Effects

• One of the most unusual and awkward gifts are "re-gifted" items. Re-gifted gifts are items that you gave to someone in the past that they wrapped up and gave back to you. For example, if you gave your sister a silver necklace last Christmas and this Christmas she gives it back to you, wrapped up with a bow. This is unusual because it is considered to be a faux-pas and a rude gift offering.
  
  

Types

• Unusual gifts can also come in the form of undergarments, depending on who gives it you. For example, if a father-in-law gives his daughter- in-law an S&M outfit or frilly thong underwear, this would be considered extremely inappropriate. Another instance of an unusual gift is when someone hands down a family heirloom such as an unusual voodoo doll or odd-looking painting to someone new to the family.
  
  

Features

• Gag gifts also tend to be unusual gifts, such as whoopie cushions, a wine glass into which someone can pour an entire bottle of wine, and remote control hands. Gag gifts and unusual gifts can come from toy stores or in the form of wacky gadgets such as robotic toy dogs and "pimp my cubicle," kits in which recipients can transform their bland cubicles into pimped-out, blinged-out workspaces.
  
  

Prevention/Solution

• Unusual gifts can also be those that don't involve much thought. Two examples are a bottle of liquor given to someone who doesn't drink, or a gift certificate to a steakhouse given to a vegetarian. While there is no way to completely avoid receiving an unusual gift, one way to prevent it is to let people know what sorts of gifts you would like, especially if there's a certain thing you've had your eye on. Letting people know what gifts you would love can also save them time, money and a lot of stress as they shop for you. If you have a difficult time shopping for gifts and tend to choose gifts for people that are out of the ordinary, try asking people that you're shopping for what sorts of things they like.
  
  

Considerations

• When someone gives you an unusual gift, it is important to be polite and say thank you. Try not to laugh unless the person indicates that the intent of the gift was to amuse the recipient. Often when people give gifts, especially the unusual ones, they've put a lot of thought into it.