Help with White Elephant Gift

[mamamary]

I’m trying to help someone come up with a white elephant gift. They just decided on this today. Here are the details: it has to be bought tomorrow, $20 limit, needs to be for man or woman, it’s for a work event, no alcohol, this group is on the younger side if that matters. I have a good selection of stores near me (yep I’m gonna pick it up as this person is working all day tomorrow). So if you have any ideas I’d love to hear them.

 

[TwoMisfits]

If gift cards are allowed and it's a younger group...

Starbucks gift card,

 

[fla4fun]

If gift cards are allowed and it's a younger group...

Starbucks gift card,

A gift card was going to be my suggestion as well. If you think they won’t like Starbucks (I don’t) then something practical like Amazon or Target would work too. Gift cards were always popular in our office exchange.

 

[mamamary]

I was thinking gift card. The internet gave some good ideas from Amazon but there is no time for that.

 

[_19disnA]

Any kind of gift card would work. Even something like a local grocery store since everyone shops there at one time or another. That is more generic and would appeal to a wider audience then something like Starbucks that may not be to everyone's liking (i.e. don't like the taste of their coffee or don't drink coffee......etc.)

 

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

One work gift that's been a hit in these type of work exchanges is an insulated cup with scratch off tickets inside for the balance of the amount. Most people drink something at work whether it's coffee, tea or water so they can just leave the cup at work.

 

[fla4fun]

I was thinking gift card. The internet gave some good ideas from Amazon but there is no time for that.

My local grocery has racks of various gift cards for sale all the time. They should be able to get something tonight or on the way to work tomorrow.

 

[AppleDumpling]

For an office, a page-a-day desk calendar. Can be a generic theme, something funny like The Far Side or Shoebox, or trivia, quotes, life hacks, etc.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Not to dampen the enthusiasm here, but the term "White Elephant" gift generally (used to) means a gift that's unusual, odd, and impractical.

Some of the best ones I've heard of:
a bunch of gift cards with small amounts on them (no more than $.50-$.75 on each)

embroidered toilet paper

rock collection

macaroni jewelry (necklace & bracelet)

tortilla blanket (seriously, a round blanket that looks like a tortilla)

a stuffed white elephant

 

[TCRAIG]

Walmart had some awesome Golden Girls coffee mugs - can’t go wrong with ‘The Fab Four’…

 

[HopperFan]

Too bad they decided this so late, with time you could get a very nice gift (on sale) for $20. And at this point .... no one can expect creativity or a cool gift!

Stay away from liquor, lottery cards, restaurant cards (diet restrictions). Wouldn't be fun to get something that is outside your usage zone. I even avoided movie theater gift cards (I used to give those as it could be a treat) since many are not comfortable going back. If doing a gift card I would do Amazon or other store like Target or Walmart. They could use for anything.

Maybe find something fun at a dollar store or on sale to pack it in so it's bigger than a gift card.

 

[2TxAgs]

Altho called 'white elephant', around here folks generally give a neat gift, not the odd, impractical ones. I've gotten burned giving something odd when everyone else brought something that would be fun to get

The young person who got my $15 box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates was pretty excited!
Coffee mug warmer?
Half Price Books has neat games and puzzles.
Mix of coffee/tea samples, with something fun like chocolate spoons

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I’m trying to help someone come up with a white elephant gift. They just decided on this today. Here are the details: it has to be bought tomorrow, $20 limit, needs to be for man or woman, it’s for a work event, no alcohol, this group is on the younger side if that matters. I have a good selection of stores near me (yep I’m gonna pick it up as this person is working all day tomorrow). So if you have any ideas I’d love to hear them.

Glass watering globe for plant
heavy duty tape measurer
hummingbird feeder
windchimes
planter with seeds
stepping stone maker kit
a game: Yahtzee, Left/Right/Center, playing cards and dice...
Utensil holder
olive oil with decanter
big pillow with a funny saying
throw blanket for house or car
tote bag with candy or other incidentals
popcorn popper, chip/dip tray with chips and dip

You can always give a $10/$15 gift card with a small gift and bring it to $20

 

[Disneytrippin']

I’m trying to help someone come up with a white elephant gift. They just decided on this today. Here are the details: it has to be bought tomorrow, $20 limit, needs to be for man or woman, it’s for a work event, no alcohol, this group is on the younger side if that matters. I have a good selection of stores near me (yep I’m gonna pick it up as this person is working all day tomorrow). So if you have any ideas I’d love to hear them.

I bought a pair of tiny hands for my white elephant gift one year. Hilarious

 

[Wood Nymph]

an umbrella is a nice gift

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Not to dampen the enthusiasm here, but the term "White Elephant" gift generally (used to) means a gift that's unusual, odd, and impractical.

Yeah we just did a white elephant this past saturday..only a few were the normal type gifts for white elephant included ours (a giant remote was one which is a common one). It kinda felt weird to do a white elephant without the silliness. It should have just been a gift exchange where people just randomly pick a number if people wanted to do that.

Things like scratchers (multiple), solar powered portable charger, gift cards but like good ones, yeti containers, etc were all other gifts The max price was something like $20-$25 but people basically just did gifts like they would normally give but with being able to steal and stuff. The host chose to include the actual white elephant and the youngest child that played by sheer coincidence was the last one to go and got that so I'd include know your audience here (in the OP's case workplace).

 

[luv2cheer92]

Is it a true white elephant (usually a silly or unusual gift), or a more traditional gift exchange? That would make the answers very different.

 

[sksjasams]

I would get these socks
https://www.target.com/p/men--39-s-...der---wondershop--8482--red-6-12/-/A-86196441
and candy
https://www.target.com/p/lindor-holiday-milk-favor-gift-2-1oz/-/A-80037780#lnk=sametab
and a $15 Target gift card.

i got those socks for DS’s stocking and they are nice quality, super soft, and festive.

 

[sk!mom]

At my work exchange the most popular/stolen gifts are alcohol or gift cards so if alcohol isn’t allowed…Target or Amazon gc.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Is it a true white elephant (usually a silly or unusual gift), or a more traditional gift exchange? That would make the answers very different.

From what I've read a White Elephant exchange involves semi-useful, but unpractical gifts, and Yankee Swap usually has practical gifts but involves stealing the gifts from others.

In the Yankee Swap (how I've always done it), everyone draws a number (the order that people will chose their gifts). Then #1 picks a gift from the pile of gifts that everyone brought and opens it. Then it's #2's turn, #2 can either steal the gift that #1 has or choose a gift from the pile and open it. #3 can steal either #1 or #2 gift or chose a gift from the pile. And so on..... Typically a gift has a limit of how many times it can be stolen, generally 2 or 3 times (to be decided by host of party). At the end of the gift giving, when there's one gift left it goes to whoever wound up with no gift due it being stolen, OR they can steal someone else's and that person gets the last gift.