Holiday white elephant gift exchanges are always so fun, but when it’s time to pick out your contribution gift, sometimes you just draw a blank. What’s a good thing to bring, anyway?
To jumpstart your creative process — because white elephant games certainly require a bit of a imagination! —we picked out some of our favorite gag gifts from across the web. Nearly all of them are heavily vouched for by reviewers who used them for their own white elephant gatherings (and reported the items were a huge hit and got “stolen” multiple times). Mission accomplished!
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The screaming goat is an iconic white elephant surprise thanks to its hilarious shriek that perfectly sums up the emotions of everyday life and acts as a surprisingly effective stress reliever. This goofy gift is such a hit, Amazon reviewers have given it 31,000 5-star ratings.
Target also has one with a Christmas theme this year if you’d like an even jollier twist.
Promising review: “I wanted something totally random for a party where I needed to take a white elephant gift. This screaming goat was absolutely perfect!! I had no idea something like this was even a thing. I randomly bought it and it became the white elephant gift everyone wanted.” — NJ Kerr
Whoever gets to wrap themselves up in one of these fleece tortilla blankets — or this mesmerizing flannel pizza blanket — is one lucky white elephant-er. Beloved by reviewers with 59,000 5-star ratings, these soft throws have all the qualities of an excellent white elephant gift: adorable, useful and actually desirable — because who would ever say no to another comfy blanket?
You can also grab the blanket in a waffle version (and in five different sizes)!
Note: According to reviewers, the blankets arrive shrink-wrapped. Clip the coupon for an additional discount on select styles that’ll apply at checkout!
Promising reviews: “Bought it for white elephant gift exchange at work. Was popular and stolen twice during the game :)” — Ann Cao
“This made a great white elephant gift. Especially since my Mom makes the best tortillas in the galaxy. The blanket was thick, seemed warm, and looked realistic. Perfect gift or novelty for those who grew up eating tortillas regularly.” — Sleepflyer
This dishwasher- and microwave-safe porcelain mug is emblazoned with all sorts of Excel shortcuts, from filters and formats to functions and more.
Designed to demystify the mystery that is Excel, it contains shortcut gems for spreadsheet experts along with (sorely needed) tips for beginners.
And the most important part, of course: Coffee — 12 ounces of it.
For a cute pairing idea, you can include a loose tea steeper shaped like a baby Nessie dinosaur!
Promising review: “Coworkers loved it, most popular White Elephant gift at the office holiday party.” — Keir
Spend every day of 2025 with Shakespeare…and hundreds of his most hilarious insults. The Shakespearean Insults calendar is sure to capture the interest of theater and lit lovers, who will also benefit from all the hundreds of new absolutely withering jabs they’ll learn for the next time they’re in need of a comeback.
Designed for desk or tabletop use at 4.6 inches by 4.6 inches, this daily calendar includes bonus jokes, quotations and trivia at the back of its tear-off pages. Note: The weekends pages are combined.
A new way to enjoy a classic movie, this 300-piece puzzle features the blinding lights of the Griswold’s house from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” rendered by none other than esteemed “painter of light” Thomas Kinkade. Put the movie on and tackle the puzzle with friends and family.
These plentiful bowls of comfort foods are actually hand-poured candles! The perfect balance of wacky and cool, each candle is scented like the food it depicts. Made with a soy wax blend, the candles are available in tons of different styles in addition to the cereal bowl, fish crackers and mac n cheese options. Check out all the other food candles the ILikePar brand has to offer at Amazon here.
Clip the coupon on select styles for an added discount at checkout!
Promising reviews: “”I bought this for white elephant with my youth group. Had them fighting over it. Great gift.” — Gigi
“I bought this as a Christmas White Elephant gift and loved it so much I ended up buying another for myself. It smells amazing! I liked that all the pieces came packaged separately so they could be placed how I wanted. It’s not something I intend to burn but rather use as a fun décor piece in the kitchen.” — Ashley
The Russian doll-shaped measuring cups are here to serve, and even nest into each other like the actual traditional dolls (and for easier storage)! Reviewers adore them, calling the whimsical gals “the cutest and most fun measuring cups I’ve ever seen” — and during white elephant exchanges, “by far the gift that got fought over the most.”
The cups are BPA-free and include 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, 2/3 cup, 3/4 cup and 1-cup dry measuring sizes.
