25 Strangest Gifts Ever Given

Posted by , Updated on February 7, 2024

It is no exaggeration to say that most of us are not very good at giving gifts. It can be really hard to know what people want, which is why so many inappropriate gifts have been given. However, as you will see in today’s post, there are people out there who have taken giving bad gifts to a whole new level. From severed human ears and hospital gowns to dead baby sharks and books made from human skin, here are 25 Strangest Gifts Ever Given.

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25

Lampshade Made from Human Skin

Lamp Nightstand Crochet TowelSource: cracked.com

Collector Skip Henderson bought a very bizarre lampshade at a New Orleans store that – after investigation – turned out to be made from human skin. Terrified by the discovery, Henderson gave the lampshade to his friend Mark Jacobson.

24

Book Called "Coping with Being Adopted"

reading bookSource: boredpanda.com

A book with this title makes a bizarre gift regardless of the occasion, but receiving it from Santa while being an unsuspecting high school student is downright creepy.

23

Styrofoam Alligator Head with Light-Up Eyes

alligator headSource: distractify.com

A styrofoam alligator head with light-up eyes does not sound like the most useful gift. Especially if it is meant to be used as a pool toy and you don’t have a pool.

22

Severed Human Ear

human earSource: hollywoodreporter.com

Celebrities often receive very creepy gifts. Jared Leto, for example, got a severed human ear from one of his fans. Leto poked a hole in it and turned it into a necklace.

21

Wax Figure of Melanie Griffith's Mother in Coffin

Tippi Hedren Source: cracked.com

Alfred Hitchcock scared 6-year-old Melanie Griffith to death when he gave her a wax figure of her mother Tippi Hedren in a coffin, dressed up in the same costume she wore in the iconic horror movie The Birds.

20

21 Packets of Instant Noodles

instant noodles Source: buzzfeed.com

A gift comprised of 21 packets of instant noodles can hardly make anybody happy. Even if they are celebrating their 21st birthday, like the Buzzfeed user kathyl4cf25ba49 who really received this “creative” present.

19

Baby Doll Screaming, "I don't wanna lay an egg!"

Baby dollSource: reddit.com

This disturbing gift was given to Reddit user skertz by his aunt.

18

Pair of Socks

Pair of socksSource: boredpanda.com

Socks are among the most popular gifts ever, and you might think it’s impossible to go wrong with them. Well, unless a pair of socks is given to a grandma who had both of her legs amputated…

17

Dead rabbit

rabbitSource: whatculture.com

When Avril Lavigne was on tour in Japan, she was sent a dead rabbit by one of her fans.

16

Tupperware set

wall of tuperwareSource: buzzfeed.com

A Tupperware set is a very practical gift for adults but if you give it to a seven-year old girl, you can ruin more than just her birthday.

15

Used toothpick

toothpicks Source: reddit.com

A Reddit user was given a used toothpick as a gift from his dad. The next year, the dad was more generous as he gave him a wire hanger.

14

Breast Implant

Breast implantSource: wetpaint.com

The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus has already received not one but two breast implants from his devoted female fans.

13

Containers with Baby Teeth

baby teeth Source: huffingtonpost.com

Huffington Post reader Queen Olive said she and her brother were given containers full of their baby teeth as a Christmas gift from their mom.

12

Cabbage

CabbageSource: buzzfeed.com

Even when nicely wrapped, cabbage usually doesn’t make a good gift. Especially for a little girl who is expecting a kitten for her birthday.

11

Rape-Themed Painting

Rape_of_Tamar_-_Le_SeurSource: cracked.com

During the Italian Renaissance, rape-themed paintings were common wedding gifts. In those days, when a couple was married, the woman would move to the man’s house and become his possession and the wedding gifts just symbolized the “seizure.”

10

Dead Baby Shark

baby sharkSource: crushable.com

The teen heartthrob trio the Jonas Brothers received a dead shark preserved in a tube from one of their fans.

9

Beard

BeardSource: boredpanda.com

When Boredpanda user Ainen mentioned he wished he could grow a beard like his uncle, he had had no idea he would find the uncle’s beard in a ziploc bag under the Christmas tree as a gift.

8

Toilet Seat

Toilet seatSource: goliath.com

Harry Styles, a member of the famous boy band One Direction, once received a toilet seat as a birthday gift from a fan.

7

Booklet of Carpet Samples

carpet samplesSource: reddit.com

Reddit user Kaileycat was given a booklet of carpet samples as a Christmas gift from her grandma.

6

Hospital Gown

Hospital gown Source: boredpanda.com

Boredpanda user pyewacketcg got a hospital gown as a gift from her grandma, who said it could make a nice dress.

5

Fire Extinguisher

Fire extinguisher Source: reddit.com

Reddit user achtungkarate got a very bizarre gift from his dad who thought a fire extinguisher would make his son happy.

4

Book Bound in Human Skin

human skinSource: atlasobscura.com

James Allen, a 19th century highwayman, robber and murderer, wrote a book about himself before being executed for his crimes. Allen requested the book be made after his execution, bound in his skin and given to John Fenno, Jr., the man who was accusing him of an attempted murder.

3

Baby Limbs Made from Silver

baby foot castSource: dailymail.co.uk

What christening gift do you choose for the boy who is going to have everything? A silver sculpture of his hands and feet, of course. At least, that’s what Pippa Middleton, the younger sister of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, bought for her baby nephew, Prince George.

2

Toilet Paper

Toilet paper Source: buzzfeed.com

We are not questioning the undeniable usefulness and practicality of toilet paper, but there are definitely better things to give as a birthday gift. Yet, this is exactly what Buzzfeed user Kellie Jacobs got for her birthday.

1

Turtle Carapace with Hand-Drawn Picture

Turtle carapaceSource: goliath.com

One of the most popular modern singers, Taylor Swift has received many gifts from her fans. The creepiest gift for her so far was a real turtle carapace covered in hand-draw picture of her.



Photos: Feature Image: shutterstock, 25. Max Pixel (public domain), 24. pexels.com (public domain), 23. pixabay.com (public domain), 22. publicdomainpictures.net (public domain), 21. wikimedia commons (public domain), 20. Eptalon, Instantnoodles, CC BY-SA 3.0, 19. pixabay.com (public domain), 18. Kiera Wooly via flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, 17. JJ Harrison ([email protected]), Oryctolagus cuniculus Tasmania 2, CC BY-SA 3.0, 16. RageZ, Want some tupperware? (4922015200), CC BY 2.0, 15. pixabay.com (public domain), 14. wikimedia commons (public domain), 13. Loadmaster (David R. Tribble) This image was made by Loadmaster (David R. Tribble) Email the author: David R. Tribble Also see my personal gallery at Google Photos, ToothLost-2917, CC BY-SA 3.0, 12. © Copyright Jonathan Billinger and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence, 11. en.wikipedia.org (public domain), 10. q phia via flickr, CC BY 2.0, 9. Nasserdin, Muslim Beard, CC BY-SA 4.0, 8. Stilfehler, Toilet seat up, CC BY-SA 3.0, 7. www.pexels.com (public domain), 6. wellcome images, A Patient Anonymised by Hospital Life- unframed version Wellcome L0037325, CC BY 4.0, 5. pixabay.com (public domain), 4. Image Contributer: XenonR, Human skin structure, CC BY-SA 3.0, 3. shutterstock, 2. Elya, Toilet paper orientation over, CC BY-SA 3.0, 1. pixabay.com (public domain)