So you have a white elephant gift exchange coming up and don’t know what to bring? I’ve got you covered. White elephant gift exchanged used to make me so anxious – especially in a work function where I didn’t know people super well. I always worried that my well-intended gift will be the one that nobody wants. Now, I have a new strategy – find useful items and depending on the company, make them funny. And if I’m at a complete loss, I just get something really dumb that will become the joke gift.
Wait – what even is a white elephant gift exchange?
So, in a white elephant gift exchange, each person brings a gift and places it under the tree or on a table. The host usually sets a price limit – but not always. Each person at the party choose a number to determine the order in which they’ll pick gifts. Player one picks a gift, opens it and shows it everyone. The next player can either “steal” an open gift or pick a new one from the pile. If a player’s gift gets stolen, they can choose a new gift from the pile or steal someone else’s – just not the gift that was just stolen from them. Each gift can only be stolen a certain number of times before it’s “locked”. The game ends when all gifts are open.
A couple of tips:
- Know your audience – if your white elephant gift exchange is with your family or friends, that’s one thing. But, if it’s an office holiday party, keep the gifts PG so nobody gets offended or embarrassed. At just about every white elephant gift exchange I’ve been to with co-workers (even when I worked at an elementary school), someone thinks it’s funny to bring a gift card to an adult store – why?? I’m no prude, but come on – it’s so awkward.
- Ask if there’s a spending minimum or maximum, and do your best to stick to it.
- Don’t be that guy. This is supposed to be fun, but there’s almost always someone who is just a jerk during the gift exchange and gets their feelings hurt because they didn’t get the gift they wanted. Just stop.
Ok – here’s some good ideas for your white elephant gift exchange – click the link below the picture to buy them on Amazon. I do get a small commission if you do that (thank you!!), but it won’t cost you any extra.
Massage Gun
Who wouldn’t like a deep-tissue massage gun? This one is under $30 and is something that just about everyone could use at some point and probably doesn’t already have.
Candle Warmer
These electric candle warmers are all over social media. They’re so cute and really useful. This one has a time so you won’t have to worry about blowing out a candle before going to bed or leaving your house.
Snoop Dogg’s Cook Book
If you’re going to party with millennials – I guarantee this cookbook will be a hit. If not, another cookbook would be something that someone would surely want to get their hands on.
Funny Oven Mitts
Oven mitts are an item that everyone uses, but rarely buys for themselves. Of course, you could get a cute pair, but it’s kind of fun to get a silly pair. Browse around Amazon – there are so many to choose from! Some come with “adult” language – which are pretty funny – just make sure you know the audience before getting a gift like that.
Blue Tooth Speaker and Charging Station
Gadgets are always popular choices at white elephant gift exchanges. This one is pretty neat because it is both a speaker and a charger so your phone won’t run out of battery while you’re playing music.
Outdoor Turtle Statue and Light
Look how cute this little turtle statue is! It has succulent lights and would be a cute addition to a garden or patio.
Burrito Blanket
I was going to include a warm, fuzzy blanket- but this is funnier. Personally, I love being wrapped up like a burrito in the winter! The reviews saw it is really warm so I bet it would be used. It’s just a good conversation gift – you know?
Shower Steam Set
An aroma therapy shower set is a gift that probably won’t be the most popular, but also won’t draw a ton of attention to you. It’s safe, but useful.
Bob Ross Chia Pet
This one is dumb, but again – for the millennial crowd, and maybe even older, a Bob Ross chia pet will be funny. He’s all over t-shirts and social media memes, so it’s kind of trendy, kind of funny, kind of gag-gifty.
Moon Lamp
A cute and unusual piece of home decor, like this mood setting moon lamp is another safe, but useful gift.
