- Unlike almost every other gifting occasion, White Elephant, Yankee Swap, and/or Nasty Christmas exchanges reward originality, humor, and risk-taking above all else.
- Since you don’t have hours to dive deep into the riches of the internet, I’ve collected 55 great White Elephant gifts under $50 for you.
- Check out all of our 2019 holiday gift ideas here.
When it comes to gift-swapping games like White Elephant, Yankee Swap, or Nasty Christmas, the master gifters must first forget everything they know about holiday gifting.
Gone are the gifts of cashmere scarves, Belgian chocolates, and those porcelain baby angel figurines Aunt Sharon collects. In their place, Ron Swanson’s Pyramid of Greatness, cookbooks punctuated by expletives, life-size cardboard cut-outs of your face, T-shirts with record players engulfed in flame thanks to the devil’s music, and door stoppers with “HODOR” emblazoned upon them.
Gift swaps reward the niche, novel, and irreverent, with bonus points going to those who can check the boxes of funny and useful. So, below, we rounded up 55 gifts that are perfectly primed for this occasion, and, admittedly, perhaps no other.
The top 5 best gift ideas for White Elephant:
- A Tile Mate with Replaceable Battery
- The world’s strongest coffee from Death Wish
- A desk fan for the always-sweaty coworker
- A guide to beer and food pairings printed on a towel
- The Exploding Kittens Card Game
Check out all 55 White Elephant gifts below:
A funny meme-inspired card game for adults
What Do You Meme Game, available on Uncommon Goods, $30
What Do You Meme is the second wave of whatever Cards Against Humanity was – and it’s really fun.
What's been called the world's strongest coffee
Death Wish Ground Coffee, available on Amazon, $19.96
Death Wish claims to be the world's strongest coffee, with about double the caffeine of your average cup. They attribute the added kick to a unique blend of Arabica and Robusta beans and a slow roasting process. It's Fair Trade, has no additives, and makes a pretty good cup of coffee.
A Danny Devito reversible sequin pillow cover
Jasen DIY Sequin Pillow Cover, available on Amazon, $9.99
The perfect gift doesn't exis-
For Jeff Goldblum fans, you're going to want to head here.
An adult coloring book full of swear words
Maybe Swearing Will Help: Adult Coloring Book, available on Amazon, $7.99
Adult coloring has had a resurgence in recent years as a great de-stressor (Kate Middleton was one notable fan). But before then, humans used swearing as the next best thing. Why not pair the two together for a truly balanced catharsis?
A funny cartoon shower curtain
Shuyi Funny Cartoon Design Shower Curtain Set, available on Amazon, $16.99
A funny - yet totally usable - new shower curtain. Plus, the set comes with curtain hooks.
A PopSocket Pickle Rick from "Rick and Morty"
PopSockets Pickle Rick Phone Stand, available on Groupon, $9.99
Know a fan of "Rick and Morty?" They'll love this Pickle Rick PopSocket from one of the show's most recognizable episodes.
A wine glass that fits an entire bottle of wine
BigMouth Inc Ultimate Wine Bottle Glass, available on Amazon, $8.99
This "wine glass" fits an entire bottle of wine as a single-serving.
A gift for their other best friend (that's you)
Fun Face Cutout Paddles, available on Amazon, from $39.99
Michael Scott once said that gifts were great because you can point to them and say "Hey, man, I love you this many dollars worth." This gift also says "I love you this huge."
Porcelain dinner plates that celebrate the fact that beards feed themselves, like Venus Flytraps
Food In My Beard Face Plates. Set of Two, available on Uncommon Goods, $25
In a stroke of pure genius, "Food In My Beard Face Plates" were born. Have a friend who's got a Civil War, Lumberjack, or 19th-century Russian author beard that's known to take a few accidental morsels home with him? Say no more.
