Every white elephant exchange has the same arc. Someone unwraps a gag gift, the room laughs for four seconds, and the thing goes straight into a closet until next year's exchange. The best white elephant gifts do both jobs: they get the laugh when unwrapped and they get used by Tuesday. Those are the gifts people steal.
Here are funny white elephant gift ideas that are actually good, most of them under $50, plus a few rules for picking a gift that gets fought over instead of re-gifted.
Full disclosure: we sell olive oil, and yes, it is on this list. So are a lot of things we don't sell.
The rules of a good white elephant gift
- Funny on the outside, useful on the inside. The joke gets it picked. The usefulness gets it stolen.
- The nice version of a boring thing. Nobody buys themselves fancy salt or a really good olive oil. Everybody is thrilled to win one.
- Works for anyone. You don't know who will end up with it. Skip anything that needs a size, a hobby or a specific taste in music.
- Stay at or under the limit. Going way over makes things weird. Going way under is worse.
- Consumable beats clutter. Food, drink and things that get used up never end up in the donation pile.
- Read the room. What kills at a friends' party might need a quieter wrapping job at the office.
Funny white elephant gifts that are actually good
1. A really good olive oil with a ridiculous name
Our own entry, so judge us accordingly. Extra Slutty Olive Oil gets the laugh the second the paper comes off, and then it turns out to be a Californian, single-origin, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil made from Arbequina olives. Mild, buttery, the kind of oil you drizzle on everything. It comes in a black apothecary bottle with a label people take photos of. One bottle is $36, which fits most $40 and $50 exchanges. Cold-pressed hot mess. Pair with good friends and bad decisions.
2. Fancy tinned fish
Tinned fish has gone from pantry staple to personality trait, and the packaging on the good brands (Fishwife is the famous one) is genuinely fun. Get two or three tins in different flavors and tie them with a ribbon. Somebody will be delighted. Somebody else will be horrified. Both reactions are the point.
3. A hot sauce trio
Three small-batch hot sauces at escalating heat levels, ideally with a warning note attached. It is a game and a gift. Everyone likes hot sauce or knows someone who does.
4. A giant tub of flaky sea salt
It sounds boring. It is not. A big tub of flaky salt makes everything from eggs to chocolate chip cookies taste better, and it lasts for months. Pair it with a bottle of olive oil and you have the best boring gift in the room.
5. A cocktail upgrade kit
A bottle of bitters, a jigger and a recipe card for one good drink. Small, cheap to assemble and very stealable. Martini people will go after it first.
6. A candle that smells like something absurd
Novelty candle makers will sell you a scent for almost anything. Pick the weirdest one that still smells nice. It will get a laugh and then actually get lit.
7. A heated throw blanket
The dark horse of every exchange. Nobody laughs when it is unwrapped, and then it gets stolen three times. Easy to find under $50.
8. A tiny cast iron skillet
A palm-sized pan for one egg or one cookie. It is funny because it is small, and useful because it is cast iron. It will outlive everyone at the party.
9. A party game that is actually fun
A card or trivia game that plays in under 30 minutes. Bonus: the winner can open it right there and keep the party going.
10. A really good bag of coffee
Whole beans from a local roaster, with a note that says "for the morning after this party." Universally useful, universally appreciated.
11. A jigsaw puzzle with an unhinged picture
A thousand pieces of something deeply odd. Great for the person who likes a project, and great for the photo when they finish it.
12. Gourmet popcorn or chips in a ridiculous flavor
Truffle, dill pickle, something with "spicy" in the name. Edible, shareable, gone by New Year's.
13. Two bottles of the same good thing
Doubling up is an underused trick. Two of something good reads as generous, and the winner can keep one and gift the other. If your exchange limit is higher, the Twins two-pack is $69 for two bottles of our oil with free shipping. It is called the Twins. We are aware.
White elephant gifts by budget
| Budget | Good bets |
|---|---|
| Under $25 | Hot sauce trio, flaky salt, tinned fish, gourmet popcorn, good coffee |
| $25 to $50 | A great olive oil, a cocktail kit, a weird candle, a heated throw, a party game |
| Over $50 | A two-pack of something good, or a bundle: oil, salt and a loaf of bread |
How to make your gift the one everyone steals
- Wrap it to hide the shape. A bottle-shaped package gets picked last. Put it in a box.
- Add a one-line note. "Use me" on a gift tag does a lot of work.
- Bundle a small extra. Olive oil plus a loaf of bread beats olive oil alone. A candle plus matches beats a candle.
- Go for the double take. The gift should make people lean over to look at it. Stolen gifts are the ones people talked about.
What not to bring
- Anything that is only a joke. If the punchline is the whole gift, it is trash by January.
- Mugs with slogans. There are enough mugs.
- Anything that needs a size, a specific hobby or assembly with tools.
- Scented lotion sets from the pharmacy checkout aisle. Everyone knows.
Funny white elephant gift FAQ
What is a good white elephant gift that people actually want?
Something consumable and a little nicer than what people buy for themselves: good olive oil, flaky salt, hot sauce, coffee, tinned fish, a nice candle. Add a funny label or a funny note and it gets picked and kept.
Is olive oil a good white elephant gift?
A good one is. Everyone cooks something, nobody buys themselves the nice bottle, and it gets used up instead of stored. Ours has the added benefit of a name that makes the whole room read the label out loud. For more ideas see our guide to olive oil gifts.
Is Extra Slutty Olive Oil OK for an office white elephant?
It depends on your office. Most people find it funny. If your HR team has strong feelings about the word on the label, wrap it in a box and let the winner discover it at home.
What if the limit is $25?
Then our bottle is over budget, and we would rather you stick to the rules. Go with a hot sauce trio, flaky salt or tinned fish.
Do you ship in time for holiday parties?
We ship within the US only. Shipping is $7, and free on two or more bottles. Order early in December to be safe.
Shopping for more than one exchange? The Threesome is three bottles for $96, which covers the office, the friends' party and the one you forgot about. See the full olive oil collection, or read how to pick an olive oil gift.