Alexandra Ramirez
White Elephant Gift Exchanges are a lot of fun. They are usually set up around Christmas time as a way to add some holiday cheer and fun to the office. The way a gift exchange works is that every person that is participating purchases a gift. At the White Elephant Party, all the gifts go in a central location and the order that the participants open gifts is determined.
The first person chooses a gift and opens it and their turn is over. The next person can choose to open a gift on the table or steal the gift from the first opener. If the first person gets their gift stolen they get to choose another gift to open.
If there are other openers that have gifts opened when someone’s gift is stolen, they can steal someone else’s and so on. It continues to go on this way until everyone has opened a gift and everyone has a gift. This game is a lot of fun and can bring out some friendly rivalry.
We have listed 10 White Elephant Gift Ideas that anyone in your gift exchange party would love to get. These are all gender neutral and work for both men and women which is an important factor to take into consideration when participating in a gift exchange of this nature.
Customers love the quality and design of these adorable cat mugs.
These cute black and white cat mugs make a great white elephant gift. Why use a regular plain mug to drink your coffee or hot tea when you can drink out of one that looks just like a cartoon cat?
This mug set is FDA approved and eco friendly as well. They are made from ceramic and each set has 1 black cat mug and 1 white cat mug.
Each mug holds 12 ounces of coffee or other hot liquid. They are best hand washed rather than putting in the dishwasher to keep them looking brand new for a long time.
Whoever opens these will enjoy the whimsical look of these cut “coffee mug cats”.
Customers love the easy convenience this fruit infuser water bottle offers.
Many people carry water bottles around with them at work, while working out and just around the house to get their daily water intake in.
This fruit infuser water bottle uses fruit infusion technology and forces fruit flavor into regular plain water. It has a convenient carrying handle and is easy to clean.
The secure locking lid and the 2-in-1 removable infuser are part of the high quality, shatterproof Tritan plastic bottle that can be carried safely anywhere.
It is 100% BPA free and has a leak proof design that prevents messes if you are carrying it in a backpack or it falls over on the car seat.
The bottle holds 32 ounces of water and all you need to do is add fruit. Everyone will love this bottle and will be stealing it from each other during the white elephant exchange.
Customers love the unbreakable design and convenience of these unique silicone wine glasses.
These unbreakable wine glasses are the perfect glasses for using at pool parties, camping, at the beach and any other outdoor activity where you want a glass of wine.
They are made from food grade silicone that is BPA free and guaranteed to never crack, melt, break or chip. They are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning and can be put in the microwave, oven or even a campfire thanks to their 460 degree tolerance.
Traveling with these convenient wine glasses is easy; just toss them into the beach bag, backpack or cooler so you can enjoy wine anywhere you want.
They are lightweight and collapsible making them an excellent choice for boating and traveling too. The stemless design is easy to hold, even when you hands are wet. 4 wine glasses come in this set.
Customers love the elegance and vintage look of this versatile journal/diary/sketchbook.
A lot of people like to journal which makes this beautiful faux leather, refillable journal an excellent gift. This is the perfect notebook/journal to keep track of your thoughts and experiences.
It can also be used as a great sketchbook too. The cover has a cord that keeps the journal closed when it is not being written in.
The cover features a delicate printed design of the Tree of Life and lined paper is inside. Refills can be either unlined or lined.
There are no spiral rings or looseleaf pages to worry about. All your writing or drawings will be kept easily in the same place in an elegant and classy way.
Measurements of this unique journal are 6.2” x 8.54”. There are 160 sheets which equals 320 pages. The paper is thicker and sturdier than traditional paper and is acid free too. This journal will work for men or women and makes a great place for creativity to flourish, whatever you choose to use it for.
This a mirror wanted by both men and women for beauty purpose and other uses too.
This shower mirror makes shaving or washing your face super easy and convenient because you can do it right in the shower where you can rinse off facial cleanser or shaving cream and see that it is all washed off.
The sleep design works fine in any shower and the convenient razor holder keeps your supplies at hand.
It attaches to the shower wall via a powerful suction cup that is easy to install. There is no need for adhesive. The swivel arm turns 360 degree so you can position it exactly where you need it to take care of your shower routine.
All you need to do to get it ready to use without fogging up is to wipe is with warm soapy water and rinse one time at the beginning of the shower and you’re all set.
This mirror can be taken with you on business trips or vacations too. It is made of high quality plastic that will not rust, shatter or crack. The diameter is 5 ¾”. The suction will be best on smooth, flat surfaces that are non porous. This includes glass, ceramic, fiberglass, marble, granite, etc.
