25+ Gift givers who gave the worst presents ever: 'Suddenly, she no longer wanted to exchange gifts'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Dec 18, 2024 3:00 PM EST

What's the worst present you've ever received (or given)? Some people just are not good at gifting things to others. We all have that one aunt who gives everyone ill-fitting clothes, or hands out toys that the kiddos are way too old to play with. 

Although, as you can read in the answers of this hilarious r/AskReddit thread below, a lot of people have given bad gifts on purpose! For a few folks, getting subpar presents from the same person year after year started to grate on them. One person shared that they would spend hundreds of dollars on gifts each year, but then would only receive cheap tee shirts in return. Another person kept regifting the same perfume bottle over and over! They got away with that one by telling the person that the used bottle was "vintage." 

Keep scrolling below and read about a bunch of terrible presents that no one wants to receive. You can make sure you aren't giving your relatives one of these unwanted gifts… but unless you're giving a family member a single sock or expired chocolate, you're probably in the clear. 

Next up, this mom decided to visit her 15-year-old son instead of going to her other child's wedding, telling that kid that the world doesn't revolve around them. 

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    Cheezburger Image 10443489024
    via Patrick Pahlke on Unsplash+

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

  • 02
    What's the intentionally worst Christmas gift you've ever given?
    via u/Particular_Sand_5600
  • 03
    Derp_a_deep My wife had a boss that she absolutely hated. Years ago he made the local newspaper on some fluff story and my parents, unaware of the hatred, mailed us the article with his big dumb smiling mug. Since they, my wife and I take turns hiding the newspaper clipping somewhere unexpected. like taped to
    via u/Derp_a_deep
  • 04
    the bottom of her mouse, or tucked inside my phone case, or in the weird pocket in her purse she never looks in, or stashed with her hygiene products, or in her coat pocket, or at the bottom of her car console etc. Well, guess who's getting a giant custom mousepad this year...
    via u/Derp_a_deep
  • 05
    scotchwilldo Divorce papers. By my Lawyer disguised as an elf.
    via u/scotchwilldo
  • 06
    Few-Stock-3458 My brother was notoriously cheap when we were teenagers. One year, I gave him an apple core, 11 pennies, and a broken pencil.
    via u/Few-Stock-3458
  • 07
    SomebodyYetN... I have a sister in law that gives the absolute worst gifts. She finds out you have an interest in something and then beats it to death for every occasion a gift needs to be given, or regifts you things she got for free.
    via u/SomebodyYetNobody
  • 08
    This year her adult daughter got a puppy, so we are gifting her all sorts of things themed to get being a dog Grandma. A sign, a key chain, a license plate border, and a cling for her car window. All bought cheaply.
    via u/SomebodyYetNobody
  • 09
    SerenityViolet My SIL would buy very boring and cheap gifts for my kids. I don't usually care very much about the actual gift, we have other family members who aren't well off, and I usually respect that people do what they can. However, my brother has a very good job, and earns way more than anyone else
    via u/SerenityViolet
  • 10
    in the extended family. It wasn't even the cost as we had a agreed limit, it was the effort, and to be frank, my SIL is a cheapskate. So, while I was buying her kids art sets and Lego, usually quality products brought on sale, she'd buy cheap t-shirts, towels, socks and the like in return.
    via u/SerenityViolet
  • 11
    Eventually, when the kids were in thier late teens, I went all passive-aggressive and just brought the same gift she gave the next time. So, if she brought towels for my kids one year, I'd buy towels for hers the next year.
    via u/SerenityViolet
  • 12
    That lasted 2 years. Suddenly, she no longer wanted to exchange gifts. I still genuinely believe that she has no clue why the quality of presents dropped.
    via u/SerenityViolet
  • 13
    Ok-Lavishness-... Ok, this was a birthday present, but one of my buds. had given me a plaid shirt the previous year, pulled it off my closet rack, rewrapped and regifted it to me. He laughed and laughed
    via u/Ok-Lavishness-7904
  • 14
    TehLadyK I gifted my aunt a chocolate teapot. Like an actual teapot made of chocolate.
