Thriftmas is Christmas done second-hand, handmade and local. It costs less, it keeps good things out of landfill, and the presents are more interesting. Whangārei is a good town for it, with op shops in every suburb and a craft market every Saturday before Christmas.
Why thrift Christmas
Op shops in Northland report that more families now shop with them for presents and decorations, and that Christmas stock sells almost as fast as volunteers can put it out. The money you spend goes to hospice care, animal welfare or housing. And a thoughtful second-hand gift, cleaned up and wrapped well, often lands better than something new.
Op shops worth the trip
- North Haven Hospice Shops: the central Whangārei shop sets out tables of Christmas decorations before Christmas, and they sell fast. Good for homeware, books and toys. Proceeds support hospice care in the district.
- SPCA Op Shop, Kamo: 587 Kamo Road. Clothing, homeware, toys and things for pets.
- SPCA Op Shop, Whangārei: 97 Port Road. The bigger of the two, with furniture.
- Habitat for Humanity ReStore: 50 Kioreroa Road, a few minutes from town. Furniture, appliances, homeware, DIY supplies and a good books, music and games section. Open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturday 9am to 3pm.
- Salvation Army Family Stores, Red Cross and church op shops: every suburb has one. The small church shops are where the bargains are.
Hours change over the holidays, so check before a special trip. Go on a weekday morning, go often in November, and look at everything twice.
Markets for handmade and local
- The Artisans Market, Town Basin: Saturdays 9am to 1.30pm from Labour Weekend to Christmas, on the Canopy Bridge and in Pūtahi Park. Makers sell their own work: pottery, jewellery, prints, soap, woodwork.
- Whangārei Growers Market, Water Street carpark: Saturday mornings from about 6.30am. Honey, preserves, plants and flowers make fine presents.
- The Yule Christmas Market and the Christmas craft markets at Reyburn House Lane, both in December.
- School and church fairs through November: the best source of home baking, plants and second-hand toys.
Dates for all of these are in our Whangārei Christmas events guide.
Second-hand gift ideas that feel generous
- A stack of picture books tied with ribbon. Wipe the covers and write a message inside the first one.
- A vintage cake tin or biscuit jar, filled with your own baking. See our Christmas baking ideas.
- A basket (op shops are full of them) made into a hamper: jam from the market, a tea towel, a candle, a jar of fudge.
- Board games and puzzles. Count the pieces at home and tape a note on the box: "all here, checked by an elf".
- A plant from the market in a thrifted pot.
- Frames. Buy the frame for a few dollars and put a family photo in it. Grandparents want nothing else.
- Good-quality wooden toys, Lego by the bag, bikes and scooters.
- A cut-glass bowl or serving plate for the person who hosts Christmas dinner.
What to check before you buy
- Toys for babies and toddlers: no loose small parts, no button batteries, nothing cracked.
- Electrical items: ask if they have been tested and tagged.
- Car seats, cot mattresses and bike helmets: buy these new.
- Soft toys: choose ones that can go through the wash.
- Puzzles and games: open the box.
Thrifted decorations and wrapping
Look for glass baubles, brass candlesticks, tablecloths, wicker baskets and fake greenery in November, before the rush. Old sheet music, maps and children's drawings make wrapping paper. Scarves and tea towels wrap a present and are part of it. There are more ideas in our Christmas wrapping guide.
The gift that is not a thing
If the budget is tight, an experience costs less than most toys and is remembered longer. A message from Santa by email is NZ$1.87 and a phone call from Santa is NZ$3.79, and neither needs wrapping.
Give back
Thriftmas works both ways. Before Christmas, fill a box with the toys and clothes your children have outgrown, in good clean condition, and drop it at the shop you bought from.