What Are the Best Gifts for White Elephant Parties? đ
Main image courtesy of BlissLights.
The holidays are a special time of year that are full of parties and lots of chances to enjoy the company of friends and family. One of the more popular ways to get together at this time is with a White Elephant party. These are fun events that allow guests to pick out gifts that they will have the chance to keep or potentially swap out with another option. If youâre stumped about what to gift for a White Elephant party youâre not alone! Thereâs a lot of options out there, and you donât want to be the one who gives the gift that no one else wants.
Youâve come to the right place if youâre curious about what to bring, as as our list has options that include:
đ The best gifts for White Elephant parties that are practical
đ Humorous gifts that are sure to be a hit
đ White Elephant gifts that you may have overlooked
What is a White Elephant party?
Learn a little more about the rules of this fun party idea
The best gifts for White Elephant parties can range from something useful to an outrageous gag gift that leaves everyone laughing. Image courtesy of WTOP.
If youâve recently received an invitation to a White Elephant party, consider yourself lucky! These are super fun events that are typically held during the holiday season, but you can actually have them at any time of year. Before we delve into the best gifts for a White Elephant event, we thought it might be helpful to go over the basic idea behind these get-togethersâand the reason why folks like to host them year in and year out.
Decide on the group of guests and send out invites ahead of time.
Hosts typically set a limit on the amount of money each person should spend on a gift, that way thereâs a more level playing field and no one has to worry about spending a lot on a silly gift. Sometimes there are themed gift ideas, it all depends on what the hosts decides to do!
On the day of the party, each guest will bring their wrapped gift to the event.
Players will then draw a number to determine what order they will choose their gift in.
The guests will then circle around the gift table and the player choosing first will pick out a gift and then open it.
All the guests afterwards can choose a wrapped gift from the pile, or choose to steal from another player.
This continues until all players have had a chance to steal/choose from the pile, and the player that picked first gets the final say if they want to steal or keep their gift.
These are the basic rules to the exchange, but you can also switch it up by inviting in a limited amount of steals, or three swaps and the gift is out. As you can see, thereâs lots of room to make this game your own, and one of the reasons why this is such a popular type of party.
The best gifts for White Elephant parties
What should you bring to a White Elephant party?
Weâve put together a list of 8 options that would make fantastic White Elephant gifts that are sure to bring a smile to any recipientâs face. So get in the gift giving spirit and consider these items for your next party!
Practical White Elephant gift ideas
1. Gift card
One of the top items people are thrilled to receive (and will definitely swap) at a White Elephant are gift cards. If this sounds like a good option for you, why not pick one up at Perfect Gift? You have lots of options when it comes to gifting a card.
Choose to go with a vendor like Target or Amazon and pick an amount
Or create a customized Visa gift card with an image and a message
Go with the PerfectGift+ option that allows you to choose a balance, and the recipient gets to pick which vendor they want to spend the funds on! This is a fantastic way to ensure theyâll always get exactly the gift they want, not to mention this is sure to be stolen by more than a few of the players.
Gift cards are a wonderful, practical gift that everyone can agree on and are always useful. This is especially a nice treat during the holiday season when guests might appreciate a little pick-me-up at Dunkinâ, or making dinner easy with a gift card to UberEats.
2. French Press coffee maker
An elegant coffee maker like this one will always be a hit at a White Elephant party! Image courtesy of Williams-Sonoma.
Lots of people like to start their day with a little caffeine, either from coffee or tea. If you know a lot of the guests at the White Elephant party enjoy a good cup of coffee, then consider picking up this French press maker from Bodum. Coffee made this way is a step above your traditional electric drip coffee, and it requires nothing more than coarse ground coffee and hot water. There are a variety of sizes to choose from that hold anywhere from 3-12 cups, but each is made out of heat-resistant borosilicate glass with a durable stainless steel frame. All you need to do is measure out the coffee, pour in hot water and let it steep for 4 minutes. Then press the filter down and enjoy!
The smaller size is under $25, and would make a nice upgrade for a coffee drinker. If your partyâs budget is a little higher, consider adding in a pack of coffee beans as well!
3. Warming mug
This mug warmer would make a great gift for a White Elephant and it keeps all kinds of beverages warm. Image courtesy of Target.