    via u/TehLadyK
  • 15
    AuroraQuill A single sock. Not a pair, just one.
    via u/AuroraQuill
  • 16
    eelegant_azure A half-empty bottle of perfume I found in a drawer, wrapped it up and pretended it was a 'vintage' scent. They loved it... until they realized it was the one I got them last year.
    via u/eelegant_azure
  • 17
    EmmalouEsq A coffee table book of cats wearing wigs.
    via u/EmmalouEsq
  • 18
    sweetsarahanne My SIL who is a traveling nurse in FL gave me a burned copy of a Monte Python movie. 1. I already had the entire collection. 2. It didn't even work, as I kept that copy at my BF place and went to watch it. I
    via u/sweetsarahanne
  • 19
    bought her her favorite and frankly expensive perfume that year and every year before. She ran out and was expecting her bottle the next year. Nope.
    via u/sweetsarahanne
  • 20
    xx_Khaleesi0708 Not sure about given but I received coal from my little cousins one year
    via u/xx_Khaleesi0708
  • 21
    Throwthatfboat... Hand towels. We were even asked what we want for Christmas. Our answer wasn't hand towels.
    via u/Throwthatfboatow
  • 22
    puledrotauren Sent an exploding glitter bomb to an ex. Thousands of little over the place. The note inside said 'since you like strange all so much here's a lifetime supply'. What's funnier is that their tradition is for the whole family to go
    via u/puledrotauren
  • 23
    to mom and dads to open presents. She was quite irate when she emailed me about it and I just said laughs like an evil troll and you're blocked.
    via u/puledrotauren
  • 24
    rainbow_drab Some goofy dinosaur earrings that were supposed to be a gag gift for a quick chuckle. The recipient didn't like them and seemed to be reading into me giving him. jewelry as a romantic thing. He awkwardly pretended to like the gift, and then spent several months lashing out at me to put me in my place and make sure I knew he was uninterested.
    via u/rainbow_drab
  • 25
    RoseWould Soap box full of broken ciga tte lighters.
    via u/RoseWould
  • 26
    Bob DolesSickM... My former roommate had a habit of getting me Christmas/birthday presents, but somehow mysteriously losing or breaking any that I gave to her. (I found out later that she didn't want any gifts from me because apparently she felt sorry for me because I made less money than she did.)
    via u/BobDolesSickMixtape
  • 27
    So I just broke one of her wineglasses one day when she was at work, boxed it up, and wound up giving it to her as a present, to be passive-aggressive about it. I just pretended I'd somehow, accidentally, broken it in the box without realizing it.
    via u/BobDolesSickMixtape
  • 28
    I don't think she even realized that it was one of her wineglasses. She had a fair amount (plus she broke them all the time too, since she was an alc ic).
    via u/BobDolesSickMixtape
  • 29
    GeeklnSheiksCl... I got my parents squatty potties. I knew they wouldn't use them, but I wanted them to know I thought they were constipated.
    via u/GeeklnSheiksClothing
  • 30
    Shoadowolf Gave my brother a box of tampons as revenge after he gave me a similar gift years back
    via u/Shoadowolf
  • 31
    spikesparrow I didn't give either of these gifts but received them instead. One was from my at the time best friend who gave me an already scratches loosing lotto ticket. And the other was from my mother and she gave me a can of coke.
    via u/spikesparrow
  • 32
    Helpful-Standa... My dad's mother (a truly terrible excuse for a human) had a habit of giving the absolute worst items as gifts to my mother (who she hated) and then later to me and my sibling. She was fully aware/mentally capable, just spiteful.
    via u/Helpful-Standard9107
  • 33
    Some of her best were: • Soiled towels . . • Two very dated dressing gowns that smelled like literal decomposing flesh
    via u/Helpful-Standard9107
  • 34
    ● My personal favourite to receive as a 7 year old was a row of hooks (plain wood with about 4 brass hooks, 5 inches long for keys I assume) and a single small copper cupboard door handle shaped like a coffee cup.
    via u/Helpful-Standard9107
  • 35
    Particular_S... OP I spent all the money on a gift card from my ex and then gave it back the next year in a new sleeve that said it had $50. He acted really excited.
    via u/Particular_Sand_5600
  • 36
    He never noticed (never tried to spend it) and we were together for 2 years after that when he cheated on me. I don't feel bad now but I regretted it while we were still together.
    via u/Particular_Sand_5600
