25 Of The Most Awful Christmas Presents People Have Gotten

’Tis the season once more for gift giving. After all, we all love to receive tokens from our nearest and dearest that show how well they know our likes and wants. But while some people have been working on their gift list for months, others appear to have spent barely any effort picking out things for their loved ones. Check out the gallery below for some examples of the worst Christmas presents people have ever gotten, making us wonder, does the thought really count in these cases? 

#1 My MIL got me a baking tray again. I have no idea why, because I hate any form of cooking.

Image source: Crayfishforyou, Nathan Dumlao/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

She also gave me a gift token for DH’s favourite restaurant, that I don’t like at all.
DH got me quite pretty, very overpriced polyester PJs, two sizes too big.
I have recently started night sweats and hot flushes. If I didn’t like polyester before, I sure as hell can’t wear it now.
On the plus side MIL hates cats with a passion, and my cat sat staring at her furiously all through the christmas dinner. It really put MIL off her food and that was very funny.

#2 A homemade (but low quality) ham sandwich and a bottle of cheap (really cheap) wine. I don’t eat ham and don’t drink alcohol. It was like the guy just gave me half his lunch and some petrol station quality booze.

Image source: Scirocco, Sarah Stierch/Flickr (not the actual photo)

#3 MIL got me a chest freezer which didn’t fit into my house but conveniently fitted into her utility, she looked after it for me for years. Surprised she didn’t charge me for storage.

Image source: indignantpigmy, Wheeler Cowperthwaite/Flickr (not the actual photo)

#4 My mum once got me a beautiful, glossy diary with renaissance art on every other page. Then she read my diary, decided she didn’t like what I’d written (I was 14) so she said she “burned it”. Thanks mum!

Image source: SwordToFlamethrower , Fredrik Rubensson/Flickr (not the actual photo)

#5 Every year a certain family member gets me bath bombs. I cannot use them as i am alergic to them. I have suggested things i would prefer every year like chocolates or a good bottle of wine. This family member always fails to listen. I am fed up of pretending to be greatful.

Image source: KookyGreenHelper, Corey Balazowich/Flickr (not the actual photo)

#6 When I was about 17 my mother and sister got me a pair of next jeans a couple of sizes too small so I could “fit into them” because I was “going to go on diet anyway”. For context my sister has seriously disordered eating even years after this incident so it’s more a reflection of her own self esteem I think

Image source: Edizzler25, S O C I A L . C U T/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

#7 The most bizarre present I received was from two employees.

Image source: DemonicCaveMaggot, Daniel Martinez/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

It was a china lobster pot, with gold highlights, with china lobsters and crabs running all over it decorated with china roses and a vase as part of the back of it. I think DH and I laughed for about 30 minutes straight after opening it. It took pride of place in our bathroom for many years until a visitor broke it . The following year they gave us a brown resin fish with red rhinestone eyes which I also admired greatly as it was completely insane.

#8 The guy I was dating put £10 in a card. The card was definitely one from a pack, not one he’d specifically chosen for me. Then he got mad because my presents to him were better.

Image source: F**koffeeBeforeCoffee ·, Kateryna Hliznitsova/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

One year, for my birthday (which I know isn’t the question but it’s right after Christmas), my family gave me a stadium tour of the football team my dad and brothers support. I don’t give a s**t about football…

#9 My husband got me SEVEN (individual) pairs of socks that don’t fit. Despite my helpfulness of providing a wish list.

Image source: Shaunthesleep, Andrej Lišakov/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

Women’s socks don’t fit me as I’m very tall and have proportionate feet, so I wear men’s.

I especially can’t wear slippers socks as they are super snug. He proudly presented three pairs “because he’s not seen me wear mine and thought I needed new”.

His face when I said no, they just don’t fit like the pair last year, and the year before and I’ve told you multiple times.

Still. Beats the year he said he’d seen an electric blanket in Lidl and I in no uncertain terms said do not buy me that. He did.

#10 A box of biscuits from my mother. The same year my sibling got a car.

Image source: walltowallkents , Tanaphong Toochinda/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

#11 A half used bottle of perfume

Image source: Cornecopia , Tabish Alam/Flickr (not the actual photo)

#12 My ex husband once gave me two books as stocking fillers – one that was something I would never read, and I had already read the other one. He was always kind, but almost never thoughtful

Image source: Barbarella73 , pure julia/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

#13 I had a boyfriend twice my age when I was 18, we’d nearly dated a year by the time Christmas came round.

