54 Best White Elephant Gift Ideas Under $25 in 2024

Even if you feel like you’re skilled at gift-giving, sourcing the best white elephant gifts for the masses is a whole other story. You know, the holiday party game sometimes referred to as a Yankee Swap that goes something like this: Everyone brings an untagged wrapped gift and puts it in a pile. Participants then draw numbers to determine the order in which they’ll take turns choosing and opening one of the presents (if you draw a “1,” you go first). They show it to the group, and whoever’s turn is next can decide whether they want to open a new gift—or steal someone else’s. Most hosts usually keep the spending limit to under $25, but you can opt for even cheaper gifts, of course.

When it comes to selecting your own addition to the pile of Christmas gifts, think of who’ll you be playing with. If the exchange is happening at your office, and you’re focusing on gifts for your bosses and coworkers, you can’t go wrong with small gift ideas like desk accessories like the mini pickleball set here, a set of succulents, or a beauty Advent calendar. Playing with friends? Don’t sleep on funny gifts and gag gifts that’ll bring on the nostalgia, like a tiny Bop It (remember those?) or Lego coffee mug. While you can’t miss with practical choices like a crowd-pleasing holiday-scented candle, and yes, gift cards are okay to include if you’re short on time, it tends to be the silly picks that people fight for.

Remember: The real goal of a white elephant exchange is simply to have a blast and to walk away with something unexpected (even if you end up regifting it to your Secret Santa). Oh, and BTW, these all double as excellent stocking stuffers. Pro tip: The game gets really fun when the recipient can’t guess what’s inside the box based on the size or shape, so it pays to be inventive when you do your wrapping.