White Elephant Gift Ideas: What to Bring, What to Avoid, and How the Rules Work

White Elephant Gift Ideas: Honorable Mentions

Cannabis-infused drinks now start at $40: Bringing a bottle of alcohol is a white elephant gift exchange staple. My husband’s work team almost exclusively exchanges bottles of booze as a safety net to increase enthusiasm. However, you could do better by introducing THC spirits instead.

This spirit is light and slightly fruity, with a flavor somewhere between floral gin and amazake. My friend and I mixed it into a pomegranate cocktail instead of tequila, and it worked well. I also enjoyed adding THC to gin and tonic, mixing it with seltzer, and drinking it on its own. However, if this is a work party or a non-green group, skip this gift idea.

Alcohol in general: Alcohol is always a safe choice. You can also bring a bottle of non-alcoholic wine if you want an option that everyone can enjoy.

Food and Homemade White Elephant Gifts

Food can be a fun white elephant gift, as long as you know about any food allergies. One of the best gifts I received from Secret Santa was a batch of persimmon cookies made in honor of my love for persimmon fruit.

Baking something delicious can be a great white elephant gift idea, especially if you have a sourdough starter in your kitchen or make excellent banana bread. My version uses brown butter and Nutella, so that may be my gift this year.

What Not to Bring to a White Elephant Gift Exchange

Some gifts are more likely to miss the mark than others. Avoid these white elephant gift ideas unless you know they will suit your group or fit the party theme.

• A basic single candle. No one needs a store-bought candle without an extra twist. Don’t bring a single candle to your white elephant swap unless you have a fun theme that is sure to appeal to your group. You can also make candles part of a gift basket. Our favorite tomato-scented candle also pairs well with kitchen and garden accessories.
• A puzzle. Puzzles can be difficult to give at random. True puzzle enthusiasts may want one with lots of pieces, while beginners may prefer an easier puzzle—and the recipient may not know which difficulty level they are getting. If the theme is too specific, the recipient may not enjoy it unless they are already a fan. A puzzle is also often not loved enough to be worth stealing.
• Live animals. Don’t give chicks at Easter or anything remotely resembling a mouse or fish. In fact, don’t give anything that is alive.
• Real trash. At one gift exchange, someone literally wrapped up trash as a joke. As someone who has unwrapped a trashy gift, please don’t do this.

White Elephant Gift Exchange Rules

If you’re attending your first white elephant gift exchange, here’s a quick overview of what to expect.

Everyone brings a wrapped gift, often under a set price such as $25, and places it in a pile or another central location. Each person then draws a number to determine the order in which they choose a gift.

When your number is called, you can select an unopened gift from the pile or steal a gift that someone else has already opened. Most exchanges limit the number of times a gift can be stolen, usually to around three times. That means even if someone gets the best gift available, they may not be able to keep it.

If your gift is stolen, you can unwrap a new gift or steal someone else’s gift. You can’t take the stolen gift home immediately.

White elephant rules can vary depending on the host and the party’s house rules, so be sure to ask for the details before the game begins. Happy exchange!

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