White Elephant gift exchanges can be fun and often funny. It’s always good to have a few gag gifts in the mix, but being a practical person, I can only buy white elephant gifts that I think someone would like or use.
We’ve rounded up a huge list of highly rated practical, fun or funny white elephant gifts. We’ve also included amazon affiliate links for each idea where possible. Click the photos to see prices and shop. If you are looking for ideas to add a dash of humor to any of these practical gifts, see our tips at the end of this post. These will be white elephant gifts everyone will want to steal!
Trending and Viral White Elephant Gift Ideas
These items are trending with influencers, TikTok viral, Instagram viral gift ideas. They are trending because the masses love and use them so a safe bet for a white elephant gift.
Page Turning / Scrolling Ring or Remote – Perfect for when your lying in bed, curled up in your blanket reading your e-reader or scrolling social media and don’t want to reach out of your blanket into the cold to touch the screen to turn the page or scroll. Can we say first world problems, but honestly this is a well-loved item.
Food Chopper – I have one of these and it is so helpful for meal prep! Very practical!
Divided Serving Tray – Perfect for on the go snacks! These are all over Instagram!
Milk Frother – these are all over TikTok for multiple purposes, morning coffee, protein drinks, collagen drinks, greens, etc
Car Trash Can – This fits in your cupholder and is a great way to keep your car clean. Then every time you stop for gas you can empty it. Super practical!
Cleaning Gel – for removing dust and particles from hard to reach spaces. Great for cars and keyboards!
Tyler Laundry Detergent – influencers rave about the scent of this laundry detergent, especially the Diva scent. It’s more expensive than your average laundry detergent so makes a nice gift. Influencers recommend mixing it with unscented laundry detergent to make it last longer. You can also mix it with water in a spray bottle for the best smelling fabric spray.
MISCELLANEOUS WHITE ELEPHANT GIFTS
Battery Organizer – this is such a great practical white elephant gift that would be useful to just about everyone. For a little humor, attach a tag that says batteries not included 😀
Mini Car Vacuum – so practical to keep in your car for quick cleanups!
Makeup eraser – these often pop up at favorite things parties or Instagram influencer feeds. Great for removing makeup with just water.
Mini Crock Pot – always good to have for entertaining during the holidays
Coffee Bar in a Jar
Coffee syrups, mini coffee packets and optional liqueurs in a jar, topped off with a mini mug ornament for a cohesive themed gift. It’s perfect for coffee lovers or anyone hosting guests over the holidays. People will be stealing this gift! See this post for the details on how we put one together for a white elephant gift exchange.
Car Cleaning Wipe Set
Coffee Mug Warmer – perfect for an office white elephant exchange or for the parent who can never finish a cup of coffee without reheating it 3 times
Toolset – Practical for just about anyone.
Gift Cards – obviously practical and, so often, this is the white elephant gift everyone tries to steal. Add one of the funny twists listed at the end of this post. Support local by purchasing from a favorite small business.
Alternatively, if time is not on your side and you don’t have time to go to a store, you can order gift cards on Amazon Prime for all sorts of locations. Click here for physical gift cards available with Prime delivery. If you are really last minute, a printable e-gift card is a great solution
Lottery Tickets – these are often a popular gift that everyone tries to steal. Add in a bottle of wine and it’s an irresistible white elephant gift.
Cookbook – popular ones that come to mind are Half Baked Harvest or Magnolia Table
Tissue box covers – tis the season for needing tissues, make them pretty
Nice Outdoor Chair – these serve so many purposes from picnics to camping to sporting events to tailgating. Super practical white elephant gift.
Batteries– ‘Tis the season when everyone needs new batteries for all the new things. You can’t get much more practical than batteries. For a little dad-joke-level humor, attach a label that says toy not included.
Rechargeable Battery Set – labeled “the batteries that just keep giving”
Coffee Tumbler – who doesn’t need a travel mug? We use ours almost every day. Always good to have extras, especially when we forget one at work.
Iced Coffee / Smoothie Sleeve – perfect for keeping hands from freezing and condensation from getting all over work desks.
Gift Wrapping Supplies – ’tis the season for endless wrapping. Bring the gift of wrapping supplies, think wrapping paper, a tape dispenser, scissors, gift wrap, ribbon and/or bows or this gift wrap organizer like this one:
Claw Gardening Gloves – this could be a great white elephant gift especially for those who like to spend time in the garden or in keeping up with their flower beds
Water Tumbler – Water bottles are all the rage lately. Grab a trending Owala or Stanley for a popular yet practical white elephant gift.
