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It’s almost Christmas. Do you know what that means? It means it’s almost the “white elephant gift exchange” time of year—one of the funniest holiday festivities around. But beware, it can turn cozy living rooms into WW3. With plenty of drama, suspense, revenge, what’s not to love?! Of course, there’s always the stress factor that comes with white elephant gift exchanges because there is such a wide range of present options: something funny, unique, handy, or even… nice. To make this fun holiday festivity less stressful for you, we’ve come up with 10 white elephant gift ideas. Trust us, these white elephant gift ideas will surely liven up your present exchange this year.
White Elephant Gifts for Everyone
If you’ve never heard of a white elephant gift exchange, a white elephant gift exchange, Yankee swap, or Dirty Santa as it’s also known, is a party game where amusing, usually impractical gifts are exchanged during festivities. Typically, the objective of a white elephant gift exchange is to amuse party-goers rather than to gift a genuinely valuable or highly sought-after item.
A Desk Calendar
If you’re looking for a white elephant gift that everyone could use, get them a desk planner! The Pattern Play: 2025 Desk Calendar comes with 12 individual sheets, each of which features a colorful, geometric design. In addition, it comes with a wood stand for easy display! It also serves as a great stocking stuffer, so make sure you stop by Minted’s site to get one for everybody on your list!
Cute Crochet Kits for Every Level
DIY crochet kits make perfect white elephant gifts, offering recipients a chance to learn or improve their crochet skills while creating a cute plushie. Lion Brand Yarn teamed up with Ribblr to create Yummy Friends Crochet Kits, which come with all the essentials, plus Ribblr’s detailed step-by-step video instructions that will teach you how to crochet along the way. Choose from an Ice Cream Axolotl Ari, Cookie Turtle Tim, or Boba Cow Charlie, and watch as everyone vies for this delightful white elephant gift. Available on lionbrand.com and yummyfriends.shop.
Peter Thomas Roth Mini Masks
The Peter Thomas Roth Mini Mask Multiverse is a luxurious skincare collection available at Anthropologie. This indulgent set features 5 mini-sized masks, including the Pumpkin Enzyme Mask Enzymatic Dermal Resurfacer, the Active Purple Pore-Refining Antioxidant Mask, the Cucumber Gel Mask Extreme De-Tox Hydrator, the 24K Gold Mask Pure Luxury Lift & Firm, and the Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Mask Hydrating Gel. It’s valued at $31, but you can get it for just $16!
Christmas Dessert Plates
AnthropologieWant a great white elephant gift idea that will be a favorite for years to come? These dessert plates from Anthropologie are perfect for people who want to add some Christmas decorations to their tables. For just $18, you can get a plate that stylishly depicts one of the 12 Days of Christmas. The bright colors and brilliant designs are sure to bring holiday cheer to your guests!
Apple Gift Cards
Everyone knows Apple products take a big bite out of your wallet. But that doesn’t mean they have to! With these Apple gift cards from Target, your friends and family can get anything they’ve wanted from the tech giant for cheap!
Cards Against Humanity: Red Box Game
You probably knew this card game was coming in our white elephant gift exchange ideas. Cards Against Humanity is the perfect adult card game that is equally as hilarious sober or drunk.
Zen Garden Litter Box
Sometimes white elephant gifts are meant to be quirky. And if you have a fun-loving group of friends, then you should embrace the spirit of this tradition! This Zen Garden Litter Box is great for someone’s desk and will make everyone light up with laughter when it’s opened at the party!
What Do You Meme?
Board games always make terrific white elephant gifts. The reason is that everyone loves a good board game! They’re great for anyone with kids, without, or just anyone who is most likely going to re-gift anything they get. Yes, there are people who do that. What Do You Meme is a personal favorite because it has so much relevant content!
Honeycomb Soap
Novelty soap is a great product to buy (and keep stocked) for any last-minute gift exchange. The reason is that handmade soap isn’t expensive, but it always looks like a thoughtful, prepared gift! These dragon soap bars are cute and smell amazing.
More Gift Ideas
We hope you enjoyed reading our white elephant gift exchange ideas and buy a couple for your white elephant gift exchange party this year! These hilarious white elephant gifts will surely make for an amusing festivity.
Looking for more gift ideas? Check out our ultimate holiday gift guide for everyone or family gift guide!
