Dirty Santa ideas

[ozarkmom]

We started doing Dirty Santa at one of our family gatherings a few years ago and I'm trying to come up with some different ideas on gifts. The little kids don't participate with us but the teens do so we have teens through adults. There's 5 maybe 6 in my household going and every year I get a couple of DVD's, bottle of wine, some golf stuff and Dallas cowboy stuff( hoping hubby might get it). I'm really not in the spirit this year and just can't think of some things to buy and it's this Sunday. If any of you do this what are some suggestions?

 

[MissMinnie]

Um, what is Dirty Santa? Oooh, the thoughts going through my mind right now.....

 

[Mono~rail]

We are doing Dirty Santa at my parents house this year!

I'm still trying to figure out what my gift is going to be! We've set a $10 limit. My sister lost her job a few weeks ago; my parents just had to get their transmission rebuilt; and dh and I have constant medical expenses for one of our DD's.

 

[Mono~rail]

Um, what is Dirty Santa? Oooh, the thoughts going through my mind right now.....

I know it's not my thread, but I'll answer how we play it. Everyone draws a number. However many people are playing is the amount of numbers. All the presents are wrapped so no one can see what the gift is.

The person who draws #1 takes a gift from the pile of gifts.

The person who draws #2 can choose to take a gift from the pile or take the gift away from #1. If the gift is taken away from #1 then #1 goes and takes another gift from the pile.

The person who draws #3 can either take a gift from the pile or take #1 or #2 person's gift. If someone gets their gift taken away they get to take another one from the pile.

After everyone takes a turn and has a gift, the person who has #1 can trade their gift with anyone.

 

[MissMinnie]

Thank you for clearing that up. I had a feeling it was something like that, but I have never heard it called Dirty Santa before!

 

[Lanshark]

We used to call that a White Elephant but Dirty Santa is a bit more festive

 

[ElleBelle]

LOL, love the name! Our family just calls it the "Stealing Pollyanna- Game Thingy".

This year, we set our limit at $20. I ended up getting quite lucky... I found a really great, large hard-backed coffee-table book about the greatest toys from the last 100 years. Everything from teddy bears, to yo-yo's, to barbies. I'm combining that with a few of the little trinket toys from in the book (probably a thing of silly putty, a yo-yo, a small bear... etc...) I can't wait!~

 

[EthansMom]

I prefer consumables... a nice box of chocolates, gift certificates for the local movie theater, gift certificate for a local restaraunt....

 

[Forevryoung]

I don't know what to put into our family "grab bag" either (which we play like Dirty Santa). This year I think it's pretty much the "younger" crowd at the party, so electronics and gagets are a big hit

I potentially have an extra one of those nice Farberware frying pan sets that I got from Amazon really cheap but I bought them as gifts for my mom and sister (and myself) already so it's kind of silly when one whole family doesn't need them.

I think our limit is $15 or $20- I have been doing amazing on great deals for holiday presents this year so maybe something special will pop up.

 

[js]

Um, what is Dirty Santa? Oooh, the thoughts going through my mind right now.....

That's what I thought.

My husband would love me to call him that name during Christmas

 

[Mono~rail]

This is a bit OT, but one of the girls in my nursing school class a few years ago told us that she found a drawer full of "intimate" items in her parents room. She said there was a Santa hat in there!

 

[ElleBelle]

This is a bit OT, but one of the girls in my nursing school class a few years ago told us that she found a drawer full of "intimate" items in her parents room. She said there was a Santa hat in there!

Best thing I've heard all night. Hands down!!!!

 

[monkeyboy]

what is Screech?

 

[Dismom+two]

We call that game the Yankee Swap. We do one with my DH family. I usually buy a bottle of booze of some kind, however I want to try and be more creative this year!!

 

[FSUMARCHIEF]

I posted this once before on another thread, but my favorite all time is to give a six pack of prune juice with a roll of toilet paper. I received that one year and have copied it ever since when given the chance.

Blessings!
MarkyMark

 

[CJBaby]

I know it's not my thread, but I'll answer how we play it. Everyone draws a number. However many people are playing is the amount of numbers. All the presents are wrapped so no one can see what the gift is.

The person who draws #1 takes a gift from the pile of gifts.

The person who draws #2 can choose to take a gift from the pile or take the gift away from #1. If the gift is taken away from #1 then #1 goes and takes another gift from the pile.

The person who draws #3 can either take a gift from the pile or take #1 or #2 person's gift. If someone gets their gift taken away they get to take another one from the pile.

After everyone takes a turn and has a gift, the person who has #1 can trade their gift with anyone.

We play the same way, except if you get stolen from, you can choose from the pile OR steal from someone else (except for the person that just stole from you.) Once a gift has been stolen 2 times, it's retired and can no longer be stolen. You can steal back something that was stolen from you in a separate round (like your 2nd or 3rd gift was stolen from you and you want the 1st one that was stolen from you,) as long as it isn't retired.

This game is soooo fun!!!! I wish we played it for every holiday!

 

[Dismom+two]

I posted this once before on another thread, but my favorite all time is to give a six pack of prune juice with a roll of toilet paper. I received that one year and have copied it ever since when given the chance.

Blessings!
MarkyMark

OHHHH now that is funny!!!

 

[Talking Hands]

We do this with the deaf class at church but limit it to $5. Each person brings a gift for the game. This year I put in a box of 64 crayons as a joke gift but the person who choose it really liked it. My husband did a jar of Goop. WE ended up with a scrubbie which I can definitely use and hand fly swatters. This is a great hit every year alon. with Secret Santa,

 

[golfgal]

We are doing that this year with DH's family. We have drawn names in the past but it is kind of silly. His one sister wants a limit of $25. There just isn't that much you can buy for $25 that is nice, no gag gifts which would be a LOT more fun. The rest of us wanted it at $40 or 50 but oh well. We are doing this on Saturday and neither DH nor I have come up with any good ideas.

 

[PlutoLuvr]

I work with one office who does this type of gift swap every year.

Some "coveted" items in past have been:

Visa gift cards
Blockbuster gift cards
Trendy restaurant gift certificates (non-chain)
Wine glasses/beer pilsners
Lamp Berger (sp?)
Basically anything from Pier One Imports

HTH