White Elephant Gift Guide

'Tis the season for holiday parties ... will there be a White Elephant or Yankee Swap gift exchange at your fête?

Don't arrive empty handed ... my White Elephant Gift Guide is filled with fun and festive ideas!

I was first introduced to the idea of the White Elephant gift exchange at a work holiday party ... and I'll never forget it!

My husband and I each brought a gift. When the gift my husband chose was stolen by one of my coworkers, he wasn't happy and let them know it!

I don't even remember what the gift was (probably nothing worth keeping!), but obviously he didn't really understand how these gift exchanges work.

How do You Play a White Elephant Gift Exchange?

Have you ever been to a White Elephant or Yankee Swap gift exchange?

Although White Elephant games can be played different ways, the basic idea is that everyone brings a wrapped gift. At the party, each guest picks a number, then the first person picks a gift and opens it.

The next person can either steal that person's gift or pick an unwrapped gift. If your gift is stolen, you can either pick an unwrapped gift or steal someone else's gift.

This process repeats until all the unwrapped gifts have been chosen.

White Elephant Gift Guide

Gift for White Elephant Exchanges tend to be funny, tacky, weird, or even something that no one would ever want. Although I've also been to White Elephant parties where a useful gift is highly coveted and fought over ... that's usually the gift I want!

The hardest part of attending a Yankee Swap gift exchange is knowing what to bring. To help you out, I've rounded up lots of fun and festive ideas in this White Elephant Gift Guide.

My criteria for the gifts I chose was that they had to be funny, unique, silly, or something that someone would actually want ... and they all had to be worth fighting over. I separated the White Elephant gift ideas into different price categories—about $5, $10, or $20, or $25 plus—so it's easy to chose the perfect gift for your party.

If you're looking for examples of White Elephant Gifts, you've found the right place, because I think these are the best White Elephant Gifts ever!

White Elephant Gift Guide - About $5

Top Row:

• Instant Ugly Christmas Sweater Patches: These fun patches will turn a plain old sweater into the perfect holiday top!
• The Ugly Sweater Coloring Book: This book is lots of fun and adult coloring enthusiasts are sure to love it.
• What's Your Poo Telling You?: Informative and funny, this book is sure to elicit plenty of laughs!
• Creepy Baby Doll: I once went to a White Elephant exchange where a super scary doll was one of the gifts, and everyone ended up fighting over it!
• Best of Mad Libs: Who doesn't love Mad Libs? This gift is sure to bring out everyone's inner child.

Bottom Row:

• Good Vibes Mug: A cute mug that would be a great gift for an office party. Fill the mug with candy.
• Favorite Child Award: Are you attending a family party? Everyone will want to be the favorite child!
• Bean Boozled Jelly Beans: They look like regular jelly beans, but the flavors (like Stinky Socks, Berry Blue Barf, and Rotten Milk) are completely unexpected.
• Instant Underpants: Just add water for a pair of clean undies ... as it says on the package, "Damp underpants are better than no underpants!"
• "Our House" Cassette Door Mat: Music and 80's lovers will fight over this awesome door mat!

White Elephant Gift Guide - About $10

Top Row:

• Leg Lamp Night Light: A fun, mini version of the lamp from A Christmas Story!
• Floppy Disk Coasters: Remember floppy disks? These cute coasters would be a great gift at an office party.
• Poop Emoji Pillow: A cute, cushy take on a fave emoji!
• Muffin Tops Baking Cups: These baking cups are pretty hilarious, and they can actually be used to make a delicious treat!
• Wine Glass Markers: I love these wine markers ... anyone who entertains a lot (or loves wine) would be happy to steal them!
• Pass the Pigs: This is such a fun and funny dice game ... except the dice are pigs! (I've been playing this game since I was a kid, and there use to be a naughty position called makin' bacon!)

Bottom Row:

• The Hungover Cookbook: Someone is sure to need this book after the party!
• Cat Socks 5 Pack: These cute socks would make any cat lover super happy.
• Mini Zen Garden:  A fun and stress-relieving gift!
• Unicorn Popper Toy:  Who wouldn't love a unicorn that shoots out rainbow-hued balls?

White Elephant Gift Guide - About $20

Top Row:

• Breakfast Sandwich Maker: Somewhat useful, somewhat weird, this cool sandwich maker will make anyone's breakfast better!
• Primitive by Cathy Wine Coasters:  Add a bottle of cheap wine to these cute coasters, and you're sure to make someone very happy!
• Tabletop Basketball Game:  This fun game would make a great office gift or fun present for a sports-loving crowd.
• Canvas Makeup Bag: I love the message on this cute bag: In case of emergency apply mascara to yourself before helping others.
• I Only Have Time for a Glass of Wine Glass: The perfect glass for wine lovers ... this big glass fits a whole bottle of wine (and comes in other sayings, too)!
• Cards Against Humanity:  A fun and completely politically incorrect party game!

Bottom Row:

• Dammit Doll: I love these awesome dolls! They come in tons of cool patterns and are perfect for anyone who needs a stress outlet. Add some candy or another treat to round this gift out to $20.
• For Fox Sake Tote Bag: A cute message tote that will get everyone laughing.
• PEZ Star Wars Gift Tin: Fans of the movie will fight over these fun movie-themed PEZ dispensers!
• Gourmet Chocolate Covered Pretzels: These yummy pretzels are totally worth stealing!

White Elephant Gift Guide - $25 Plus

Top Row:

• Scratch Off Travel Map: These maps are totally awesome ... anyone who loves to travel will want to steal it!
• Giant Unicorn Pool Float: This giant pool float is so fun and kooky!
• Echo Dot: This hands-free, voice controlled that can be used to play music, control lights, and even order food is one of those highly covetable gifts that people will be fighting over!
• Wireless Karaoke Microphone: Wannabe singers will be so exited to open this fun wireless mike that connects to their phones or notepad via bluetooth to play karaoke songs.
• Moscow Mule Mug Set: These trendy mugs will make a cocktail aficionado super happy ... throw in the drink ingredients, too, if you're feeling generous!
• Mermaid Tail Blanket: These quirky blankets are super popular this year and come in tons of colors!

Bottom Row:

• ONEHOPE Best of California Wine Mixed Pack:  I once attended a White Elephant gift exchange where someone gifted a bottle of tequila ... needless to say, it was very popular! These days, I'd be much happier to take home this 6-pack of wine. (Plus, half the profits benefit our troops, breast cancer research, and other causes.)
• Patty the Poodle Mask: This is just the kind of wacky gift that people are sure to fight over!
• Giant Jenga: A fun version of the favorite game ... it stands over 3 feet tall!
• Fujifilm Instax Mini Camera: This cute camera takes even cuter mini pictures!

White Elephant Gift Guide - Wrap It Up

Make sure to wrap your gift well so no one can guess what's in the box! I like to go all out with cute paper and elaborate ribbons and bows. If you want to stick with the theme, this White Elephant Gift Bag or Wrapping Paper would be perfect!

I hope you got lots of fun ideas! What is the best White Elephant gift you've ever received?

P.S. Check out all of my holiday gift guides and Christmas recipes, decor, crafts, and ideas here!

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