Image source: MoonWoman69, Max Ovcharenko/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

For weeks, he kept going on about the amazing Christmas gift he’d got me, I was so excited. I’d bought him some posh aftershave and a nice shaving kit and was looking forward to exchanging presents.
The day came and I giddily opened my present, only to find a money box, a chalk, clown money box… With it’s big red shoe chipped… I kind of looked round, bewildered, thinking it was a joke, but it really wasn’t! He was so smug and so proud of himself for getting me this perfect gift.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I appreciate anything I’m given, I’m not ungrateful at all, I never have been. But it was the whole run up to this gift that was the issue. It was amazing, I’d absolutely love it etc… Talk about a let down! Before anyone jumps in to say maybe it was all he could afford, it wasn’t! He had enough money to go to the pub every night for a few beers! Obviously I wasn’t high on his list!
I think it “sadly” got broken not long after that!
(We broke up a couple of months later when he tried to get me to get with the barmaid of our local pub! She had the good grace to let me in on what was going on, when I shunned her advances. So I marched back into the bar and promptly poured my pint over his head and stomped out! Never saw him again!)

#14 One of my older sisters gave me half a pack of Christmas window stickers.

Image source: StrawberryWater , Vin Crosbie/Flickr (not the actual photo)

Then she had a strop because I didn’t buy her some fancy perfume she’d asked for. I got her a book.

The reason I got her a small token gift in the shape of a book is because she has form for shitty gift giving and I don’t engage with her any more. For my wedding she gave me a few pounds in loose change (I got her a kitchen aid for the record, something she asked for and something that cost me a lot of money). She’s not short of money and neither is her husband.

I knew she’d give me junk again this year so there was no way I was spending anything other than a tenner on her. She’s an entitled cow.

#15 My first husband only ever gave me one gift. A vile plastic bracelet with some cheap gemstones glued onto it. You could see all the glue.

Image source: Gettingbysomehow, Indie Bands With a Mission/Flickr (not the actual photo)

I dumped his sorry arse years ago but was absolutely fuming when I saw the birthday present he gave to our son for his 40th ….it was a used CD I remember him buying many years ago of the musical Oliver. Not wrapped no card just a note to say please send this back when you’ve watched it.

#16 A box of naice but out-of-date chocolate biscuits from an Uncle. It was a regift as we had given them to him last year. He didn’t even bother to remove the gift tag that I had stuck on!

Image source: BeeCucumber, David Pursehouse/Flickr (not the actual photo)

#17 My fil and his second wife, who was horrible, bought me an expensive bottle of an obscure liqueur every single year. I don’t drink alcohol often and if I do, I certainly don’t drink that muck.

Image source: Wendolino, Maria das Dores/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

I tried to tell them not to get me anything and told them several times that I don’t drink, but every year it turned up.
Anyway, my friend’s mum was always grateful for them as prizes in a raffle she organised!

#18 DH once gave me a posh (Japanese?) carving knife as my Christmas present.

Image source: RockaLock, Kira auf der Heide/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

I hadn’t asked for one, so I was a bit confused – until the turkey was ready to serve and he said “where’s that new carving knife?” and proceeded to open up “my” present and use it.

He has got a lot better at present buying since then…

#19 A size 18 to 20 dressing gown from DH. I am small size 10 ?. I was less than impressed and managed to wrap it aoj d me twice. Thankfully I took it back to Tesco as he kept the receipt to swap it. The lady who swapped it burst out laughing when I told her it was for and wondered if he wore his Christmas dinner instead of got to eat it.

Image source: Fundays12 , Olivie Strauss/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

#20 After having my first baby in the November, I asked my mum for a pair of boots for Christmas, when she gave me my present I was quite excited as it was a box the same size as if it was the boots I wanted, when I opened it I was mortified to see it was a soft doll with a baby one in its pocket, when I asked her why she thought I would want that as I had a 4 week old baby, her response was “well I like it so if you don’t want it then I’ll have it” she then went and put it on her bed

Image source: 60sbird, kroszk/Flickr (not the actual photo)

#21 Ped Egg from my MIL, i asked DH why an earth she got me that and he said because i was always moaning my feet were rough. No dear YOU were always moaning my feet were rough

Image source: HeadsAlwaysSpinnig, Amazon (not the actual photo)

#22 Cotton wool pads. Two packets, each separately wrapped and under the Christmas tree. From my parents. I was 22, broke and certainly not someone who “had everything” or hard to buy for- I love reading, music, you name it. Even a voucher would have been fine!!

Image source: TheListThatNeverEnds, Content Pixie/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

#23 My then mid twenties SIL bought my husband (her brother) and me (also mid-twenties) a framed photo of herself.

Image source: meatyryvita, Gilbert-Noël Sfeir Mont-Liban/Flickr (not the actual photo)

#24 Twilight pin badges from an ex. I don’t even like the movies that much

Image source: Lilacbloomers , Etsy (not the actual photo)

#25 So much choice with my MIL. I should have known the bar was set low when the first year I was dating DH she got me a crochet toilet roll holder for Xmas .

Image source: Puravida23, Etsy (not the actual photo)

Nothing says welcome to the family more than that. There followed numerous random presents over the years . I particularly liked the purple dress phase where I received no less than 5 purple dresses in a row for birthday and Xmas. All different styles and sizes from an 8 to a 14 and all arriving without tags so couldn’t even return. I have never shown a preference for purple clothes so who knows where that came from
She died a few years ago and I do miss her at Xmas