What do you do with those clothes you can’t quite bring yourself to take to the op shop but know you’ll never wear? Host a swap party that’s what.

Here are a few steps to ensure you don’t drown in a pile of clothes.

1. The invitation

Invite people who are likely to have a stash of good clothes in their wardrobe or who aren’t averse to wearing second-hand garments. You want to strike a balance between inviting enough so there is a range of clothes to choose from but not too many that it will take five hours to get through the pile. Give people at least a few weeks’ notice so they can gather up a stash.

2. Sorting

As the guests arrive with their loot sort the clothes into piles – skirts, shorts, trousers, dresses etc. This keeps things orderly and anonymous – you don’t want people feeling embarrassed if no one wants their t-shirt with the cat on it.

3. Show and tell

Get volunteers to help ‘model’ the clothes. Don’t worry there needn’t be any strutting down the catwalk – just hold up each item and tell the ‘buyers’ the brand and size. First person to put their hand up wins the prize. Make sure you have a spare room and a mirror so people can try the clothes on.

4. Second time through

Once all the clothes have been divvied up the rejects go into a pile. Then the scavengers can go through and pick out any items they weren’t sure of the first time around. The aim of the game is to see the clothes go to a new home.

5. Op shop trip

But once the pile has been exhausted and nobody wants the neon green mesh tank top, the items left are destined for the op shop of choice. It’s the job of the host to make the drop off.

6. Don’t forget cake!

Swap parties are always a good excuse to get people (ok girlfriends) together to enjoy some afternoon tea, or even an evening of wine and cheese.