Promising review: “We got these for a white elephant gift exchange and they were a HIT! It was the most stolen gift – every one wanted them. They are super cute so its hard not to want these. Someone mentioned that they sell these at Sur La Table for like $40 so this is a great deal.” — sbeeee
I’m pretty sure we could all use one of these tiny punching bags. This version is a bestseller and uses suction to hold it down at your desk against the angry blows coming its way. The two finger gloves are a cute extra touch!
Promising review: “I bought this for a white elephant gift it got a bunch of laughs out of everybody so mission accomplished! It’s definitely tiny but if you look at the pictures it shows the size accurately. Great for a gag gift!” — Firas
Whoever ends up with these pizza coasters during white elephant should know I am jealous of them. Adorable and impressively realistic, the 4-inch cork coasters even come packaged in a little pizza box.
A dark horse in your family white elephant exchange may be these utterly random yet perfect taco-holding dinosaurs, which are so unique and strange (in the best way) that they’re bound to capture everyone’s attention.
Nicknamed “Tacosauros” and “Tricerataco,” each dino can hold two hard-shelled tacos at once. Reviewers also report using them with sandwiches, bagels, waffles and more.
Promising review: “I bought this as the ‘white elephant gift’ for my office party and a fist fight nearly broke out over who got to take this bad boy home. It. Was. Awesome! Do yourself a favor and buy like 40 of these things. — Haley
It’s no gag gift, but we’re certain that this reviewer-adored mini waffle maker will be the gift to beat at your white elephant meetup. The appliance pops out 4-inch mini waffles in just a few minutes’ time, with easy cleanup thanks to its nonstick surface. Plus, when an item garners over 240,000 ratings, you know it’s a goodie, especially at this price point.
The compact waffle iron comes in 16 designs and styles; you can opt for a plain color or some especially whimsical options like leopard print, little rainbows and a purple galaxy.
You can even grab a version replete with a skulls and crossbones print, which makes skull-shaped waffles — or a style that produces mini heart-shaped waffles!
Promising review: “This was two of my gifts for white elephant at my families houses, and they were all fighting over it, because they wanted it so bad! This is also perfect to make more than just waffles.. they have different recipes in the box and its so cute and fun!” — Taylor
These Prank Pack boxes are designed for ultimate gag gifting. Pack your actual present inside the empty box: Your recipient will think they’re actually getting a truly ridiculous item, like this cat nesting hat or a pet butler vest.
Deeply unfortunately for us (delusional?) pet lovers, the box doesn’t actually include the product (though obviously, given my own interest, there is a market for it) — but the prank box is a fun way to take your white elephant game to the next level and make sure it’s extra memorable.
The detailed boxes each measure 11.25 inches by 9 inches by 3.25 inches, so there’ll be ample room for whatever real gift you choose to put inside.
Promising review: “Bought this as a gag for my work’s white elephant gift exchange…The person who got it totally believed it was a real product and didn’t bother to open it to find the gift card inside. Even more disturbingly, another co-worker stole this from him and was quite disappointed to discover that this wasn’t a real product.” — Regis
More honorable mentions for empty prank boxes: This squirrel hot tub box that I deeply wish was real and a shower margarita machine gag that probably will exist in the real world soon.
Promising reviews: “Good gag gift box, funny watching people scratch their heads when they take off the wrapping paper. Obviously the gift inside is not what the box says it is. Makes a great white elephant gift exchange box gift.” — rtucker
“I used this for a white elephant gift and the recipient thought it was actually thought it was real the look on here face was priceless” — SpiderStan
These adorable banana hats purportedly keep banana bunches fresh for longer by slowing down the absorption of ripening ethylene gas. Perhaps even more importantly, they’re damn cute.
The package includes two little knitted hats (!!) and two silicone caps meant to be placed on banana bunches before the hats; the caps and hats attach via magnet.
Grab the hats in a unicorn-viking pair, a banana-monkey style, a strawberry-pineapple version or a shark-octopus duo!
Promising review: “Bought these as a stocking stuffer and it was a great choice. So cute and very much a conversation starter. We have been using them since the. And they actually work well.” — reviewer
“Love these little guys! EVER time I open the pantry door, I smile.” — Yeena
These pasta-shaped pot grips will be a no-brainer white elephant trade for pasta lovers. Imagine transporting a pot of pasta with these bow-ties. We’re all sold.
