White Elephant Gift Ideas
Check out these unique White Elephant Gift Ideas. You will surely find something no one else will have at the party.
We have been hosting a White Elephant Gift Exchange at our annual Christmas party for years. Here are some of the favorite White Elephant Gift Ideas that have been used.
What is a White Elephant Gift Exchange?
A White Elephant is a gift exchange where you are supposed to bring something you cannot seem to get rid of or some gag gift.
People bring a wrapped gift for an exchange, and we take turns opening and stealing gifts.
We assign an order for opening, and upon your turn, you can either unwrap a new gift or steal one that has already been opened. Once a gift reaches the third person (stolen twice), it cannot be retaken.
People draw a number from a hat to determine the order.
Great White Elephant Gifts
Buy Now →
Buy Now →
Buy Now →Silly White Elephant Gift Ideas
Since I have gotten rid of most of the junk in my house, I will buy or create something to give. Here are some great ideas for a White Elephant exchange that I have come up with over the years.
Embroidered Toilet Paper
How funny are these? I made these toilet paper rolls using my embroidery machine, but you can buy them on Etsy.
Toilet paper can be customized with just about any saying. Great for a White Elephant Gift Exchange, but also perfect as a gag gift for a birthday, retirement, or other special events.
Personalized Items
Take a funny photo of someone (the boss?) and adhere to something. This can really bring in some big laughs if you use the right photo.
You can see the corny picture of my friend in a wine hat. It was the perfect addition to a bottle of wine with her first initial on it.
The picture of my friend to the right is from last year’s New Year’s Eve party, which I put on an iPhone case.
I have also added photos to ornaments, snow globes, and candles.
Fish & Chips
This was an idea a friend came up with a few years ago. It is fish and chips, using fish and some potato chips.
It was so funny to unwrap a bag of live* fish and a can of chips. *Consider using goldfish crackers instead of a live fish. We ensured these went home with someone who could properly care for the fish.
Thrift Store Finds
I love browsing thrift stores and finding items. I usually get Christmassy stuff, but other themes can be funny, too. This is what I found last week.
Dancing/singing items like hamsters, other animals, or trees are popular in holiday gift exchanges. Festive hats or other accessories are good, too.
Re-gift (Reoccurring) Gift
Every year, people leave gifts they do not want at our house. Sometimes, they hide them, and we do not find them until later.
I will alter and use those gifts the following year, ensuring the person who left them opens the updated version.
Last year, this duck cookie jar was left on our counter. It sat there ALL year long. My daughter and I decorated it this year with fabric scraps, Mod Podge, and glitter.
It brought in lots of laughs! Although it is back on our counter.
I need to make some clothes for the duck next year!
White Elephants
Finally, elephants are a popular choice. In particular, white ones.
We have started a little elephant collection at our house. First came the elephant teapot, then the elephant salt and pepper shakers.
That scary-looking elephant at the bottom of the picture is the head of the animal I made in a pottery class. It has Xmas 2008 etched in the back. It actually belongs to my wine-o friend shown above.
What fun White Elephant Christmas Gift Ideas do you have?
Check out the potty version~
Thank you!!
These are some really funny ideas! Pinned.
Love these ideas! We have an ugly sweater/white elephant party every year and it is always a blast to see what people come up with. Always a night of laughter. Linked to you from A Glimpse Inside. Thanks for sharing.
Sarah @ thehoneycantlist.com
Love them 🙂 Especially the duck! Thanks for sharing on Snickerdoodle Sunday!
Diana, these are hilarious. Thanks for sharing on the weekend re-Treat link party!
Britni @ Play. Party. Pin.
These are all such fun ideas. Thanks for sharing. The fish and chips is hilarious!
OMGosh I'm going to one on Saturday. I so want to do the Fish and Chips.
I LOVE LOVE the duck!
Those are too funny! I love fish and chips idea, but I keep wondering what happened to the fish! 😀
Love these! I have a White Elephant party this weekend. I'll have to use a couple of these! Thanks!
My friends have one of these parties every year, it's so much fun. These are great ideas!! Found you from Throwback Thursday!
Haha! These are awesome!
So fun! 🙂
These are great ideas! Thanks for sharing – I like the duck too!!
Diana, the duck remake is so funny. My family has left some gifts behind, too. I'll have to rethink this, now. Thanks for the tips!
Sinea from Ducks 'n a Row
http://www.ducksnarow.com
Thank you for sharing at All my Bloggy Friends. Wishing you a Happy New Year!
Great list. I'll definitely have to remember this next year!
Diana, those are hilarious! Thanks for the great ideas! No wonder it was a feature this week.
Thanks!
Thanks Holly!
That is fun with old friends!
Duck Vader. GREAT idea!!
I'd love to see that ugly pig!!
Thanks Steph!
Awesome! I hope the party went well and your gift was funny!
Thanks!
Thanks Marti!
Thanks Jill! We had a lot of fun decorating him!
Remember it for another year!
Hope your gift is the hit of the party!
Maybe you can rename yours!
Thanks Christina!
Thanks so much for the feature Michelle! I appreciate it.
That is a great teapot that just collects dust. Maybe we should start using it.
That one was so funny!
Awesome Heidi! Thanks!
Love the fish and chips idea! Thanks for sharing these!!
http://makingitfeellikehome.blogspot.com/
haha these ideas are awesome!! So fun! BTW I am in love with that elephant teapot – SO cute!!
