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I love a white-elephant gift exchange, where everyone brings one wrapped present and takes a turn choosing a mystery gift from the pile, then subsequently stealing and/or fighting over the best stuff. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized how many white-elephant gifts ultimately end up in a junk drawer or donation box — or, worse, the trash. Often, the gifts are supposed to be impractical or silly, but even a good gag gift requires a bit of thought. It’s a tough balance to strike, finding wacky or surprising items that are also exciting, non-junky, and at least somewhat useful, not to mention appealing to a wide range of people.
So I set out on a quest to find some truly good white-elephant gifts that lots of people might actually want. I polled the Strategist staff, searched the Strategist archives, and did a little shopping of my own to build this list of unexpectedly delightful things that won’t immediately become clutter. My criteria for a good white-elephant gift is fairly simple: Whatever you bring should obviously fit within the price range that your particular group has set and be something that most participants can use and enjoy. So, in that spirit, I’ve organized the list below by price and collected a steal-worthy array of unusual (but crowd-pleasing) foods, interesting sampler sets, more fun versions of everyday necessities, and useful gadgets that people might not know about. There are even a few gag gifts, as long as they serve some function beyond getting a short-lived laugh.
And while you’re checking people off your list, we also have a whole array of holiday gift guides that will further expand your white-elephant horizons, including the best gifts under $10 that you can buy on Amazon, the best stocking stuffers, non-boring gifts that work for anybody, and literally tiny gifts.
Update on December 19, 2024: Added shipping information with notes on which gifts can still arrive in time for Christmas (spoiler alert: there aren’t all that many!); added some new gift ideas and removed out-of-stock products; updated prices and checked stock for all products.
$10 and under
It’s winter. Everyone’s hands are dry. Put a smile on their face when they’re moisturizing their chapped knuckles with this adorable Squishmallows-themed honey-scented hand cream.
At the last white-elephant party I attended, these Nerds Clusters were one of the most fought-over items.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive before Christmas if ordered at Target or at Amazon with Prime shipping.
These chip-shaped chip clips are just the right mix of silly and functional.
Sampler sets make nice “works for anybody” gifts, because the variety increases the odds they’ll find at least one thing they like. This around-the-world-themed set of spices features eight varieties including royal cinnamon and smoked pimentón paprika, and the passport-style packaging is a fun novelty.
Editor’s note: This gift ships in two to five business days.
Here’s a cute, but not too cutesy, place to rest their chopsticks.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive between December 23 and 31 if ordered by Thursday, December 19.
Everyone has to do dishes. Make the chore a little more tolerable with this crocheted pig dish scrubber.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive between December 21 and 30 if ordered by Thursday, December 19.
Strategist writer Erin Schwartz recommends this money-manifesting soap as a tried-and-true white-elephant offering. I recommend pairing it with a scratch-off lottery ticket.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
Or dip your toes into debate-starting territory with this cilantro-scented soap from Chipotle. It’s sure to get a laugh, no matter which side the recipient is on.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
Strategist senior editor Ailbhe Malone says she’d scramble for this pouch if someone gifted it at a white-elephant exhange. The checkered design is neutral enough to work for a variety of ages and genders without being boring.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
Or go with our favorite travel jewelry organizer. It’s one of those little life upgrades they may not know they needed.
This possum air freshener is actually banana-scented; it’s a funny and still technically useful choice for sillier groups.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
I haven’t encountered a scratch-and-sniff sticker since childhood, so I’d be absolutely delighted to go home with these holiday-themed ones by artist Chris Uphues.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
$15 and under
This fast-paced, Solitaire-adjacent card game is simple enough for anyone to learn to play — and chaotic enough that they won’t want to stop. Strategist contributor Laura Guidry says the dopamine hit from playing is “euphoric,” which is why she brings it with her on hikes and to bars.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive before Christmas if ordered at Target or at Amazon with Prime shipping.
This guess-the-song game with kazoos is easy enough for anyone to play and Malone reports that it was “astonishingly good fun” at her family’s Christmas gathering last year.
Instead of an easy-but-predictable bar of “fancy” chocolate, bring a pack of Pocket Coffee. Each individually wrapped piece is filled with liquid espresso for a delicious and especially zippy treat.
Senior editor Jen Trolio has been carrying her keys on one of these well-made and easy-to-open brass loops for years; it’s a nice upgrade from the standard split keyring.
