by Megan Keefer

Have you ever wanted to get rid of that ugly sweater your grandmother got you? Well now you can with these five easy steps to the art of regifting.

Step one: Wait an appropriate amount of time; don’t give back a gift a year after you got it.

People always seem to remember that pair of woolen toe socks they got you last Easter.

Your friends slaved away at the mall and various department stores to find that perfect gift, only to discover that you gave it away.

Do whatever you can to avoid regifting something to the person who gave it to you.

They might be a wee bit upset to see the shirt they gave you for Kwanzaa when they tear off the wrapping paper of your present.

Step two: Don’t give away the good presents, even if you don’t like it. Gift givers are likely to remember the hyper-expensive necklace they spent four hours looking for at Jared.

So, if it’s too sparkly or is too much fun, you’re better off selling it to a hobo on the street.

Also, don’t regift things like the antique chess set, or knickknacks from a company that no longer exists.

Step three: Make sure your gift isn’t used. Nobody wants a $25 gift card with only $1.42 on it.

If you took it out of the box, put it in a nice box. Do not go for the crumpled shoebox in the back of the closet. There might be creepy critters in that thing.

A good rule for regifting is, if you have to dust it off, it’s not fair game.

By the way, you definitely don’t want to give away the ornamental candle holders that have been sitting on the mantle for three years.

People are bound to notice that, especially if they’ve been to your house.

You don’t want to answer the awkward “Is something missing from the fireplace?” question only for them to figure it out after unwrapping their gift.

Step four: Keep track of who gave you what. If your grandma gives you a book that she enjoys, don’t regift it to someone who tends to your grandmother often. Try to give it to someone outside the family.

Don’t give a friend a gift you got at your ninth birthday party when they were at that very same party.

Always regift outside of the circle of people who know who gave you the gift first.

Avoid the awkwardness that comes with giving the gift back to the person who gave it to you in the first place by keeping a well-maintained ledger.

Someday, it could become a bestselling book.

Step five: Rewrap the gift. It’s really, really obvious that you’ve regifted something when the cool, metallic sheen of fresh wrapping paper is gone from the gift and the bow just doesn’t stay tied like it used to.

Don’t forget to get a new slice of ribbon, and if you want to be really fancy, you can cut the ends of the ribbon at an angle so it looks sophisticated.

When you’re rewrapping, make sure you use the right paper. No one wants to see “Happy Birthday!” on Christmas.

And finally, always keep in mind the season motto: give