Thanks so much for sharing this at Artsy Corner. Always loves seeing what you post 🙂
The fish and chips is definitely my favorite! I'll be featuring this fantastic idea later today at OneCreativeMommy.com. Please stop by and grab a featured button if you’d like. I can’t wait to see what you link up this week!
Great ideas. I love the fish and chips. Going to a white elephant party on Saturday and I think we will do this idea! I am featuring this post at somedaycrafts.blogspot.com because it was the most viewed link last week. Congrads!
Found you via homemade ginger. I love the fish and chips..super cute!
We play a similar game at Christmas, we call it 'Steal a Gift'. Not very original, I like your name better! And what fun gifts you have come up with. Love the fish & chips one! lol
Saw you sharing at A Diamond in the Stuff
Debbie 🙂
Too funny! We're headed to a white elephant this Saturday and these are hilarious!
Visiting from Ginger's Blog Hop!
Lindsey
Oh my goodness, the fish and chips idea is great. I wish I was going to a White Elephant Party this year. Thanks for sharing at my Our Favorite Things Link Party.
What fun ideas! I love the redecorated duck!
Thanks for linking to a Round Tuit!
Hope you have a fabulous week!
Jill @ Creating my way to Success
http://www.jembellish.blogspot.com/
Those are great ideas, they will come in handy for sure! Thanks so much for sharing them at SHOW-licious Craft Showcase! 🙂
I look forward to seeing you again.
Happy Holidays,
Marti
Love the fish and chips idea!
Those are some cute ideas! Thanks for sharing them. We're doing the white elephant thing at work next week at our dept holiday party, so this is very timely since I still don't know what I'm taking! 🙂
Great list, I especially like the fish n' chips and the elephant of course! Thanks so much for stopping by Super Sweet Saturday.
Steph
swtboutique.com
The fish and chips is hysterical! I'm planning on doing the "break glass in case of emergency" gift I've seen on pinterest for the office white elephant. It's a hershey bar in a frame with those words behind it. I could see it hung up in someones cube.
We have reoccurring gifts too. We have this ugly pig that is wearing a purple dress, a feathered boa and bright red lip stick. It comes up every year in the white elephant. It's always funny to see the old timers laugh about it being in the very first white elephant and the new timers get grossed out by how ugly it is. haha!
Fabulous post! We have an annual duck derby and decorate a rubber duck to race. This year, we made Duck Vader. Just an idea! Someone would take that home.
Diana, this is too fun! I usually opt for the thrift store gifts–but I LOVE the fish and chips and personalized gift ideas!! How fun! My high school friends and I typically get together each year for a big white elephant party but it didn't work out this year because of scheduling conflicts.. :I Oh well, hopefully next year. And now I have some new ideas 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
I love these ideas, especially the re-gift altered!
What fun ideas! 😀
Thanks!
Thanks!
It was funny!
Thanks Mel!
YES!!!
Go for it. Off to visit your blog!
Can't wait to hear how it turns out!
I always throw in a desirable gift too. This year the automatic candy dispenser was popular! I got it at the thrift store for $3 and it was unopened!
I always put a lot of thought into the personalized items and they go off well!
Awesome Jamie! Let me know how it turns out!
I guess they don't have White Elephants in South Africa!
I {heart} the thrift store!
This is awesome – love the fish and chips! Hysterical! I have a white elephant party that I am attending next Friday so your post is perfect timing! 🙂 Merry Christmas!
Quite a way to get people's attention!
I love the fish and chips, my nephew would love this soo much!
Oh my, I am totally using the fish and chips idea!!! I am your newest follower and was kinda maybe sorta hopin' that you'd pop by my blog and follow me back!
xoxo-
Sarah
http://www.enjoyingtheepiphany.com
You'll be a seasoned veteran!
Those are all fun ideas! I love white elephant gift exchanges–especially for youth groups or college-age groups–where the participants don't have much money to chip in but with this you get a lot of fun for very little investment!
When we lived in Hawaii, my hubby's xmas party was at a hotel in Waikiki and someone brought a snow shovel. It was so funny!!
Too funny! Love some of these ideas! Only wish I had read this *before* my company's white elephant gift exchange last night! 🙂
These are cute ideas. We have a white elephant gift exchange every year with our dinner club friends, but to change it up, we require each couple to bring one gag gift and one good one. It's one of the highlights of the season!
Oh the fish and chips!! LOVE that one!
Timely post! My family is wanting to do white elephant this year for the first time but we were wondering about ideas for it. 🙂
What great ideas! I especially love the idea of regifting something you've jazzed up a little. The personalized items are also hilarious!
Waoo,, what a fun filled ideas..so good 🙂
It is the 1st I hear about White Elephant parties, but it sounds like a lot of fun ! My favorite would have to be the Fish & Chips 🙂
Ha ha! I'll have to remember these! Thanks for the post!
Oh, we never have good stuff so we end up at the thrift store. Last year we found a GREAT old wooden band trophy there–and then I didn't want to give it up!
What should I do to the duck next year?
It's a small world after all!
I like your suggestions. The fish and chips one is definitely a way to add some fun.
LOL! These are GREAT! I love the fish and chips, but I think my favorite is the duck 😉
Those are great! I was invited to my first white elephant party this year. I was stumped on what to get. Ill have to remember this next year! 😉
Diana – Love the White Elephant gift ideas. Wish my family was creative enough to get into it! Happy Holidays. I just read your About Diana – I'm in Illinois too!
Mona