It can be kind of annoying to put your warm mug of tea, coffee, or hot cocoa down and then get distracted or pulled awayâby the time you come back the drink is cold. Thatâs why a mug warmer would make a fantastic White Elephant gift, and can be used by those who donât drink coffee, as well as those that do! Just plug the saucer in and it will keep their favorite mug warm for as long as theyâd like. No need to worry about not having a warm beverage on a cold day! This can be especially helpful in an office, when people tend to walk away from their desks often, however this would also make an ideal addition to a kitchen or home office.
If you want to include a little additional item, a selection of teas, coffee, or hot chocolate would pair perfectly with this gift.
Silly and humorous gift ideas
4. Funny wall calendar
Pick up a wall calendar with funny quotes and youâll bring a gift thatâs both practical and humorous to the White Elephant exchange. Image courtesy of Amazon.
Although most of us rely on our phones or computers to keep track of our daily calendars, thereâs still something to be said for a classic wall calendar. Especially when that calendar offers bits of silly advice each month. The DeMotivational calendar is just one example of a silly themed calendar that would make a great addition to a White Elephant party. Each page in this calendar offers bits of advice that instead of motivating you to work hard, are actually designed to make you laugh instead. Other great wall calendar ideas include:
Far Side comic calendars by Gary Larsen
Animals dressed up in costumes
Dad joke calendars
Adulting memes
While we may not rely on wall calendars as much anymore, they still are great conversation starters and offer an additional way to keep track of our busy schedules.
5. Chia pet
Chia pets come in all kinds of designs, so youâre sure to find one thatâs silly but still within your White Elephant budget. Image courtesy of Chia.
Chances are you grew up with a Chia pet, or knew someone who liked to collect them over the years. These fun sculptures that grow real greens have been popular for decades, and would make a great White Elephant gift. Head over to the Chia site and you can choose from all kinds of options (in addition to classic Garfield), including the Smurfs, Godzilla, the Simpsons, animals, celebrities, and more. These gifts are easy to grow, all you need to do is mix the seeds with water and spread along the dry container. Then after 2 days, fill it with water each day for the next 3 days, and watch your planter start to sprout!
6. Create your own surprise with a box
Another popular option thatâs always sure to get some laughs is to wrap up a gift (either a real gift or a silly gag gift) in a box that looks nothing like what the actual item is. An example of this is to purchase something such as a gift card, a box of nice chocolates, a candle, or any of the other items weâve suggested so far on this list. Then find a box like a tissue box, a large delivery box, or a shoe box. Place the ârealâ gifts inside the box, then either wrap that box up, or put it in an even larger box and wrap that.
This way, the recipient has no idea what the actual gift is until itâs opened! Alternatively, you could use an elaborate box and wrap it very nicely, but include a silly gag gift as well.
Overlooked gifts for a White Elephant
7. An appliance you didnât know you needed
This cute garlic crusher is something every cook could use in their kitchen, but maybe never thought to ask for! Image courtesy of Ototo Design.
When youâre considering a White Elephant gift for a party, you may either lean more towards a practical item, or a fun item that everyone can laugh at. But there is a third category of potential options that are overlooked items that are actually really thoughtful. Items like this Gracula garlic crusher are gifts that no one really thinks about, until they actually have one! Sure you can crush garlic with the back of a knife, but then youâll need to mince it as well. If you know someone thatâs coming to the party that likes to cook, chances are theyâd love to have an item like this that could cut down on extra cutting in the kitchen. Not to mention itâs absolutely adorable as a cute Dracula.
In addition to the garlic crusher, you could also consider overlooked items like:
A new wine opener
A spoon holder/steam releaser
Sponge holder that sticks to the sink
Or tea infusers in a variety of cute shapes
8. Insulated lunch bag
This cute bag makes bringing your lunch (or a picnic) super easy. Image courtesy of PackIt.
And finally, another option thatâs always well-received as a White Elephant gift is a reusable, insulated lunch/snack bag. This is a great option for those folks who prefer to bring their lunch to work, and donât want to create more waste with a plastic bag. The freezer packs are built into the bag, so all you need to do is store it in the freezer the night before, then pack up your food, and it will stay cold for hours. This is also a great way to carry around extra water or snacks if youâre planning to be away from home for a few hours. It comes in a variety of stylish designs, and the strap makes it easy to put on your shoulder and carry it.
Which gift will you bring to the White Elephant this year?
White Elephant parties are something people look forward to throughout the year. They offer the opportunity to not worry about spending too much, and maybe going home with something you can actually use. If youâre looking for items to bring to your next White Elephant, consider any of the items on this list, whether itâs practical like a PerfectGift+ gift card, or silly like a Chia pet, you canât go wrong with any of these options!
