A Mildly Chaotic White Elephant Gift Guide for Folks Who Want Something Truly Unique (2024)

It’s a tradition known by many names: White Elephant, Yankee Swap, Dirty Santa. The storied annual event, the essential pillar of our culture, wherein coworkers, extended family, or large friend groups gather together to exchange gag gifts or miscellaneous objects surfaced from deep within their junk drawers. How would the novelty waffle maker, desktop zen garden, or fart button industrial complexes sustain themselves, if not for the white elephant gift exchange?

The delightful thing about white elephant is that it’s probably the lowest-stakes gift-giving scenario of the holiday season. For that reason, compiling a list of the best white elephant gifts does feel a little antithetical to the spontaneous, ça ne fait rien spirit of the whole thing.

That would be true, if it weren’t for the fact that I have endured several white elephant gift exchanges where the gifts have been repeats. The gifts were boring—uninspired, even. I kept seeing the same co*cktail kits, the same silicone tea strainers shaped like little fellas that hang off the side of a mug, the same curly-script Wine Mom wine glass. How can it be that the most “anything goes” gifting tradition somehow results in the same old stuff?

This is what I come with you today with a list of white elephant gift ideas full of items that embrace the creativity and freedom that are core to the event. My list includes a balance of the practical and the absurd. All of the items serve, in one way or another, to enhance the overall fun atmosphere of the white elephant exchange.

The ideal equation for a white elephant gift includes some combination of useful + interesting + uncommon; you don’t have to hit all three every time, but you should aim for at least two. Quirky gifts are ideal, but aim for something that isn’t trying too hard to be a joke. Bonus points if you opt for oddly shaped packages to enhance the absurdity and mystery of the day. Check out all 33 items in our white elephant gift guide below.

The fun zone

Nightlights are bread-and-butter white elephant gifts because they strike a balance between being useful and quirky—and fungus is in this year.

Sunscreen in a whipped cream can

If they don’t recognize it straight from their Instagram feed, this sunscreen that looks like whipped cream will trip up whoever opens it without a doubt. It’s bound to be a conversation starter either way.

Pink toilet paper

Since this is large and lightweight, it will add a bit of mystery to the pile of wrapped goods. Ikea resurrected colored toilet paper from the 1950s—you should use this holiday season to spread the good news.

Phoenix claw dim sum earrings

This dim sum classic makes for particularly striking earrings—only the most sartorially ambitious will dare to pull this off.

Those mints that make you salivate a lot??

These mints contain spilanthol, which stimulates your salivary glands; fun for the whole party!

That bread lamp that’s on every other online gift guide

This bread lamp has been making the rounds for the past four years on every website’s holiday gift guide (including ours), and I’ve decided to give it this bottom-tier treatment on a white elephant guide as a way to say to my fellow gift guide creators: Enough already!

Ms. Smith’s opus

Just look at Marie Smith’s face: She genuinely wants to help all the lonely souls and Blue Christmas-ers out there, and, let’s face it, someone at your party will definitely be one of them.

Some gossipy royal trading cards

You can gab about all the best gossipy bits of royal family history during the post-gift-exchange meal with these vintage British tabloid trading cards.

A game I completely forgot about until writing this guide

Remember Bananagrams? It’s such a blast. And the banana shape makes for fun mystery wrapping.

A lite appetizer puzzle

Mini puzzles are better than any rinky-dink desktop fidget toy out there, full stop.

A mystery box of vintage matchbooks

People think matchbooks are cool, especially old ones. Put this assortment of vintage matchbooks in a bowl and watch people be impressed at all the far-flung places you’ve been, even if they are shuttered bars from 70 years ago.

A really good food film in stunning 4K

Tampopo, one of the best food movies of all time, is just a straight-up good gift.

An old-fashioned weather instrument for your kitchen window

Watching this little thing spin on sunny days brings me great joy, and also people will probably be really confused when they unwrap this, prompting good conversation. Again, we’re thinking of the white elephant unwrapping experience here.

Italian meat candle

The less explanation the better with this one.

The latest absurd pool float

Novelty pool floats are anathema to me personally, which is why I think they’re perfect for a white elephant party.

A concha pillow

A pan dulce pillow for sweet dreams.

Edible delights

A fun pack of trendy tinned fish

You can tell your aunt from Shelbyville that tinned fish is what “hot people” eat in the big city.

Military ration meals

At the center of the doomsday prepper/YouTube influencer Venn diagram: a love for eating MREs.

Dutch chocolate sprinkles

If there are children present at your white elephant exchange, you can tell them that in the Netherlands, kids get to eat sprinkles for breakfast.

The one and only canned bread

Homey New England cuisine, encapsulated in one convenient can.

Bulk bag of cereal marshmallows

I guarantee nobody will have any idea what this is when it’s all wrapped up—and it’s certifiably Fun to Shake. Another gift that will make any children present absolutely freak out.

Toasted host scraps

I learned recently that the Vatican sells the leftover (unconsecrated) scraps from making the holy host as a toasted snack. No sacrilege involved!

Funeral Potatoes

The name is famous for raising eyebrows. But this cheesy casserole dish truly rocks.

The practical

Steel soap for stinky hands

Rubbing your hands on stainless steel neutralizes odors—it’s really true!

A humorless utilitarian lunch box

Our white elephant gift guide can’t all be laughs, so this highly practical item is dedicated to the scold in the group.

A surprisingly practical toasted sandwich maker

I actually use this all the time on my stovetop, so I consider this a serious and highly useful gift.

A mug people will fight over

Every white elephant needs a few gems for people to fight over, and highly collectible East Fork mugs are a great candidate for belle of the ball.

Caffeinated toothpaste for celebrities

Caffeinated toothpaste is such a wild concept to me. The promise of removing coffee stains at the same time as caffeinating is almost too much.

Just a popcorn maker

Everybody goes for the Dash waffle maker, but you could be a little different and throw in the popcorn maker, which is also cheap and works just fine.

An old-school nutcracker

Again, mushrooms are in—but also, this is just charming and sweet.

A pocket knife, but for butter

Perhaps the most nonthreatening pocket knife known to humankind.

The fish vase that goes “bloop bloop bloop!” when you pour it

It does in fact go “bloop bloop bloop” when you pour it.

Agent of chaos

Everybody’s favorite instrument!

Some say the trumpets of the apocalypse will sound like an elementary school recorder recital.