White Elephant Gift Ideas
The best White Elephant gifts are things several people would genuinely want, inside the budget, with a little personality. Below are 291 specific ideas split into lists by price and by who’s playing, each with a note on why it works in a steal game.
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Ideas by budget
Ideas by audience
What makes a gift get stolen
Gifts get stolen when people can picture using them tomorrow. Food and drink, cozy things, small gadgets and good-quality versions of everyday items travel around the room. Pure joke gifts get a big laugh, then sit untouched. If you want both, wrap a useful gift in a funny way, or pair a gag with something good.
Not sure of the rules yet? Read the White Elephant rules, set a theme from the theme list, or play the whole thing on a video call with the virtual White Elephant game. For in-person parties, the number generator draws the turn order.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good White Elephant gift?
Something lots of people would be happy to take home, in the agreed budget, with a bit of fun to it. Useful-with-a-twist beats pure gag gifts: the best rounds have several gifts people actually want to steal.
How much should you spend on a White Elephant gift?
Whatever the host sets. $20–30 is the most common budget; offices often use $15–25 and families sometimes go to $50. Stick to it so the game stays fair.
Should White Elephant gifts be funny or useful?
Ideally both. A funny gift gets the biggest laugh when it’s opened, but a useful one gets stolen. Mix the two, or ask the host which way the group leans.