Socks that mimic some of the most famous paintings in history
Chalier Famous Painting Socks, 4-Pack, available on Amazon, from $16.99
Klimt, Van Gogh, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Munch - the gangs all here. Whether they're an art buff or just love socks that are fun but still functional, these are a great $10 gift to tack on.
A plug-in that lets them control the TV and lights from the couch without getting up
Amazon Alexa-Enabled Smart Plug, available on Amazon, $24.99
Give the couch potato people what they want: the ability to control the lights, TV, stereo, and other appliances without needing to get up from the comfortable spot they fell into.
A 2020 calendar celebrating only the cringe-worthy awkwardness of timeless family photos
Awkward Family Photos 2020 Day-to-Day Calendar, available on Amazon, $13.27
Matching outfits, terrible stage direction, and a collection of 365 photos that will make you recoil in either recognition or secondhand embarrassment.
A punny breakfast spoon that works especially well for horror fans
Personalized Cereal Killer Spoon, available on Etsy, from $18
This spoon can be personalized with their name so it's well-suited for the true-crime or horror movie lovers in your life or anyone who just respects a good pun.
A Nicolas Cage activity book
"Snake Eyes: A Nicolas Cage Activity Book", available on Target, $10.69
Join this Snake Eyes version of Nicolas Cage on puzzles, games, coloring pages, and "the best of times."
A calendar of dog-shaming photos
Dog-Shaming 2020 Day-to-Day Calendar, available on Walmart, $11.44
Whether they also have a dog whose diet consists of chair legs, car keys, and their favorite pair of slippers, they'll get a kick out of this dog-shaming calendar.
A saint candle with your friend's face on it — or their pet's
Custom Prayer Candle, available on Etsy, from $25
You tell your friends you love and respect them, but what have you done to prove it lately?
A gimmicky present they'll actually wind up using
Tweexy Wearable Nail Polish Bottle Holder, available on Amazon, $9.99
If you've ever painted your nails, you can sympathize with the hassle of finding a safe spot for an open bottle of gooey, brightly colored polish to hang out while you work. This $10 nail polish holder looks gimmicky, but it's actually useful.
A kitchen towel that has a chart of beer and food pairings on it
Beer and Food Pairing Guide Towel, available on Uncommon Goods, $14
If they're the friend who will be brewing beer in their garage in a few months, urge along the process with this beer and food pairing towel. It'll give them great ideas for foods they may want to cook to complement beers they already have, or vice versa.
A Game of Thrones cookbook with a foreword from George R.R. Martin
A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Cookbook, available on Amazon, $19.94
For the Game of Thrones fan, nothing tops a cookbook with a foreword from George R.R. Martin and a bunch of recipes that bring feasts at Winterfell and lemon cake with Sansa Stark closer to reality.
The Swanson Pyramid of Greatness
Culturenik Parks and Recreation Ron Swanson Pyramid Workplace Poster Print, available on Amazon, $19.95
For those that already live by Swanson rules or would put "masonry" and "cabins" as fundamental building blocks in their life.
A baking pan that makes edible cookie spoons
Cookie Spoon Pan, available on Uncommon Goods, $18
What's more fun than dipping cookies in milk? Replacing all the silverware in your home with cutlery made out of cookies like a second grader who became president for a day.
A funny choose-your-own-adventure cookbook
What the F*@# Should I Make for Dinner?: The Answers to Lifes Everyday Question, available on Amazon, $9.37
This popular cookbook was derived from the website of the same name, and it's a choose-your-own-adventure book of 50 solid meal ideas for the nights when they have no clue what to make.
A binge-watching survival kit for the deep Netflix rabbit holes
Pinch Provisions Binge-Watching Survival Kit, available on Pinch Provisions, $20
This binge-watching survival kit is especially perfect for the friend who's always complaining about the thinly-veiled disapproval in Netflix's "Are you still watching?" notification.
