original packaging it’s all good. If you’ve taken it out of the packaging and pretty much put it straight back in, that’s all good too.

Check for inscriptions or ‘customising’

It’s sounds obvious, but I’ve received a few books as gifts that had inscriptions on the inside cover. From the outside you’d never know, but it’s a good idea to make sure there’s nothing inside that tells the giftee that the gift wasn’t initially for them.

Don’t give a gift for the sake of getting rid of it

Just because you don’t want it, doesn’t mean someone else does. If you’re going to get away with regifting, the gift has to at least be suitable for the person to whom you are giving.

Here are some of the items that are good to regift:

• DVDs and CDs you have only watched or listened to once (make sure the cover is clean and the disc isn’t scratched)

• old vinyl records – they don’t have to be mint but playable and clean

• once-read books – ensure pages aren’t dog-eared and the cover is clean

• old picture frames with new pictures inside

• vintage items that your family may have pointed out that they like

• bottles of wine or alcohol

• gift cards – just make sure there’s the full balance on them

Do you have any tips for regifting this Christmas? Do you know of any items that would make great gifts? Do you have any funny regifting stories you can share with our members?