'Like empty bottles or soda tabs': Woman is gifted literal garbage for Christmas by her in-laws, then decides to get even by fabricating a sob story that causes them to think twice about their next “gift”

Author image for Jesse Kessenheimer
Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Dec 14, 2024 10:00 AM EST

Gift-giving is not everyone's skill, but most adult humans can be sure about one thing: Trash is not an adequate present for any occasion. 

Sure, they used to say, 'One man's trash is another man's treasure,' but that's not always the case when it comes to the red and green boxes wrapped up under the  Christmas tree. This clueless family in our next story started wrapping up old recyclables and expecting their artsy daughter-in-law to jump for joy while their other siblings were opening $1,000 jewelry boxes. 

Maybe they were right in getting her craft supplies since she is a crafty woman and enjoys creating recycled works of art, but wrapping up dirty used aluminum foil and expecting her to be pleased was a big stretch. Read on to see how this hobbyist turned the tables on some truly horrendous gifts by fabricating a tale of horrors that would make everyone think twice about their next Christmas present idea.

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    Cheezburger Image 10439603968
    via LuckyBusiness

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    AITA for telling my boyfriend's family I needed my hands amputated after they kept giving me "craft supplies" as gifts? Advice Needed
    via rosieqp
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    Hi Reddit, I (25F) have been with my boyfriend (26M) for about three years. I'm really into crafting and love reusing things most people would throw away, like empty bottles or soda tabs. Over time, my
    via rosieqp
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    boyfriend's family started saving things for me, like old cans or random scraps, and honestly, I thought it was super sweet. I've always appreciated that they thought of me.
    via rosieqp
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    But here's where things got kind of... weird. My birthday is super close to my boyfriend's sister's (28F), like only five days apart, so we had a joint birthday party last year. As gifts, they gave me a bag full
    via rosieqp
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    of "craft supplies," like soda tabs, empty bottles, and some random other bits and bobs. I mean, it was thoughtful in a way, but then his sister got these super nice gifts, like a pandora charm bracelet and an apple watch. I felt a little
    via rosieqp
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    embarrassed to be honest, but I kept smiling and thanked them because I really do appreciate gifts in general. My boyfriend noticed, though, and he got really upset―he even wanted to call them out, but I told him to let it go and not cause drama.
    via rosieqp
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    Then last christmas happened. A few days before, I'd hurt my wrists at the gym (nothing major, just a scrape and some bandages), but I hadn't told his family about it since I hadn't seen them. Only my family and my boyfriend knew what actually happened.
    via rosieqp
  • 09
    So christmas morning comes, and we're all opening presents together. His family gave everyone else these amazing gifts-new shoes, jewelry, an iphone, gift cards worth like hundreds of dollars. When I
    via rosieqp
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    opened mine, I got... an empty soda bottle, some used (and dirty) aluminum foil, and a handful of soda tabs. That was it. Look, I'm all about crafting, but this felt kinda insulting. My
    via rosieqp
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    boyfriend was fuming, but we decided to keep quiet for now. Then his family asked me, all smiling, "do you like your gifts?" I just... snapped. I smiled back
    via rosieqp
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    and said, "oh thank you so much! I really appreciate it. But unfortunately, I won't be able to use them anymore because of my accident." They looked confused, so I explained (very seriously) that
    via rosieqp
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    my injury was worse than it looked and that both my hands would have to be amputated. My boyfriend nodded with a straight face and added that we hadn't told anyone yet because it was a really emotional situation for me.
    via rosieqp
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    Their faces went WHITE. They started apologizing, saying they had no idea and how awful they felt. A few of them even looked like they might cry. I just nodded and said, "It's okay, I'm used to it by now," and left it at that. We left shortly after.
    via rosieqp
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    Here's the thing-my hands are totally fine. It was just a couple of scrapes, but I was so hurt and angry about the "gifts" that I wanted them to realize how thoughtless they were being. My boyfriend thinks I was justified, but later
    via rosieqp
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    his sister texted me saying I was cruel for "making a scene" and guilt tripping the whole family on xmas (ig the word got to her that my hands are fine). So now I'm starting to feel a little bad. Did I go too far? AITA?
    via rosieqp
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    Uncle NedisDead There's more to crafts than just junk. There are tools and other mediums that can be bought like adhesives, epoxy, canvas, etc. that can be bought new and given as a gift to show much you care. They did treat you like an afterthought, rummaged through
    via UncleNedisDead
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    their recycle bin and expect you to be grateful for it. But your bf should have dealt with his family immediately after last Christmas instead letting them repeat it this Christmas. They should be embarrassed and ashamed of their treatment of you.
    via UncleNedisDead
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    Top Manufacturer8946 Right? A giftcard to a crafts store with the "materials" would have been a thoughtful gift instead of just straight up trash.
    via Top_Manufacturer8946
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    Suzdg Agreed. Don't care if she said not to make a deal of it, he should have gone to them much sooner and explained why those gifts are insulting. Tho can't believe it has to be explained. NTA.
    via Suzdg
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    bambiipup your boyfriends family are intentionally giving you literal garbage. repeatedly. and that's clearly not their MO to give secondhand, else other relatives would not be receiving new items themselves, which is quite literally crappy. it would've been
    via bambiipup
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    one thing if your craft supplies were new things - like stamps, washi tape, or a hot glue gin or something; recycling is not a gift. but you absolutely should've had - or allowed your boyfriend to have a quiet word with his family when it first became a problem for you. there was no
    via bambiipup
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    need to create such a ridiculous lie in order to get your "point" across, just because you sat with your resentment instead of (letting your partner) having a grown up conversation with the in laws.
    via bambiipup
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    PrescientPorpoise I think it's okay they have more and different gifts for their own kids than inlaws but they shouldn't be giving an inlaw literal trash either.
    via PrescientPorpoise

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