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What's the worst gift you've ever been given?

(176 Posts)
HelenLake Tue 19-Mar-24 10:40:11

Let's be honest, we've all received a gift and had to pretend we like it.

Mines probably a henry hoover for Christmas... that sucked 😅 It was a bit of a jokey gift, as my husband told me he won it in a work raffle. He did buy me a really nice necklace that year so he clawed back some brownie points 🤣

Yoginimeisje Fri 22-Mar-24 10:47:36

Nice read smile

My little boy, about 6yrs, was given this large, beautifully wrapped gift at Xmas from his granddad [father's side]. He was so excited to open it, big box to ripe open...only to find a wellington boot holder! My f.i.l always bought peculiar gifts, but a very generous [cash] and thoughtful man overall.

CBBL Fri 22-Mar-24 10:40:02

From my 46 year old Step-daughter (who hated me with a passion) a broken, marked down many times, wine rack - final price £1.50 with all the stickers left in place!

I put it in the bin!

Grammaretto Fri 22-Mar-24 08:46:47

I am guilty of giving unorthodox gifts. One Christmas I gave each family - I have 4 adult DC with families - a heavy sellotape dispenser, the sort you can use with one hand.
They thanked me the following year when they realised how simple it made wrapping presents.

If I find something I like I buy one for each of them.

Saggi Fri 22-Mar-24 08:20:41

Well done Spuddy ….im a ‘plain Jane’…and refused to ‘kid’ anyone I wasn’t . The time and patience needed to ‘put on your face ‘ every bloody , tedious day…..no thank you. Too many good books out there to read and grandkids to cherish! My daughter went the opposite way …had a makeup head thing for Xmas when she turned 13 …I was happy to buy it for her and has spent a small fortune on her face and hair ever since . HER daughter though is a ‘mini-me’ and at going on 14 , just laughs at the idea of make-up!
We’re all different ….thats what makes us all fun!

NotSpaghetti Fri 22-Mar-24 07:58:59

Lesley60

My mother in law bought me a pair of tea towels

I love beautiful tea towels. 😍
I had three hand woven very plain linen ones from a daughter a couple of years ago. ...I had asked for them though.

NotSpaghetti Fri 22-Mar-24 07:47:15

M0nica

A secondhand mauve petticoat. All wrapped up for Christmas

This is just THE perfect gift M0nica! grin
I hope it was the wrong size too!

Grammaretto Fri 22-Mar-24 05:40:26

The carving knife ikiesgrandma reminded me of the year my DSiL and her DH gave us a box of knives.
It included a machete I think. It came in a heavy black box with a padlock looking like a criminal's toolkit. It had been cheap from a man in the pub.
I may have mentioned that I didn't have a sharp knife!
I couldn't get rid of it fast enough 😂

Bluesmum Fri 22-Mar-24 00:40:42

A snow shovel for Christmas, a joint present to me and my late husband, bought by my best friend!!! In all fairness, I had some lovely gifts from her over the years, this one was the exception!

Ikiesgranma Fri 22-Mar-24 00:30:30

One of my friends bought my son a balaclava for Christmas three years on the run. Another friend accepted my Christmas gifts for her and her two sons then said “I’m not buying gifts anymore “ shame she didn’t let me know sooner 😂

Celieanne86 Fri 22-Mar-24 00:11:11

No 1 was a terrys chocolate orange on my 21st birthday from my then boyfriend who said well I know you like them.
And No 2 was a twin tub washing machine as my first Christmas present from my new husband who said it would save me a lot of work. Neither went down very well 😡

Ikiesgranma Fri 22-Mar-24 00:05:14

My mil gave me an oven glove and £5 for Christmas many years ago and gave my husband a pair of gloves and £5. Another year she bought us an electric carving knife between us. For our wedding present her whole family (she was youngest of 11 all clubbed together and bought us an ironing board! My uncle gave us a set of 6 glasses which he collected when buying petrol. It was in 1985. He even wrapped them in the blue paper you get at the petrol station 😂😂

NannieDeb Thu 21-Mar-24 23:18:25

On my 18th birthday my boyfriend went out with his mates for the day and when he got back gave me a tiny glass piano. I have never been musical. I should have seen the signs then, but oh no, I went on to marry him. He did occasionally buy gifts that I did like, usually after I’d dropped enough hints, however I did eventually see the light and he is now my ex-husband grin

Cronaca Thu 21-Mar-24 22:58:44

Ironing board for Christmas

Grammaretto Thu 21-Mar-24 22:40:20

Reading through these I begin to see why the charity shops are full of things you cannot imagine anyone actually choosing in the first place!

