DIY Gag Gifts: All You Need to Know

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There are various occasions throughout the year where gag gifts are required. It can be difficult though to choose what to buy or make what is funny yet not offensive. Often this depends on your relationship with who it is for and the occasion. A gag gift to a close friend would be quite different than something you might give a new co-worker. Here are a few different ideas that vary from edible to functional to down-right silly.

Eco-Friendly

Friends that tend to be eco-conscious might find this gag gift rather amusing and won’t cost you a penny. All that is required is a piece of cardboard, scissors and possibly some tape. Simply cut out a shape that resembles a pair of sandals, whether that be designed as a flip-flop or something more complex and give it to them as a gift with the tag saying, “100% Recyclable slippers”.

Silly

These silly ideas won’t take much preparation. Head to your back or front yard, find a dry twig, wrap it in a box or simply put a ribbon around it and add a note saying, “This is a yardstick. I found it in my yard.” Gift sorted. Another silly gag gift would include printing out a little note in the shape of a ticket and writing or typing in, “This is a free ticket. It’s not good for anything…it’s just free.” The following is one might take a bit more preparation but is perfect for someone who enjoys solving puzzles or putting things back together. Pull out an old jigsaw puzzle that you won’t miss, empty out all the pieces, find a place where you can collect sawdust, fill the box and neatly wrap it. Now all they have to do is put the pieces back together.

Reusable

Then there are gag gifts that might actually be useful and reusable to someone. One idea would be to buy a good amount of toilet paper, depending on the size that you desire, and layering them like a cake with one roll sitting on top of the other. After the “cake” has been created, start adorning it with ribbons, flowers and color to make it resemble a cake. They will thank you when they run out of toilet paper at home. Many electronic toys come with the note saying “batteries not included” so why not switch it around and wrap up a few batteries with the note, “Gift not included”.

Tasty

If functional and silly gag gifts don’t appeal to you, maybe tasty treats are more your style. Put mints into a clear glass jar and label each jar with a description of what these “pills” are supposed to be curing and how often they should be taken. An example would be one saying “Anti-aging Pills. Take one per day to help turn back the clock. In case of emergency, take them all at once.” If you have a friend that is focused on eating low-calorie, low-carb foods, purchase a regular bottle of water and put your own label on it saying “Diet Water”.

Another food-related idea is to mix up a batch of your favorite cookie dough and wrap it up with a bow and a note saying, “We thought this would come in handy since everyone is a little short on dough around Christmas time.” If you have someone who loves smoking cigars, find an old cigar box and throw in chocolate wafers that resemble cigars with the label, “Sweet Smoke”. Finally, if you have a friend who is single and looking for a partner, bake and decorate a yummy gingerbread person. In a card, write: “I’ve found you the perfect match. They are rich, sweet and if they misbehave you can bite off their head. Have fun with these gifts and try and create your own idea based on what you have around the house and your imagination.