Customers love the durability and organizational features this set offers.
This 5 piece black mesh desk set is the perfect way to get some organization on your desk whether you work in an office or have a home office at your house.
The modern look of the metal mesh goes with any type of modern décor. Included in this convenient office set is:
- Dual paper tray
- 3 compartment sorter
- 3 different cups for various office supplies
This set is sure to help you keep your paperwork organized while having the desk look stylish and sleep as well. This will be a very popular white elephant gift.
Customers love the health benefits, compact size and easy use of this diffuser.
The quiet operation of this ultrasonic aromatherapy diffuser is one of the big things that people love about this model. It has a 300ml capacity that will run for up to 6 hours on high mist and 10 hours on low mist.
It has a control setting for the mist that can be controlled and there are 4 automated timer setting of 60, 180, 360, etc minutes. Adding essential oils adds aromatherapy to the mix.
It is the perfect item for any room in the house and can help get rid of allergens in the air. It helps with reducing allergies and improving the air quality of the air.
It’s also great for reducing the symptoms of colds and flu. It comes with an 18 month warranty and 45 day money back guarantee.
Customers love the vintage look, the durability and the encouragement it provides.
This 12” x 16” wall art with lots of inspirational quotes is a great item to look at every day as you go throughout the day. These sayings are designed to uplift and encourage the reader.
This sign can be put anywhere. This item is made in the USA and has a vintage, country style charm to it.
The wall art comes shrink wrapped for the ultimate in protection. There is a 30 day hassle free return in place. This item is mounted on a ½” black wood frame.
It has a textured finish and looks great in any room in the house. It is a great way to get motivated in the mornings. The message on the sign is written by Marla Rae. It offers readers hope, encouragement, positive thoughts and more.
Customers love the stylish way these tissue box holders dress up something so plain and nondescript.
Tissue box holders are really convenient and having one that has some style to it is really enjoyable. Consider this decorative tissue box that fits most standard tissue boxes.
This design features brushed Nickel with inlaid mosaic glass. The durable base slides back and forth for easy loading of the next box of tissues. The large top opening allows users to grab a tissue when needed.
There are 4 different ornate designs of tissue box holders to choose from. All of them are elegant and stylish and dress up any tissue box for your bathroom. These tissue box holders also have matching bathroom sets that can be purchased separately.
Customers love the bright colors and quality ceramic that is used to make these mugs.
Color is the name of the game with these brightly colored ceramic coffee mugs. There are 6 mugs in this set, each one a different color.
Construction is made from stoneware ceramic and is FDA certified Lead Free. Each mug holds 16 ounces and is dishwasher and microwave safe.
Colors included in the set are:
- Orange
- Red
- Purple
- Green
- blue
- yellow
These mugs can brighten a kitchen with their bright colors. There are more dishes with this color scheme as well that can be purchased separately.
Choosing the Right White Elephant Gift
The key to choosing a great white elephant gift for an exchange is to have fun. These exchanges can sometimes end up being stressful when people don’t understand how they work, or they try to grab just the first thing they find without caring if there is any value or not.
We have listed some tips and factors that you should consider when you start researching different gifts. Following these tips will provide a great white elephant exchange that you and your co workers will want to make a tradition.
Dos and Don’ts to Remember
DO…
- Look for gifts that are gender neutral since the person opening the gift could be a man or a woman. There are a lot of gender neutral gifts available that anyone would love having. This prevents a man from opening a makeup kit.
- Adhere to the dollar limit if one is put in place. This prevents one person from getting a huge, expensive gift and someone else getting something a lot less expensive. Even if the limit is lower, like 10 dollars, there are plenty of things you can choose that fit into that budget, yet are still worth having.
- Wrap your white elephant gift well. All of the presents will be put in a central location to be chosen from. Make sure your present is wrapped well. It could make it one of the first chosen!
DON’T…
- Choose gag gifts as part of the white elephant gift exchange unless gag gifts is a theme that everyone is supposed to choose. It could be very disappointing for someone to choose a gag gift as their present.
- Go overboard and purchase something extravagant. Even if there is not a price limit (For the best success in the exchange, suggest that a price limit be put in place to keep the gifts mostly even n value.
- Stress and worry about the gift exchange. It is meant to be enjoyable and fun. Don’t lose sight of the objective and get caught up in the cost of the gift.
White Elephant gift exchanges can come in many different types and style and with many different guidelines. Make sure you know what those are so you don’t accidentally do something that ruins the exchange for the rest of the co workers. If everyone tries to find the best gift they can everyone will go home with something memorable that they will enjoy.