The holders are made with BPA-free silicone and are dishwasher-safe!
For extra kitchen fun, pair the holders with this cute vampiric ‘Gracula’ garlic crusher!
Promising review (Amazon version): “Love these! I ended up gifting my first set as a white elephant gift, loved it so much I bought one for my kitchen!!!” — sbm
As much of a novelty item as this Christmas tree leg lamp cookie cutter is, it’s also the real deal: Family-owned, Vermont-based brand Ann Clark Cookie Cutters has been making cookie cutters for over 30 years, and says its cookie cutters will last for generations with proper care.
The iconic Christmas leg lamp piece is made with durable alloy steel and rounded edges for an easy grip; the tool crafts a 4-inch cookie that’s a full 1 inch deep, so the final result will be heaven to sink teeth into.
Promising review: “We loved adding the Leg Lamp cookie to our other Christmas shaped cookies. This was a gift, and very well received. The cutter is sturdy, and easy to use. The cookies turned out great, and we didn’t have a broken leg in the batch!” — Cookie
This gag dumpster fire desk caddy is a vibe of its own, plus is actually useful: Its included flames are notecards you can jot your thoughts on, and the wood-crafted dumpster is durable enough to house pens and other desk necessities in its three compartments.
It comes unassembled, but reviewers say the parts fit together well, so you can either leave your white elephant-er to build it or put it together beforehand.
The desk accessory is also available in a record mik crate version and in a camper vehicle style!
Promising review: “I got these we part of a desk themed white elephant gift. Everyone loved it and wanted it for their desk.. the person who ended up with it said it was easy to put together and loves using it.” — Jasmine
These insulated beer parkas and cold can puffer coats (!) are almost as useful as they are adorable, and for a great white elephant gift, that’s the point! Plus, I’m pretty sure someone in the room’s real-life parka will actually match these.
Designed to fit most standard-sized, 12-ounce cans, the jackets will keep folks’ hands warm while they’re enjoying cold drinks like beer, soda, hard seltzer or sparkling water.
They also come in a flannel style from Amazon!
Promising review: “I bought this for my bunco Christmas white elephant gift. Put a skinny beer in it and everyone loved it. Half of the ladies asked me to send them the link so they could get one themselves. It’s really well made and all of the little details make it so fun. Will buy again!” — Sarah Warnick
We bet the resident plant lover in your life doesn’t own a Bob Ross chia planter!
This sweet and silly planter comes with everything you’ll need: the iconic planter head, a plastic drip tray and seed packets for three plantings. Then, just water Bob Ross’s head: You should see full greenery growth within one or two weeks.
You can also grab a chia planter modeled after a bunch of other famous heads, like Rose from Golden Girls.
Promising review: “Bought as a white elephant gift and it was definitely the most fought over item. The person who needed up with it loves it and wants me to get another next year with a different character.” — Amanda
Adult Lego lovers can make and remake their own unique drinkware with this cool and actually-functional building blocks mug. Available in nine base colors, the piece comes with toy bricks that you can build onto the sides and handle. (You can also utilize whatever Legos you already own.)
The mug is BPA-free and can hold both cold and hot beverages, though it should not be put into the dishwasher!
Promising reviews: “It was for a white elephant and it was traded a few times. Lego fans liked it!” — Dyann
“Honestly so damn cute. I bought this as a white elephant gift but I kinda want to by myself one for my desk at work. Take it as it is. It’s a gimmicky gift but it’s adorable. I love that it comes with pieces to build onto it!” — TyNae
Fight good and evil at the dinner table with these light-up lightsaber chopsticks. They can actually illuminate like the real deal thanks to their included batteries (which also means you can start using them right away — as soon as they’re snatched off the white elephant table).
The “chopsabers” are made with BPA-free plastic and are built to last through fighting and eating alike!
Promising review: “We went to a white elephant gift exchange last Christmas with a pair of these for our gift. People were fighting over them so much. It’s a super creative, unique gift that all Star Wars fans should love!” — Brittany
Football lovers will fight for this official NFL-licensed glass drinkware, which features an embedded metal football complete with faux-shattered glass. Only available at Uncommon Goods, this 16-ounce glass is also available in an 11-ounce version. You can also have your local favorite team’s logo etched onto the glass for no additional cost!
