The best gifts in a white elephant gift exchange are funny or weird but have a particular appeal that tempts others into stealing it during their turn. It's fine if nobody wants it and it just gets shuffled around the circle, but a White Elephant party is way more fun when there are intrigues and drama. This is a list of the best white elephant gifts, all under $20, with some even under $10, so you can have some fun without breaking the bank.
In a White Elephant gift exchange, everybody brings a gift, the group decides what order to go in, and then the group goes around in a circle unwrapping one present at a time. After the first participant, each person has a choice of stealing someone else's gift or grabbing a fresh surprise from under the tree. The best White Elephant gifts get stolen at least once, while also being something other folks are hoping they don't get stuck with. It's a delicate balance.
Some White Elephant gifts are actually useful or fun, like the Furry Monster Adventure Slippers or the Retro Series Pop-Up Hot Dog Toaster. Even if the person who ends up with them was hoping for something else, they'll still get used. Other gifts are purely novelty items, like The Screaming Goat Book and Figure.
Which gift is the best to bring to a White Elephant gift exchange? Vote up the best White Elephant gifts under $20.
It's a pizza cutter shaped like a circular saw. It's dishwasher safe and decidedly silly, and exactly what makes a great White Elephant gift: goofiness and utility in one weird object.
Although this 16 ounce mug will delight any dinosaur fans with its dimensional design, folks who are not into novelty mugs will be wondering exactly who they can re-gift this to next holiday.
Inspirationally emblazoned with "Today Will Be T-Riffic" on the front and "Let Them Hear You Rawr" on the back, similar mugs are available with a unicorn and with a kraken motif.
This simple bar of soap has more to offer than a fresh, peaberry scent. It's super silly, but also enticing, because each bar contains actual US currency, of denominations from $1 to $50.
There's no denying the usefulness of this LED clock fan. It plugs into a USB port and keeps you cool while telling the time. It's also so incredibly specific that it almost feels like it goes right around from useful to not useful at all.
If people at your White Elephant party love hot dogs, expect this gift to get stolen multiple times. Able to toast two buns and cook two hot dogs at the same time, it's a really cute novelty item that also will eat up valuable space on your kitchen counter.
Folks who love goats and incredibly specific novelty toys will be thrilled to add this tiny goat to their collection. Perched mid-bleat on a stump, it screams when gently pressed, which will make it less appealing to everyone else.