The Comfy – this is going to be a higher budget white elephant gift but, if the budget allows, is a perfect and practical gift on cold winter days.
SELF-CARE WHITE ELEPHANT GIFTS
Everyone needs a little self care especially during the holidays, why not give a white elephant gift of pampering.
Teeth Whitening Strips – Who doesn’t want a white smile for all those holiday candids?!
Anthro Volcano Candle – the ever popular luxury candle everyone loves. OK, for some this may not be as practical but for those who feel a whole type of way when a candle is burning, very practical!
Bath Pillow – The holidays can be crazy and everyone needs some self care to recharge. Give the gift of relaxation. If the budget allows, add a bath bomb or bath salts.
Bath Table Caddy
Again self care during the holidays is life giving. A bath table caddy allows you to relax in the bath while finishing up your online shopping!
Bath Bomb set – add jade roller or sheet mask
Face tanning drops – so many influencers recommend these. Give them the gift of a winter-time glow
TECHNOLOGY THEMED WHITE ELEPHANT GIFTS
Here is a list of some techy white elephant gift ideas:
Key Finder Tag – this is such a useful gift especially for those of us who tend to lose keys/remotes
Portable Bluetooth Speaker – perfect for adding music to tailgates, picnics, beach days.
Portable Charger
Everyone can use a portable charger. This is the one I have. It can be plugged into the wall and it can be used for multiple types of devices. We all fight over this one and it will most likely be the gift to steal at your white elephant exchange.
Amazon Echo Dot – these often drop in price on Black Friday/Cyber Monday/Prime Day
Amazon Kindle – pick one up during Amazon Prime days or Black Friday at a steal
PLAYFUL WHITE ELEPHANT GIFTS
Popular Card or Dice Games – These are some of the highest rated with a low price point:
Nintendo Retro Classic Mini Game – the white elephant gift of nostalgia – so fun!
Bug-A-Salt gun – the receiver will be able to ditch the fly swatter and make a sport out of ridding their home of insect intruders. Hilarious gift and something to fight over
Nerf guns – Who doesn’t love a good nerf battle. This is an often-fought-over white elephant gift.
Airzooka toy – this toy shoots balls of air across a room. Maybe a less practical gift but sure to bring about laughter. Pranksters will love this gift. Bonus laughter as the recipient shoots balls of air at unsuspecting party-goers.
Murder Mystery Game
Escape Room gift card – the gift of an experience – sure to be a popular white elephant gift
ALCOHOL THEMED WHITE ELEPHANT GIFTS
Alcohol related white elephant gifts are often popular steal-worthy gifts.
Cocktail/Wine tumbler – add mini alcohol bottles to bring your gift up to the white elephant dollar limit
Diamond Whiskey Glasses – you can add mini whiskey bottles to bring up the dollar amount and steal appeal.
Bottle of Alcohol make it funny by adding a tag that says Truth Serum
TRAVEL THEMED WHITE ELEPHANT GIFTS
The world is back into traveling. Travel themed white elephant gifts are useful and well loved.
Travel Electronic Accessory Organizer
Travel Toiletry or Makeup Bag – also all over social media, so good!
Travel jewelry box
Packing cubes
POTTY HUMOR WHITE ELEPHANT GIFTS
Lumilux Toilet Light – this white elephant gift appeals to potty humor but also is like a motion activated light leading people to where they need to be when a middle of the night potty run strikes. All kids will be thrilled if their parent brings home this gift!
Bidet – this will get some laughs for sure but if you know you know, practical! Don’t knock it until you try it.
Squatty Potty – another wink at potty humor If the budget is higher, Add Poopouri. If the budget is lower, there is an offbrand squatty potty or just skip the foot atoool and do poopouri
Extra Large package of toilet paper – wrapped in a large box, everyone will be intrigued..until they open it. You can’t argue that it’s practical!
Funny twists:
Practical white elephant gifts can still be funny. To add a funny twist, add a disclaimer on your gift that to steal this gift, the person must do something funny such as: do the chicken dance for 30 seconds, beat the current gift holder in a challenge such as a race while hopping like frogs, running across the room holding a credit card between their knees, you get the picture. Practical yet still sure to add some laughter to the white elephant exchange.
Another way to make a practical gift funny is to put it inside of a prank box which is an empty box labeled for a gag gift like these from Amazon:
Share in the comments anything you would add to this list of white elephant gift ideas! Have a blast at your white elephant exchange! XOXO