Like your childhood Lip Smackers, but with a late-night gas-station vibe. (Plus, they are 30 SPF.)
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive before Christmas if ordered at Amazon with Prime shipping.
Tattly’s temporary tattoos are a great choice for a crowd that skews more funny or adventurous and come in lots of different designs — there’s even a “grown-up” collection with a full sleeve. This Snoopy set has broad appeal but isn’t overly generic.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
Protect their coffee table with these photorealistic pizza coasters that even come in a cardboard pizza box.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive before Christmas if ordered at World Market by Thursday, December 19; it will arrive after Christmas if ordered at Amazon.
A steel-wire cheese slicer is simply the best way to slice cheese at home. It’s not something most people already have, so it should be welcome addition to just about anyone’s kitchen. And if there’s room in the budget, I’d pair it with a block of your favorite cheese — just pick a hard one that can go unrefrigerated for the duration of the party.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
$25 and under
If there are Gen Zs in your group, they’ll be the folks most likely to fight over this sampler of Laniege’s extremely popular lip mask that features five flavors: berry, mango, gummy bear, watermelon pop, and peach iced tea.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
If your white-elephant crowd skews as young as Gen-Alphas — or includes young-in-spirit grown-ups — Trolio says her 6- and 9-year-old kids have become absolutely obsessed with this robot gecko that climbs up the walls, and the adults in her extended family are pretty charmed by it, too.
If enough people at your white elephant wear makeup, these sheep-themed reusable makeup-removing cloths would be a perfectly charming gift.
A standard box of chocolate screams “I picked this up at the drugstore on the way here.” A bag of this artisanal Swedish gummy candy, recommended by Trolio, feels much more thoughtful and delightful.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
Our best (less expensive) label-maker, so they can finally get organized … or so they can have some fun labeling things that definitely don’t need labeling.
This LEGO kit will make for an unkillable display once they’ve put it together.
This handy doodad that writer Brenley Goertzen discovered in her dad’s junk drawer lifts the top off a canned beverage, making it possible to make a mixed drink right in the can, add ice or a garnish, or simply avoid having the pull tab in your face.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
A cheeky martini-glass-shaped tumbler feels much more stylish than your standard cylindrical one for sipping drinks at the pool or beach. It’ll probably get a chuckle, but it’s also very usable.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
Handheld fans are great for keeping cool in the summer but also for drying nail polish and mascara. I’d definitely try to steal this bedazzled one that Paris Hilton swears by.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
If the person who ends up with this holiday baking sampler isn’t much of a cookie-maker, they can use this trio of apple-pie spice, pumpkin spice, and gingerbread to make flavored popcorn or syrups for coffee and cocktails.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
Strategist writer Emma Wartzman recommended a basic reloadable film camera after receiving one herself in a gift exchange last year — she likes that it has the ease of a disposable camera without the disposable part. Plus, you get the nostalgia and unpredictability of photos you have to wait to see.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
Strategist managing editor Kelsie Schrader gifted me these farfalloni pot grips in our staff Secret Santa exchange, so I can assure you firsthand of the delight they elicit.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
Just a giant bucket of salt that’s sure to get a laugh, while ensuring the recipient has several years’ worth of our favorite finishing salt, which is also featured in Wartzman’s guide to the best food gifts.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
$50 and under
This ice-cream thermos vacuum seals your pint to keep it chilled for as long as a few hours. Writer Katherine Gillespie swears by hers to transport ice cream on long subway rides and walks, whether she’s traveling to pick up her favorite flavor or bringing dessert to a friend’s place. As a white-elephant gift, it’s the perfect balance of fanciful but useful — no one needs one, but it opens up a whole new world of ice-cream possibilities.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive before Christmas if ordered at Amazon with Prime shipping.
For another non-necessary-but-nice-to-have food tool, consider this orange peeler that writer and co-founder of Permanent Collection Fanny Sing swears by.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive by Christmas if ordered at Amazon with Prime shipping.
Even if you don’t have a Baggu girlie in your group, the brand’s delightful prints make its reusable bags a nice-looking and genuinely handy gift for all sorts.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive by Christmas if ordered from Urban Outfitters. It will arrive after the holiday if ordered at Baggu.