A card game that has you anonymously answer the question "who's the most likely to..." out of your friends
The Voting Game Adult Card Game, available on Amazon, $29.95
This card game basically asks you to answer "who's the most likely to..." out of your friends, anonymously - perfect for the next low-key night or pregame. You may also want to check out "Who in the Room" or "Never Have I Ever" in card version.
The best Game of Thrones fandom gift you're likely to find
Hodor Doorstop, available on Etsy, $23
No spoilers here, but your "Game of Thrones"-obsessed friends will probably consider this wooden block with a nonsensical word embossed upon it as one of the best gifts they get this year.
A punny and entirely functional umbrella
Raining Men Clear Bubble Dome Umbrella, available on Amazon, $22.95
The perfect accessory for days when it's "raining men."
A mug with a built-in basketball hoop
Giveback Mug with a Hoop, available on Uncommon Goods, $25
Turn hot chocolate with marshmallows or cereal into a game with this mug made by an eight-year-old kid-preneur. Plus, $5 of every purchase supports an online resource for parents of kids with learning disabilities.
A Dr. Seuss parody reimagined for the working world
Oh, The Meetings You'll Go To!: A Parody, available on Amazon, $11.89
Laugh. Otherwise, you'll cry.
A pie dish with a geeky pun baked right in
I eight sum pi dish, available on Uncommon Goods, $45
Do they love puns, math equations, and/or pie? This popular "I eight sum pi" dish is a great intersection of them all.
A to-go sriracha sauce keychain for the hot sauce fiend
Sriracha Sauce Keychain, available on Amazon, $14.99
Perfect for the friend who asks for hot sauce before the food has even come out of the restaurant kitchen.
An eerily accurate poster
Coffee Talk Art Print, available on Society6, from $18.74
If they're never further than 45 feet from a coffee pot, they'll probably appreciate the gallows humor of this spot-on poster.
A funny t-shirt that's perfect for fans of rock and roll
Devil's Music Sing-Along Classic T-Shirt, available on Redbubble, $17.36
Celebrate their love of rock and roll with a T-shirt dedicated to love of the devil's music, complete with a record player engulfed in flames.
Ceramic takeout-inspired dishes
Take Out Wide Serving Bowl, available on CB2, $9.99
Perfect for the friend whose ideal night is staying in. Or the one who says they're five minutes away when they're really a mile deep inside a carton of lo mein.
A tiny fan for the friend who logs 15 minutes per week complaining about the office's temperature
Fred & Friends Little Big Fan USB, available on Amazon, from $27.99
For the perpetually overheated, grab a small fan they can plug into your computer or laptop for power.
A Bob Ross Chia Pet
Chia Pet Bob Ross with Seed Pack, available from Bed Bath & Beyond, $16.99
Just because they've never asked for a live plant in the shape of an angelic cultural giant doesn't mean they won't love growing one.
Hilarious, NSFW stories from American history you didn't learn in school
The United States of Absurdity: Untold Stories from American History, available on Amazon, $11.99
From the creators of the podcast "The Dollop" comes the weird, hilarious, and true untold stories of American history - accompanied by full-page illustrations that bring each historical "milestone" to life.
All the moods of Nicolas Cage on a t-shirt
Nicholas Cage Mood T-Shirt, available from Headline Shirts, from $24
A national treasure in its own right.
A hilarious NSFW card game you can play together
Cards Against Humanity: Red Box, available on Amazon, $20
Most people already have Cards Against Humanity, and this extended "Red Box" version comes with 300 fresh cards to add into the mix (230 white and 70 black). The company also notes that it "transforms your deck of Cards Against Humanity into a better bludgeoning weapon against home invaders."
A cocktail recipe book that pairs good music with good drinks
Booze & Vinyl: A Spirited Guide to Great Music and Mixed Drinks, available on Amazon, $22.50
Combine two great pastimes into one with a guide of 70 albums from the '50s through the '00s, paired with an A-side and B-side cocktail for each one. They're organized by mood, so they'll know just what pairing to use.
