Gift bags

I have had one or two recycled raffle prizes - out of date!

I always re-use gift bags, unless they have been loved too many times already. One Christmas we put our gifts into boxes for everyone. Friends re-filled their box and sent it back the next year, it's been back and forth for 10 years now, still going strong.

I use pretty material and sew "bottle bags" complete with a ribbon to tie round the neck of the bottle

Years ago I had a beautifully wrapped gift from a close friend so for a laugh I re-used the lovely paper for her birthday. Yes, she used it for me the next year and this went on for FIFTEEN years until it finally fell apart !!

There was once a tea set in our village which used to turn up from time to time in raffles. It must have helped to raise hundreds of pounds.

We always recycle bags, also at Christmas we have lovely bottle containers like cardboard tubes which have rotated amongst friends for several years now! I like the post about recycling the raffle prizes I think a lot of folk do that too. Strangely the alcohol never seems to be recycled!

My friend always gives me gifts in lovely, obviously new, gift bags. She's older than me and Scottish - I thought the Scots were supposed to be thrifty.
Anyway, I expect she would be pleased to know that I recycle them.

Aren't we a thrifty lot?

That sounds like fun, LynW. I remember one year when I was organising a school fair tombola, I found lots of badly discoloured silver earrings at a pound shop, different designs. They were dirt cheap (it could even have been four or five for a pound), and came up really well in a drop of silver dip. We raised a lot, and everyone was pleased with their prize for once!

We held a 'surprise' gift in a gift bag and charged £1 a bag to raise money for charity at a November Bazaar last year. Put out an appeal for bags in church magazine and village newsletter and collected the bags months in advance from friends and neighbours as well. Also collected unwanted gifts and buy one get one free offers to fill the bags. We sealed the top with a paper clip so buyer couldn't see what was inside hence the 'surprise.' Went down really well, made some money and everyone went away happy with something nice in their bag. Takes some planning though to get everything collected.

Myself and 2 very good friends agreed we would only spend £5(£2.50 each) on each others birthday present and then we bought a small gift bag that the present must fit inside, it is a challenge. The gift bag is now 9 years old and has been used 28 times so far

Got a big box under the bed with bags in, like to reuse them, some have such a nice design like to see them coming round again. Got one from my d on Mother's Day with shoes all over it and it was one I gave her with her birthday presents.

My DD is a keen recycler so often Gift bags are reused, I also re-use them. It has to be something really spacial for me to go & buy a gift bag.

Sorry rafichagran, probably got it wrong, you may not be at work today! Have a good day.

Happy 60th rafichagran! Shame you have to work.

I think it possibly is a generational thing, eddiecat78. Many of mine have been offered me by the DC - I rather think they'd have gone in the recycling if I hadn't accepted .

Do you think it is just we "old folks" doing this? Someone must be buying new ones!!

(One of my gifts last week came in beautiful patterned tissue - the giver said "I haven`t used any sellotape")

p.s. have been known to cannibalise beautiful birthday/cards to make gift tags!

Always re-cycle gift bags, as do most of our friends - just colour match the tissue or wrapping paper to the bag's main colour and tie the handles with several strands of curled ribbons in contrasting colours.
I also save any paper carrier bags (usually from boutiques ) and cover the name of the shop with a strip(s) of the wrapping paper used for the parcel. Again festoon with curled ribbons and even, if a special event, fix a silk flower of appropriate size to the opening of the bag and pack the opening with crumpled tissue to hide the contents.

I think this is perfectly normal! My small group of friends and I have a constantly circulating number of gift bags and are always delighted to see an old favourite coming back. It's a standing joke between us.

I reckon they only ever produced a couple of thousand bags, that are still doing the rounds...

I've a big plastic box under the spare bed, full of used bags, ribbon, and yes, ironed gift wrap and tissue in all colours. I've another box just with Christmas gift stuff . I was quite put out last week when I'd to go out and buy a bag for an oversized new baby present. I couldn't believe there wasn't one lurking at the bottom of the box.

I have my 60th birthday today, and celebrated Sunday, and at work yesterday. So many gift bags, they will all be recyled and used again. The presents looked lovely and a PP said alot were wrapped in tissue paper. Good idea about the gift tags.

We always re-use these at Christmas.

It is my birthday today and my daughter gave me a present, wrapped in tissue, in a gift bag. She did not write on the card. She knows me well!

Was it the Queen or her mum who used to get wrapping paper ironed so that it could be re-used, and string etc. Well, if it's good enough for Her Maj....