Or, just a big ol’ tub of sweet and spicy Virginia peanuts. This family-owned company has been selling peanuts for decades, and according to Trolio, the Sweet Heat flavor is perfectly balanced and delicious.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
For a different take on Christmas cookies, bring a trio of Dewey’s Moravian cookies — they’re thin, crisp, and super-snackable. The ginger and sugar cookies are especially festive, but I’m partial to the lemon flavor.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
A non-boring puzzle — like this one featuring a spread of diner food with “munchies” written all over it — is sure to entice even those who haven’t put one together in years.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
Mister Parmesan’s food-themed hats land right in the sweet spot of being silly and ironic without feeling too much like a bad joke. This snapback with embroidered sausage links that spell “mortadella” is especially fun. I’m also quite partial to the brand’s pink farfalle trucker hat and cream-colored caprese dad hat.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
For a solid self-care gift, bring this eye mask that’s lightly weighted with clay beads to provide gentle pressure and that your recipient can heat in the microwave or pop in the freezer for some added hot or cold therapy. It has become my go-to for a quick after-work nap on particularly stressful days.
Editor’s note: Standard shipping for this gift is three to five business days; express shipping is two to three business days.
Or for a different self-care angle, bring this relaxing pillow spray. Strategist deals editor Sam Daly has gifted it multiple times and is especially fond of its scent: a blend of lavender, chamomile, and vetiver.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive by Christmas if ordered at Amazon with Prime shipping.
This surprisingly comfortable travel pillow is the one Gillespie uses on the 23-hour flight from New York to visit her hometown in Australia. It’s a travel gadget just about everyone could benefit from, and it isn’t a pain to pack.
A nonalcoholic beverage sampler will interest anyone who likes interesting sodas and seltzers. This 18-pack of sparkling water that Christina Ricci likes features flavors like cranberry, apple, and watermelon.
Editor’s note: With expedited shipping, this sampler might arrive on December 24, but there’s no guarantee.
Or for more out-there flavors, Aura Bora makes spiced (and, occasionally, spicy) herbal sparkling waters that Strategist contributor Kiki Aranita likes to bring to dinner parties. Flavors include lime cardamom, strawberry basil, and ginger Meyer lemon.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
Save them a trip to the chiropractor with this back-massage tool that Ottessa Moshfegh can’t live without.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive before Christmas if ordered at Amazon with Prime shipping.
If they light an incense cone in this adorable ceramic green cottage, the smoke will rise out of the chimney. It comes with 20 incense cones that have notes of winter eucalyptus, juniper, and fir needle.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
$100 and under
This easy-to-use Bluetooth speaker conveniently clips on to a backpack, bike, or even a showerhead.
How about a paint-can-size tub of the “best potato chips,” according to Amy Sedaris?
A bottle of wine as a white-elephant gift is boring. But a three-liter tin of genuinely good Greek olive oil? Opa!
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
For the pasta-heads — and surely there are plenty — this “Buon Appetito” bundle includes two jars of Sauz sauce (Hot Honey Marinara and Summer Lemon Marinara), plus a pound each of spaghetti and bucatini from Pasta Rummo, all packaged in a tote designed by Lisa Says Gah.
Editor’s note: This gift ships from Southern California in three to five business days; arrival estimates will depend on where you’re shipping to.
A Jell-O but-make-it-fancy variety pack that Aranita says is quite good and “not nearly as cloying” as Jell-O itself.
Editor’s note: This gift ships in three to four business days.
The modern (and TikTok viral) upgrade of the classic granny cart, for anyone who schleps a lot of stuff.
All the fun of a Polaroid, but with the hundreds of photos in your photo roll at your disposal.
Strategist writer Ambar Pardilla says she and her fellow employees fought over these ultra-cozy blankets when she worked at Anthropologie. Surely everyone at your white-elephant party will fight over one too.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive after Christmas.
Over $100
White-elephant price limits normally top out around $100, but if your exchange is especially splashy, these are my top-three recommendations.
A digital picture frame is a truly great gift that can be appreciated by just about anyone with a camera roll on their phone, even if they don’t realize it — and this is our favorite one.
Editor’s note: This gift will arrive before Christmas if ordered at Amazon with Prime shipping.
A self-heating mug that keeps their coffee or tea piping hot is a true luxury that will ruin them for regular mugs but soon become something they can’t live without.
Editor’s note: This gift is eligible for same or next-day shipping at Best Buy for an extra fee. Standard shipping from Ember is three to five business days.
It will get a laugh when they open it up, but it’ll seriously improve their bathroom routine. And because this bidet is easy to install, they can start using it pretty much as soon as they get home.
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
