How To Organize And Stock A Gift Closet, According To The Pros

Many of us grew up with a gift closet in the home, but other than trying to find our birthday presents, it didn’t have much meaning. Today our lives are busier than ever, and the idea of a gift closet makes a lot of sense.

“Having a gift closet thoughtfully stocked allows my intentionality to not be limited by schedule,” explains Katey McFarlan, author of fashion and lifestyle blog Chronicles of Frivolity. For Peggy O’Brien, one of the founders of gift concierge and registry consultancy Poppy Gifting, there’s another reason too: “I’m a homebody, and if I have an occasion later in the day, having a gift closet means one less errand to run.”

Gift closets are both an art and a science, and we’re breaking it all down for you here.

Start Planning Early

“While this isn't groundbreaking, I always take January to plan the year out. For gift planning, I like to jot down birthdays and any milestones happening that year,” McFarlan explains. “Is a friend having a baby? Turning 40? Building a home? I try to get a grasp of yearly celebrations.”

Sarah Cooney, author of lifestyle blog Fewer & Better, agrees: “Personalization is key, so being aware of the birthdays and events in advance has made my gift closet less a generic warehouse and more a carefully selected boutique of special things for the people we’re grateful for.”

O’Brien takes a seasonal approach, for example thinking about holiday ribbons and gift tags in September instead of December. Part of this is because she likes to take her time and consider her options. “When it comes to a girls trip or big birthday, I have to give myself ample time—like six weeks—especially if there’s personalization included,” she says.

Make a List in Your Phone

Cooney swears by this, so she always knows what she has on hand. “If I see that I’m running low on something, I can find replacements before it’s a code-red gifting emergency and I have to resort to overnight shipping,” she explains. This also helps you avoid over-stocking something that’s going to end up on the shelf and take up space for a while.

Embrace the Generic

Gifts like wine and candles can be overdone, but O’Brien insists that when done right, like with a signature label or scent, it won’t feel that way. Cooney and McFarlan both like to add something extra as a personal touch. This could be as simple as baked goods or a bouquet of flowers, or be taken a little farther with fun cocktail napkins for wine (Cooney likes August Morgan and Pink House Design) or cute matches for candles.

Stock Your Favorites

“If it’s something genuine that you love and the quality is there, you really can’t go wrong, whether it feels generic or specific to a time or moment,” Willa Callahan, the other founder of Poppy Gifting, says. It can be more traditional, like jam or honey from Cooney’s local farm, or a little more unexpected O’Brien’s husband’s favorite belt. 

Be Intentional

“I like to stock items that fit the ‘P.S.S.’ mold—purposeful, sentimental, or splurge,” explains McFarlan. “Another trick while stocking up on purposeful items specifically is to consider how it can be a vehicle to another gift.” For example, during the holidays she’ll gift a wine cooler or champagne bucket filled with ornaments representing the recipient’s year.

If you use your gift closet to snag specific presents in advance like O’Brien, you can quickly narrow down your options by relating your gift back to something they already cherish. This could be a cheeky needlepoint pillow quoting their favorite movie or a framed art print of their beloved hometown.

Shop Small

Sure, you can cruise through the aisles at Target for gifts and be perfectly efficient, but this approach is likely to result in an unmemorable gesture. Plus, if you ask Callahan, you’re missing out on an ideal opportunity to spotlight small businesses locally and online. Not only does it make for a more interesting gift, but the investment “is an opportunity to really give back to your community as well.”

Stock Up During Sales

In addition to picking out presents during trips and holiday markets, McFarlan’s favorite time to fill up her gift closet is in July. “The sales this time of year, one of them being the Mackenzie-Childs Barn Sale, are the best. I find these sales to be better than Black Friday,” she emphasizes. Though if you’re reaching the end of the year and still need to snag holiday gifts, your best bet is still Black Friday—just remember to prepare ahead of time.

Remember the Wrapping

Regardless of what the gift is, its presentation has a way of completely elevating it. Some like O’Brien love to have a signature look (“I feel a little bit like a Kardashian in that way.”) while others have wrapping closets in addition to their gift closets, selecting just the right color or pattern for each person or occasion.

Proving that you don’t have to spend very much (or be very wasteful), O’Brien says she “cannot handle throwing away a good ribbon.” It’s just as easy to reuse gift bags and tissue paper.

Gift tags can go a long way. McFarlan keeps stacks of them by her sister Kirsten McFarlan stored on a lower shelf, while Cooney recommends Dempsey & Carroll. According to O’Brien, the appeal is that “you can really have fun with them, and they bring wrapping paper to life.”

Keep it Organized

“I organize my gift closet by occasion and recipient, including children’s gifts, host gifts, and just because gifts,” says Cooney. Callahan takes this a step further, dividing the items up by gift type. When it comes to her own kids, in true mom fashion, McFarlan “throws gifts in the corner and wraps a blanket around them so they don’t peek.”