13 Best White Elephant Gifts (2025): Coffee Pot Mug, Legos, Sushi Magnets, and More

Honorable mentions

• Nowadays, the price of a cannabis drink starts at $40: Bringing a bottle of booze is a classic white elephant thing to do. My husband’s staff almost exclusively swaps bottles of liquor as a safe bet for enthusiasm. I think you could do better, and bring a THC spirit instead. This spirit is light and slightly fruity, falling somewhere between the flavor of floral gin and sweet sake. My friends and I have tried it mixed with a pomegranate cocktail instead of tequila, which is great, and we also liked it with soda as a THC addition to the gin and tonic. It’s delicious on its own too. I would skip this for a work party or any group that might not be environmentally friendly.
• Wine in general: This is always a safe choice! You can also bring a bottle of non-alcoholic wine if you want an accessible option.

What not to bring to the white elephant

Here are what were the least controversies at the white elephant parties I attended last year, or the most inappropriate ideas our team heard about:

• One basic candle. No one needs a candle they can get at the store. Unless there’s a fun theme that will appeal to the group in attendance, like the D&D candles above for my fellow nerds or book-themed candles for book lovers, skip bringing a single candle to the white elephant exchange. Or make the candle part of a gift basket; Our favorite tomato scented candle goes great with some kitchen or garden accessories.
• Puzzles. I think it’s difficult to introduce puzzles randomly, real puzzle enthusiasts will need a lot of pieces, while beginners will want an easier piece. If you choose a puzzle with a very specific theme, the recipient may not like it as much as a real puzzler or fan of that theme might. Instead, I’m gifting fun paint-by-numbers kits.
• Live animals. Look, you shouldn’t give baby chicks for Easter, and you shouldn’t give anything even remotely similar — including a mouse, a fish, or anything living.
• Sex toys and lingerie. I’ve already participated in a sex toy-themed gift exchange, and I’d recommend it to the right groups of friends. But otherwise, unless you’re good friends with the whole group and are absolutely sure it wouldn’t be inappropriate (and no kids would be attending), it’s safer to buy these for your significant other instead. It is certainly inappropriate to exchange business gifts.
• Actual garbage. I didn’t think I should write this, but at one gift exchange I went to, someone literally wrapped up a piece of trash as a joke. As someone who has unwrapped a garbage gift, I beg you: Don’t do this.

White elephant rules

If you’re headed to your first white elephant gift exchange, here’s a quick breakdown of what’s going to happen.

Everyone will bring a wrapped gift (often less than $25, for example) and place it in a pile or in a central place. Next, each person will draw a number indicating their place in the gift selection pecking order. When your number is called, you can either pick a gift from the pile and unwrap it, or steal a gift that someone has already unwrapped. Most exchanges will have a limit on the number of times a gift can be stolen – usually around three times – so if you have the best gift on your hands when it’s time to choose someone else, there’s no guarantee you’ll keep it. If your gift is stolen, you can either unwrap a new gift or steal a different gift (non-refundable, sorry).

These rules can vary based on the host and their house rules, so be sure to ask about the rules at the beginning of the game. Happy exchange!