A satire picture book on bringing kids to an art gallery
We Go to the Gallery, available on Amazon, $9.45
This parody of a 1960s children's book satirizes what it's like to bring kids to an art gallery - explaining contemporary art and existential dread with keywords displayed at the bottom.
A mini waffle maker for tiny waffles
Mini Waffle Maker, available on Urban Outfitters, $14
This mini waffle maker is perfect for when they want to make a waffle just for them rather than a whole spread.
A Tile Mate to ring their keys or phone wherever they lost them
Tile Mate with Replaceable Battery (4-pack), available on Amazon, $34.99
For the friend that has invested far too much money in key duplicates.
Abbi Jacobson's new book
I Might Regret This: Essays, Drawings, Vulnerabilities, and Other Stuff, available on Amazon, $15.34
This New York Times Bestseller comes from the co-creator and co-star of the hit series "Broad City" - and you can rest assured that if your friends have ever mentioned the show, they'll love this.
A punny soap opera kitchen sponge holder
Peleg Design Scrubber Holder Soap Opera, available on Amazon, $14.99
Who doesn't love a good pun? Or cleaner sponges?
A mini flip cup game
Mini Flip Cup Game, available on Uncommon Goods, $40
A good-natured drinking game with friends, but make it tiny. If you'd rather try your pointer finger at Mini Beer Pong, there's that too for $60.
A funny cookbook made especially for hungover, demoralizing mornings
The Hungover Cookbook, available on Amazon, $6.88
This cookbook was built to handle hangovers - six types of them to be exact. Recipes are tailored to the specific hangover and are bookended by insights into hangover science, quizzes to see if you're maybe just still drunk, and witty jokes.
A mind-blowing fusion of two beloved foods
Spangler Oreo Flavored Candy Canes, available on Amazon, $2.24
Oreo flavored candy canes - because once humans figured out how to make fire and penicillin, they just decided to have fun with it.
A device that stirs ingredients for you
Automatic Pan Stirrer with Timer, available on Uncommon Goods, $25
Like the wearable nail polish holder, this is another product that arguably shouldn't exist. And yet ... it's a great way to make sure everything is perfectly cooked, without hovering over the pan and stirring continually. Funny, weird, and - according to its 14 reviews and 4.8-stars - actually very useful.
Cute loose tea infusers shaped like a dinosaur
Tilevo Dinosaur Tea Infuser, Set of Two, $15.95
Buy a cute dinosaur tea infuser and some delicious loose leaf tea blends to fill it.
A Slothmas sweatshirt
RAISEVERN Unisex Funny Print Ugly Christmas Sweater, available on Amazon, from $9.99
Merry Slothmas to all and to all a 20-hour sleep cycle, goodnight.
An extremely fun board game that made Kickstarter history
Exploding Kittens Card Game: NSFW, available on Amazon, $19.99
Exploding Kittens is basically a highly strategic version of Russian roulette with a cat theme. It was the most-backed project in Kickstarter history, and this version is NSFW.
A crowd-pleasing gag gift mug
BigMouth Inc Toilet Mug, available on Amazon, $12.99
This ceramic gag gift mug has become a bit of a mainstay in the genre, and it holds up to 12 ounces of their favorite drink.
A set of tumblers with the best advice from bad dogs
Bad Dog Wisdom Tumblers, available on Uncommon Goods, $35
A bad dog learns a few good tricks - like when to bluff, and when it's ok to ask for forgiveness instead of permission.
A punny mug made by an independent artist
For Fox Sake Mug, available on Society6, from $12.74
For the friend who loves puns, has a penchant for swearing, or appreciates a nice ceramic mug that pretty much works like every other.
A microwavable popcorn popper
Microwave Popcorn Popper, available on Bed Bath & Beyond, $9.99
Load this microwavable popcorn maker up with kernels and pop it in the microwave for delicious popcorn without the hassle of actually doing the stovetop thing.
Looking for more gift ideas? We've got you covered.
