To think this is a widely understood unwritten rule?

[GiftTag]

At a birthday party and as I was dropping off the present with the others another mum noticed we hadn't written on the gift tag. She asked if I wanted a pen so I could write on it and I politely explained I never write on the gift tag so the bag can easily be reused (this one was actually already being reused probably from my own child's party).

She thought this was completely bizarre and genuinely didn't seem to be able to comprehend that this was quite normal behaviour.

She continued to repeat of course you write on the tag that's why its there and how would they know who the gifts was from (I did say the card was in the bag). She seemed stuck on a loop even asking others nearby if they had heard of people doing this before. It not me is it? This is not weird, most people don't write on the tags so the bags can be reused?

I have my dad a bunch of presents for his birthday and presented them in a fancy bag but I didn't write on the tag as I planned on taking the bag back home and re using it myself for my sons friend the following day - which i did! 2 for the price of😁 1 innit

Tesco often reduces packs of 5 tags to 10p, I have a good collection.

Genius.

I had a massive tidy up of my bags and blank envelopes, they're all in size order in a drawer now.

I do both. If handing to family I don’t bother - although it might be a used bag where I’ve cut the tag off.
if taking my kid to a party I will write on the tag, if it’s a reused bag with no tag I’ll just add a tag. I don’t really mind if people notice it’s reused as I’ve spent on the present anyway and I do spend time considering what each child likes. I don’t think anyone is really bothered if a bag is reused lol.

Yep I do that! We have a great collection of gift bags. I'm sure I read someone saying online somewhere "you realise if nobody writes on the gift tags, no one ever needs to buy a gift bag ever again?"

I don't think it's weird to write on them but I definitely wouldn't go commenting on someone not doing it!

I'm with you op. I never write on the tag either so it can be reused.

I never write the tag for the same reason as you. And it’s an unwritten rule in my friend group too

I’m with you Op. Would never buy them myself as I use a bit of tape to attach the card to the present so they know who it’s from, but I’ve got such an insane stash of bags in the shed I use them just to get them reused each party the kids go to. I never seem to run out. Have very occasionally belatedly realised that someone had written on a tag and had to remove it-it never occurs to me to write on them whether they’re still there or not! Gah the wastefulness of just chucking or even recycling after just one use is perplexing, even if made from paper or card the cost of production / time it’ll take to decompose (if it will, it won’t if shiny) is just 🫣.

She didn’t need to write on the bag because she had put a card in it.

OP I am exactly the same as you. Never write on the tag just pop the card in the bag. And you are definitely not the only one. My friends and I have a competition to see how long we can make a gift bag last and reuse it amongst ourselves. Same bag has been passed around for birthdays and Christmas for 4 1/2 years.

But if you don't write on the tag it's like you are giving another present!

She was very rude to ask/tell others. I hate people who do this. They're just trying to humiliate you. You say you've never, e.g., seen a certain film, and the person turns to others, all "omg did you HEAR her! Is she NUTS? What rock did SHE crawl out from?" etc.

However, I can't see why you wouldn't write on a tag. They're 99p for 3, and it is what they're there for.

I don't write on the envelopes I give cards to immediate family members. My parents give me the blank envelope back.

I don't know how many times my Dad has given me back the same empty gift bag which I put his gift in. It was a bag I originally received a present in and it must be about 20 years that I've given it to him and he gives it straight back to me.

Wow where do you get these bags from? Even card factory in my town they are 1.99 each minimum.

I don't write on tags. I always reuse bags and just rip the tag off if it's been written on already (which is probably only 50% of the time if that). I've got a whole drawer full of lovely gift bags to chose from.

We do this in my family - although with replaced card tags. However last Christmas a couple of the bags fell apart as it seems after 25 years the glue holding the bag together finally gave up

I never write on the tag attached to the bag either, I put the birthday card in the bag along with the present and stick a bit of tape on the top if im not wrapping it in paper and sticking the card to the paper.
I can also confirm that at my child’s birthday party last week, the 2 gift bags that had been given had tags that hadn’t been written on either. (I’ve stashed them in my wardrobe 😂)
The presents and cards were in the bags and a piece of tape keeping the bags closed.
As long as the card stays with the present that’s the main thing, we had several cards not attached to presents so didn’t have a clue who gave what in those cases so when parents sent a msg thanking me for the party and they hoped he liked his gift, I just had to say he loved them without being specific 🙈

I never heard of this rule.
I always write on a gift tag. I do reuse bags but for more relaxed occasions when it’s only me bringing/ giving something rather than at parties. Sometimes I reuse bags to bring donations to a charity shop if I have just a few items.

I stock up in January, so just after Christmas - they're obviously getting rid of the Christmas stuff, but a lot of Christmas tags and paper can be used all year round in my opinion. Ones with big Santas on them, no, but candy canes for example are quite a generic pattern. In my opinion

My partner's birthday is in January and I've never spent more than 25p on one tag!

If no one writes on the tags then there's no point in them.

The recipient of the first gift the bag is used for can rip off the tag then re-use the bag. So you could have written on it and still could have been re-used.

I agree with poster. My friend group don't write on gift bag labels either so as to reuse - the card informs who the giftor is.

I have not bought a gift bag in years. I always re-use them. I swear I have seen the same ones a few times now.

I never write the tag. Mainly because I’ll pulled it off to reuse the bag 😂