The gift you just got was nice, but the cute little gift bag it came in was even better. Chances are, your collection of gift bags that you just didn’t have the heart to toss out is getting out of control and you need to regroup and reorganize.

Gather and sort

Gather all your gift bags from the various locations you store them in, such as door knobs all over your house, and make one big pile. Pull out the ones that have nicks and don’t look nice enough for regifting. Unless you have the time and patience to carefully tear them apart, cut them to size and roll them up to use as gift wrap, they should go right into the recycling bin. Sort the “keepers” by size and theme. Organize the gift bags into groups such as birthday gift bags, Christmas and other seasonal ones. Open the largest bag in each group and carefully place the others inside so you can quickly grab whatever type of gift bag you need in the future. You can also place tissue paper or ribbons you want to use again in the appropriate gift bag.

Recycle, don’t restock

The bags that made the cut are now ready to be used for gift giving, without the need to buy new bags, otherwise your pile will grow out of proportion. There is no shame in using a perfectly fine gift bag a second time for somebody else’s gift. Quite the opposite, the recipient will happily acknowledge the effort to reduce unnecessary waste. Just remember to remove any names on the bag, or cover with a bright sticker for the occassion.

Put them where they belong

In the meantime these lovely bags need to have a home. One option is under-the-bed clear storage plastic boxes. Consider getting a few smaller ones if you like to organize them by theme. That way you can always pull out the right box without having to go through all bags to find the right one. If the under-the-bed real estate is already occupied and you are pressed for space, consider a large, compartmentalized hanging bag or vertical organizer that can be hung over a door. Alternatively, consider an extra large ladder hook inside a closet or small storage area. This will hold a very large number of bags without taking up too much space.

Now that you have your gift bags neatly stored, you will be ready to gift without wasting time trying to find the right gift bag and making a big mess in the process. If only finding the right gift could be this easy!