Handmade Presents For A Hoarder.

[rere]

So I always knew my husband's uncle had a lot of stuff but last week I found out he has a serious hoarding problem.My husband had to unexpectedly go to his house and said it was full.There are only paths to get from one room to the next.

Last year for Christmas we gave him a food present but my husband went a little over board with it.So this year I made him a lap blanket and a heat up rice bag(he has bad knees).But now I feel bad about giving him any more "stuff"but at the same time I really can't afford some fancy food gift like the one my husband put together last year.

So what would you do?

[andiamomama]

The lap blanket and rice bag are super thoughtful gifts, you should be proud to give them. My mom's a hoarder too, and it's hard to think that anything I give her will just go into a pile somewhere. The items you mentioned seem like ones he would actually use, rather than just stash.

I thought food gifts were ideal too - you know, "consumables" - but chances are they end up stashed just the same. I just helped clean my mom's fridge and found the past 2+ years' worth of food gifts in it, most of them unopened. I think she thinks they're "too good" to eat and saves them for a special occasion which never comes. Then I get to come over and throw them out because they're expired. how fun!

I try not to obsess too much about the hoarding behavior, I do reduce the volume/size of gifts but don't think about what she'll do with them after receiving them. That's what gifts are about anyway, right? Once they leave our hands, they're no longer ours.

[Breathless Wonder]

I have family with a hoarding problem, and I always try to give them gift certificates (grocery store, restaurant- which means nothing being brought home to add to the clutter), or purchase services for them (massage, spa, car repair, leaf raking, that kind of thing).

[rere]

Originally Posted by andiamomama

The lap blanket and rice bag are super thoughtful gifts, you should be proud to give them. My mom's a hoarder too, and it's hard to think that anything I give her will just go into a pile somewhere. The items you mentioned seem like ones he would actually use, rather than just stash.

I thought food gifts were ideal too - you know, "consumables" - but chances are they end up stashed just the same. I just helped clean my mom's fridge and found the past 2+ years' worth of food gifts in it, most of them unopened. I think she thinks they're "too good" to eat and saves them for a special occasion which never comes. Then I get to come over and throw them out because they're expired. how fun!

I try not to obsess too much about the hoarding behavior, I do reduce the volume/size of gifts but don't think about what she'll do with them after receiving them. That's what gifts are about anyway, right? Once they leave our hands, they're no longer ours.

Thank you for this.It made me feel a lot better.I also talked to my husband about it who essentially said the same thing.

Originally Posted by Breathless Wonder

I have family with a hoarding problem, and I always try to give them gift certificates (grocery store, restaurant- which means nothing being brought home to add to the clutter), or purchase services for them (massage, spa, car repair, leaf raking, that kind of thing).

Thank you.That is a good idea but I'm really trying to make all the presents and I would feel a little weird about handing out handmade presents to everyone except one person.

[noobmom]

I would make a food gift that couldn't be stored. Like a batch of homemade cookies and a fruit tower. Something that must be eaten or it'll just go bad.

[ms.shell]

how about something to hold stuff? like a fabric basket or box or bucket. pretty sure i have some bookmarked....
http://www.michaelmillerfabrics.com/...oft_basket.pdf
http://homemadebyjill.blogspot.com/s.../quick%20craft (there's an awesome fabric bucket near the bottom of the page)
...that's all i see in my bookmarks, altho i know i have seen a lot of cute versions, including boxes, all around the web.
or also along the same lines, totes and other utilitarian bags are always easy.

although, i do think the gifts you have already made would be loved.