Rules for an epic white elephant gift: You want whoever ends up with your gift to make an exclamation of great feeling – Either a YES!!!! or a NO!!!!! Read on for the best white elephant gift ideas.
Not to brag, but I throw an epic Christmas party every year that is a huge success! It all hinges on the white elephant gift exchange (see how I do mine here). (Here is also how I plan out my December)
So now I consider myself an expert on what makes a successful White Elephant Gift.
This post is all about celebrating the weird and unique gifts that are perfect for a silly white elephant game. If you would like a more polished gift, go here.
How To Use This White Elephant Gift Idea Guide:
Yes you can absolutely buy any of these recommendations that I have here.
You can also look at these gifts, and they’ll help your creative juices get flowing, and they can inspire you to buy something similar.
Luckily there are stores that if you look for one thing, they’ll show you something similar. So if you look up “giant ringpop” the similar items might be “giant tootsie pop” or “giant M&M”. Because of this, I’m not going to list in detail all of the options, but give you enough of a variety, that you can find the alternatives easily.
I hope this helps!
Let’s Talk Gag Gifts
First let me ask you a question. Do you live in, or near, a tourist town? Usually there is some sort of “trinkets” type store that specializes in magnets, funny shirts, and other items that can say the name or state/country that you are in. I’d check there for silly gag gifts if you are near one.
And if you are a traveler, maybe keep your future Christmas Party in mind when shopping, and have a white elephant gift picked out way in advance!
But if you are like me, and would rather click a button to buy your gag gifts. Here are some classics:
- Rubber Chicken (I still don’t know why this is a thing.)
- Whoopie Cushion (classic classic)
- Rick Rolled QR code t-shirt. In case you don’t know why this is funny. Check out Rick Rolling here.
- Funny Sayings On T-Shirts Or Mugs – There is one that says “Insert name here Custom Mug” But with no way to actually customize it. Pretty Funny. My 13 year old came up with it, and he thinks he’s hilarious. . . It’s up in my etsy shop if you want it. . . all the proceeds go to him.
Embarrassing Gifts
My mom would say that there are two kinds of humor – Bathroom humor and bedroom humor. She grew up with one kind, and my dad grew up with the other, and so we were raised with the worst of both worlds.
Now, I have worked hard to make this a family-friendly website, so I won’t be linking to anything that would make me blush, but bedroom/bathroom gifts usually get people laughing faster than any other kind.
- Bidet
- Yodeling Pickle
- Adult Depends
- Shake-n-weight
- Toilet Golf
- Funny Puzzles
- Funny Calendars
- Funny Bookmarks (I made these myself. Print and put into an old book for an instant present)
Useless Gifts
Nothing says “White Elephant” quite like an utterly useless present.
- Square rolling pin
- Freeze-dried water
- Handi squirrel
- Nicholas Cage sequin pillow
Check out these gift boxes that you can actually fill with nice things, but trick them into thinking it’s a gag gift.
Alternatively, Keep boxes of really nice things that you have bought for yourself (like an airfryer, x-box, jewelry box, etc,.) and then use that box to put in the real white elephant gift. It’s perfect for second-hand or handmade gifts that wouldn’t already come in packaging.
The disappointment on their face would be priceless.
There is also the classic “nesting dolls” gift boxes gag. Start with a small box and put something dumb in it like a penny. Then put the box inside of a bigger box, then that box inside of another box, until you have a giant box for a tiny present.
Second Hand Gifts
Going to a second-hand store like Goodwill can really up your White Elephant Game. Giant pictures of ugly paintings, “antique” porcelain statues, and outdated prom dresses, are classic gifts that you can find pretty much at any thrift store.
If you find anything that makes you say “Who even bought this in the first place?!” Then it probably would make an excellent gift.
Also things around your home is a fun way to give an instant gift.
I like giving away my books (especially terrible ones I don’t like). Grab these funny bookmarks, print them off, and hide all 12 inside the book. This will guarantee some laughs and some groans when they are found and read aloud. Plus, if you buy the bookmark printable between now and the end of the month (November 2021) you can use this exclusive discount JOKES that makes it only a dollar!!!!
Desirable Gifts
Now no White Elephant Gift Exchange is complete without there being a really good gift that everyone wants to fight over.
I made this an entire post here:
Unique Treats
It’s funny how there can be nice, expensive presents, but people still fight over the bag of candy. Here are some unique ideas:
- Bacon Soda (specialty Sodas)
- Giant KitKat (giant candy)
- Fruit Cakes
- Freeze Dried Skittles
- Also, Costco/Sams Club giant bags/containers of candy are a big hit. One giant container of peanut M&Ms cost around $15 I think, but people will fight for that like their life depends on it. Or this one online
One-Of-A-Kind Gifts
Wish App
I love these kinds of gifts! If you have enough time, check out Wish. It has some really odd stuff. do a search for medieval t shirts – they are awesome! But be warned. Wish has no family-friendly filter. They sell weird and awesome, and weird and not-awesome things. The products come out of China, so the shirt sizes are smaller than normal. Also it can take weeks or months to get here, so either buy early, or make sure you buy something that has the car icon next to the price (It means it is already in the country) or browse the pickup section. This stuff is super CHEAP. And we have had about a 50/50 success rate with what we have bought. Sometimes it is exactly what we hoped for, and sometimes it’s a dud. . . But duds are awesome white elephant gifts, so its a win/win!
It is an App. you can use my code and we’ll both get $5 to spend!
Wish Code: hhthskd
Other Unique Items
Homemade Gifts
Nothing says disappointment than being handed a crocheted oven mitt. But if you do excell at some handy things, don’t be afraid to give them away! Woodworking? Jewelry? Paintings? They make excellent white elephant presents. Better yet. Find weird ones on Etsy (like these) and pretend like you made them. Then they have to pretend to like it.
Don’t Buy These Gifts
Just one more thing. Please please stay away from candles for the love of all that is holy. . . And lotion. These are the middle ground, but secretly the worst, pity gifts. Thank you.
1 thought on “Best White Elephant Gift Guide”
Comments are closed.