Luckily my in-laws always gave us a cheque.
There's to be a raffle on Saturday night so we're to bring donations for it. I'm sure I have something to take get rid of

SuperTinny Thu 21-Mar-24 22:37:37

kittylester

A steam iron - he never did that again!!

A blender for Christmas............................... our first child was just six weeks old....................... himself thought it would useful for blending baby food. Indeed it would, but I was intending to get one in the January sales.
I tactfully made a rule for future presents, no basic clothes (socks, underwear, bedclothes etc....) or household items from either of us to either of us. It has made us both more creative when thinking about what we might like for Christmas, b'days etc.

AnD1 Thu 21-Mar-24 22:19:27

My Husband said your ore sent is parked in the drive, my heart missed a beat thinking maybe he had bought me my own car. He did it was a dinky model car parked on the deprive, he thought it hilarious, me nit so. I bought, actually borrowed, a walking frame as a joke and parked it on the drive. I told him present is on the drive, he was not amused!

DeeAitch56 Thu 21-Mar-24 22:15:39

Late MIL used to buy all 3 DIL the same gift one year we all got a size 12 blouse - I was a size 8, one DIL was a size 16 and the other was a size 20, however one year she got my 5 yr old son a pair of printed jeans with ‘Have a break have a quick cr#p’ she thought it said Kit-Kat, they went in the recycling bag

icanhandthemback Thu 21-Mar-24 21:01:20

Where should I start? My husband is hopeless with gifts and even if I give him a list with links, he leaves it too late to turn up on time. One year I asked for Paving Slabs but got very expensive lingerie which gave me a rash every time I wore it.
My sister has totally different tastes to mine but is always trying to enlighten me with her gifts. Half the time I’m not even sure what they are!
One of the most disappointing gifts was when my main present at Christmas turned out to be an M&S quilted paisley skirt which you could turn inside out to get a different colour way. I was 15 and it looked to me as if it was for an old lady of, say, at least 30! I hated it with a vengeance.

Warbler Thu 21-Mar-24 20:54:33

A long handled dustpan and brush. I nearly wrapped it around his neck. He won't do that again. (I hope).

Warbler Thu 21-Mar-24 20:53:27

I had the same calendar that HomeAgain123 received. It was awful. Really? A calendar with a few seeds embedded in the paper. January's seeds were for hot chillies. I can't stand hot chillies. I take omaprazole for indigestion. From the same person I had a bottle of port from Fortnum and Mason which for someone who regularly shops at Aldi and never drinks port is ridiculous. I would rather have had one bottle of nice wine.

undines Thu 21-Mar-24 20:50:04

Size 14 knickers (I'm an 8/10) given by a stepson and his girlfriend one Christmas, and probably bought in the January sales 11 months earlier!

Eirlys Thu 21-Mar-24 20:35:58

I;ve been rather fortunate then as I haven't really been given anything I didn't like. A friend, however, who hated tea and always drank coffee, was given a selection of tea by her new DIL. who knew all about her aversion.

Eirlys Thu 21-Mar-24 20:32:47

loopyloo

My D H bought me a paperback called how to flatten your stomach!
I still have it and I never did manage it.

I'd have flattened him! :O)

Snowbell Thu 21-Mar-24 20:31:52

One Christmas my mum gave me and each of my siblings a pick axe!!

MamaB247 Thu 21-Mar-24 20:14:17

Ooo *f have loved a Henry and at the same time hate jewellery so seems we are pillar opposites OP