The Best (and Worst) Gifts to Buy at Marshalls
We all want bargains when it comes to gifting. But a budget price tag is the last thing we want our giftees to note. Enter: Marshalls’s surprisingly vast home goods department, which is teeming with inexpensive (yet totally classy) giftables. Here, five fabulous ideas lurking in those heavily discounted aisles—plus two you should probably avoid.
RELATED: 4 Things You Should Always Buy At Home Goods (and 3 You Shouldn’t)
Buy: Gourmet Dry Goods and Oils
Think: Fancy vinegars, beautifully decanted olive oils or artisanal salts that would be twice the price at retailers like Williams Sonoma. We love the idea of scooping up a few of these guys and setting them in a colander or salad bowl to transform the presentation.
Buy: Bathroom Accents
Speaking of lovely imported things, treat your favorite pal (or MIL) to a gift she’d never get herself: A French bar soap (typically clocking in around $5) and a pretty hand towel or two.
Skip: Throws
Yes, they’re super attractive upon first glance, but in our experience, the throw selection at Marshalls is largely synthetic (aka made of unnatural fibers that don’t wear or wash so well). You want your Christmas gift to last past Memorial Day, right?
Buy: Decorative Glass
Sift through the shelves of glass bowls, coasters, vases, candlestick holders and more and you’ll likely find some heavyweight, unique imported options that look way more expensive than they are. (The above number could run you as little as $20.) With a gorgeous gift box and satin bow, the overall effect is très luxe.
Buy: Picture Frames
Your mom always requests a photo of the kiddos. But frames can be bonkers-pricey. Not so at Marshalls, where on several occasions, we’ve scored beauties from high-end retailers (in their original box) for as little as $15.
Skip: Candles
If we’re being honest, candles are a lackluster idea in general. But if you must go that route, opt for an aspirational, high-end option. Note: This does not mean you have to stop scouring the candle aisle for your own discounted Yankees anytime soon (sorry, not sorry).
Buy: Cards and giftwrap
We’re all about elevated gift presentation, but not fans of spending money on expensive wrap and cards that will end up in the recycling bin. To that end, Marshalls has a fantastic selection of decorative tissue, beautiful papers and boxed card sets. Bottom line: With gorg wrapping, they’ll never know it was on clearance.
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