Second-hand Christmas is a first-rate idea, according to these Yukoners

Re-gifting is not a dirty word to Tara Kolla.

Kolla owns The Wish Factory in downtown Whitehorse. The small shop is home to a colourful collection of antiques, vintage clothes and crafts. 

Re-gifting was added to the lexicon in the '90s thanks to a canny episode of Seinfeld.

"I think people are a little bit more stoked on it now than they were before," said Kolla.

This holiday season, some shoppers may be looking to re-gift, thrift or make their own gifts. According to Statistics Canada, inflation is up 6.9 per cent compared to last year. Even the price of Christmas trees is up by 10 per cent. 

Kolla says wandering around her store — that's packed from floor to ceiling — you may see something that makes you think of someone. 

"So even if that sparks that joy in something that someone else has enjoyed as well, then that's lovely," said Kolla. 

But she admits her teenagers aren't looking for second-hand gifts and would prefer an Amazon gift card.

Customer Kristy Bryan says she likes thrifting for gifts because it makes shopping much more deliberate. 

"When it comes to thrifted items, I hope the shame associated with it can be diminished," she said. 

"I know that it can be seen as cheaping out or purchasing something less valuable. But I think if you really focus on the point, which is to save resources, it's better for the environment and you're supporting small businesses like The Wish Factory," said Bryan. 

"If we could celebrate those aspects then I think more people would do it."

Crafting as a gift

Joyce Majiski is a Yukon-based artist who works with recycled materials. That also extends to her gift wrapping. 

"I used to be really dismayed, and still am, at the amount of packaging used to wrap presents. It's a one-time use, shiny, glossy paper that's used once and then thrown out," she said. "Heaps of stuff thrown out."

Majiski says she used to paint old newspapers to wrap gifts, but says another option is wrapping a gift in an old T-shirt tied with a ribbon. 

It's also a chance to get kids involved, helping to make card or gift tags from old paper, she says. 

"[Making gifts] takes time for sure, and not everybody has the time and I get that." 

Majiski has many projects on the go at her home and studio just south of Whitehorse, including a braided rug made with old socks. 

"Everybody has a sock with a hole in it," she said. "You can gather your old socks or the socks that the dryer eats."

She makes ropes from the socks, braids them, then sews the braids together. 

For shoppers looking to spend nothing, Yukon's Free Stores are another possibility.

Majiski works at the Mount Lorne Free Store — where she finds lots of items to bring home, including her collection of rescue stuffies.

Holiday pressure

Kolla and Majiski both say the pressure to buy gifts for everyone can take the joy out of the holidays.

Kolla says it's the thought that counts so a card with a nice message or a batch of cookies are good options. 

"I'm a big sucker for love and gratitude and we have so much to be thankful for," said Kolla. 

"Instead of the stress that Christmas can bring sometimes, like running around buying the last pair of socks for so-and-so because they're coming for dinner, you don't really have to do that," said Majiski. 

"Just getting together and having a meal and enjoying the company of your friends is really valuable and a really great gift to give each other."