White Elephant Gifts

White elephant parties are a fun time to get together and give random presents to your friends! Sure, getting a fuzzy blanket or cookies are nice, but what about bacon and egg band-aids? Or how about a stamp to make your french toast totally French? These gift are meant to be half gag/half useful. Things the recipient can actually use later on down the road and have it be a conversation piece. You'll be seen as very clever if you can find the right gift that'll have everyone talking about how it was the perfect White Elephant present. Most White Elephant parties have a set limit on how much you can spend. You'll find different items below under different price categories.

When you've only got $10 to spend, you need to become very creative. Going down clearance isles is always a good choice, or even visiting Good Will can turn up some great finds. But that takes lots of digging for who knows what. I would recommend items like this chalk mug. Appropriate for practically every setting (office party, family get togethers...) and you can customize it to your specific event. Have an inside joke with everyone that'll be there? Write it on before wrapping! Surrounded by artists? Draw a white elephant on the mug! Tons of possibilities to make this gift special, yet it will appeal to everyone. Also, try combining small gifts if they are cheap enough and go together. Maybe the bacon and egg band-aids with the egg slicer for a theme?

If it's a holiday party, why not get the gingerbread man cookie cutters? They are sure to be laughed at, yet enjoyed by the lucky recipient, and who knows, maybe you'll get some cookies later on down the road! If you're hosting the party, you could set the mood by buying the "Pick Your Nose" cups. Each person will have a blast picking their nose, creating a built in ice-breaker for people who may have never met before, or that don't see each other much! The Zen Garden gift would be great for a more low key group, as it is not so much gag, just novelty. Still enjoyable though! And the Dead Fred Pen Holder might be perfect for a coworker if you are in a stressful job. Make sure you're in the right company before buying that one though!

So what if you have no limit set? These gifts are great for groups of people where you might expect a little extra out of the gifts (aka, more expensive, quality gifts). This Design Your Own Lampshade is a good gift that still isn't too expensive, and it lets people customize it so even though you have no control over who will pick it, the lucky person who does will feel good about receiving it because they can make it their own. If your White Elephant party allows stealing, this item will probably change hands a few times! The Root-Vue Farm is a neat gift to bring if kids are involved, or if you know there are garden people in the audience. This is a great gift for any crowd. Maybe your party will consist of outdoorsy people. If so, the Fish-Shaped Cutting Board may be a good choice. Quality, yet slighty funny... it is shaped like a fish, after all. And finally, Cranium is a new "classic." It is appropriate for practically all audiences, and is likely to get opened up as soon as gift exchanging is over.

These are just some ideas for white elephant gifts. The main idea with getting a great present is to make sure it's suitable for everyone that will be there, and can easily be made someone's own that they will use. No one wants to get a present that is funny to open, but then being donated the next day or sitting in a closet because it has no use to them. Keep these hints in mind, shop around, and everyone will enjoy your gift.