  • 37
    Arsha_goshi A can of peas
    via u/Arsha_goshi
  • 38
    greyathena653 Doormat. Gave it to my boss, card explained it was so she'd have something else to walk all over and included my resignation. effective immediately.
    via u/greyathena653
  • 39
    HighlandsBen I haven't actually done this yet, but I'd pick up on their favourite hobby and get something misguided or super low quality. So they think you've tried to be thoughtful and they annoyingly need to feign gratitude. If someone is into gardening, cheap trowels, spades, rakes etc can be so
    via u/HighlandsBen
  • 40
    flimsy and bendy nowadays they are effectively useless. Or if they're into skincare, find something cheap that looks nice, but has a very strong fragrance or other irritating ingredients. Or targets one of their insecurities.
    via u/HighlandsBen
  • 41
    micmea1 This is kinda cheating, because it always turns into a popular item...but I stole the "Cheap Date" gift idea from some reddit thread. You go to the liquor store and get the cheapest bottle of wine they have in stock (picked up one for $6). Then go to your local super walmart and get a sleeve of ritz crackers, off brand cheez-wizz, and a movie
    via u/micmea1
  • 42
    from the $1 bin. No need for wrapping paper, just use the paper bag from the liquor store and draw hearts all over it. I've done this at 2 office holiday parties that did the whole white elephant thing. My boss won it one year and she said the wine was actually pretty good.
    via u/micmea1
  • 43
    elacsapeiram Balsamic vinegar... thanks mom
    via u/elacsapeiram
  • 44
    Tomwiththebad... Salt & pepper shakers & fuzzy socks. I still remind him every xmas what NOT to get me.
    via u/Tomwiththebadbreath
  • 45
    zestymangococ... My ex bought me a Christmas present. We split up before Christmas. He told me he gave it to a friend, but I could buy it from him for $50. He had said the gift (a sewing machine) had been given to him but him having it repaired was going to cost him $50 and we weren't together anymore, did I want a $50 sewing machine?
    via u/zestymangococonut
  • 46
    Sparing the whole sad breakup story, I got the dang machine and it's broken We are no longer together, but I still, almost fondly remember the time a guy dumped me
    via u/zestymangococonut
  • 47
    ClaryClarysage I've posted about this before, but my Grandma gets everyone insane presents so every year I get her a dog toy and she still hasn't figured it out even though some have squeakers.
    via u/ClaryClarysage
  • 48
    Altruistic_Work... My out of state relatives gave me and my family and expired on double clearance tin of popcorn. Two clearance stickers on top of each other it was like $4 all together. We still mention it in passing to this day.
    via u/Altruistic_Work
  • 49
    Cupcake489 A cat mug with point ears perfectly placed to poke you in both eyes as you drink or stab you in the cheeks if you drink from the other side. My mom wanted a new mug for Christmas and frankly I was ped at her.
    via u/Cupcake489
  • 50
    DocMondegreen My stepmother and I are engaged in a Cold War surrounding the worst Christmas decorations we can find. She buys me something ugly, I try to top it. I think she's currently winning.
    via u/DocMondegreen
  • 51
    Unfortunately, I think she's just that tacky and likes the abominable creations I find at local craft shows. It helps my peace of mind to think of this as an ugly war, though, and allows me to ignore the fact that she thinks I'll like poinsettia doilies or melting snow man statues.
    via u/DocMondegreen
  • 52
    ItsGotToMakeS... My kids were obsessed with that one christmas sone "Santa bring my brother a big ol' box of rocks", so naturally we got them one. It was a hit.
    via u/ItsGotToMakeSense
  • 53
    |_ sugarcookies My ex-SIL gave us a gift card to a restaurant near her house, around a 45 minute drive from us. When we went to spend it, we found out it was only worth $5. We had spent hundreds on her and her kids.
    via u/_ sugarcookies
  • 54
    froiwok Canned tuna and Tuna casserole helper box. Had $25 limit white elephant so I got a bunch of desk toys to hit $25 then spent extra for the tunas. Gift recipient was not happy with the tuna lol
    via u/froiwok
  • 55
    Jolly_Appearan... First of all nothing, then debated whether to regift me a bizarre scarf that had been given to her, in front of me. Decided against it and gave it to the other daughter in law instead.
    via u/Jolly_Appearance_747

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