21 White Elephant Gifts That Prove Good Things Come In Cheap Packages
White elephant parties are the wild west of gift exchanges – where chaos reigns and social boundaries crumble faster than holiday cookies. These aren't your grandma's predictable presents. We're talking about 20 under-$15 gifts that'll turn a potentially awkward gathering into legendary party folklore.
Some will make people cry-laugh, others will spark wild stealing wars, and a few might just become the most talked-about moment of the holiday season. From gloriously weird to unexpectedly useful, these gifts are the perfect cocktail of humor, surprise, and "I can't believe someone actually bought this." Prepare for a gift exchange that'll have everyone forgetting about their carefully curated wish lists.
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Unleash A World Of Fascinating Facts And Trivia With The Intriguing The Book Of Unusual Knowledge, A Curious Collector's Item That Will Leave Your Friends Green With Envy
Review: "It's waaaaay thicker then I thought it would be but surprisingly very light! Love they sectioned the categories in chapters like "crime" "history" etc. I also like that I can literally just open the book at random and just start reading which is perfect for those odd 5-10minutes you need to kill." - Bunny
Abduct Some Laughs With A UFO Cow Abduction Toy - It's An Out-Of-This-World Experience, No Bull
Review: "I sent this to my grandson. He’s nicknamed the alien “Sparky”. I don’t think I can post the video bc he’s in it. I just ordered one for myself, 64 y/o girls just want to have fun 🐄 🛸 👽 ❤️" - Laurie E.
Cook Up A Plate Of Snoop’s Best Recipes With The 'From Crook To Cook' Cookbook - The Surefire Chow To Win A White Elephant Party!
Review: "I love Snoop. After this was opened at the Christmas pary, everyone wanted it. Several people asked me where I got it after the party. Everyone loves Snoop. Martha needs to try his book LOL" - Ramona
Squish, Stretch, And Unleash Creativity With The Mind-Bendingly Mesmerizing Crayola Globbles
Review: "I'm a 43 year old child, so of course I bought these under the guise of "buying them for the children in my family" and then immediately ripping open the package to play with them. 60 seconds later, the yellow one is stuck to my ceiling and no Swiffer Duster is strong enough to get it down. It's a fun silly toy and I like that you can wash them to get the dog/cat hair off of them. I've named ceiling ball David Oyelowo. Enjoy your Globbles!" - Patti S
Paint Small, Dream Big With Tiny Bob Ross By The Numbers Paintings - Let Your Inner Artist Loose, One Mini Canvas At A Time!
Review: "This is perfect for what I wanted to go with my Bob Ross Funko Pop! It's a great addition to my Funko collection at work and looking at him, and the painting, makes me smile. It took me an hour to paint this picture, while I watched TV, and the trickiest part was the color blending, but that was a fun challenge. Ignore the fact my large tree looks like Godzilla, as my 12 year old pointed out. As Bob says, it's just a happy little accident. I'm looking forward to painting the other two pictures and, for the money, this is just a fun little activity and is perfect for what I wanted it for. Bob standing alone, with just his palette, would have been sad and this completes the set. Thanks!" - Hilary
Dip Into Wisdom And Witticisms With 'Why Are My Nuts In The Toilet Water?' - Turning The Tide On The Puzzles Of Older Age!
Review: "Our family tries to one up each other on the most inappropriate birthday cards we can find. This one made everyone laugh and they enjoyed the practical explanations!!" - MC
Share The Purr-Spective With 'How To Talk To Your Cat About Gun Safety' - A Very Serious Book That Packs A Punch(Line)
Review: "I have to admit I am a bit of a reluctant cat owner. However, I've realized that I can't put off some of these conversations any longer. This book really helped give me the tools I needed in order to have the hard conversations with my cat. The chapters on abstinence, while a little uncomfortable, or particularly cogent to our cat's experience. This book has literally saved my relationship with my cat and I cannot recommend it enough. This morning I found him reading it when I woke up and it brought tears to my eyes. Thank you so much to the author and everyone who helped create this book, you are doing God's work." - Michael Tallino
The art of white elephant gifting is a delicate dance between hilarity and practicality. These aren't just random objects – they're conversation starters, potential viral moments, and the kind of gifts that transform mundane holiday gatherings into epic storytelling sessions. Imagine the pure joy of watching grown adults negotiate, scheme, and potentially throw elbows over a gift that costs less than a fancy lunch. It's social psychology meets comedy, wrapped up in festive paper and dollar store magic.
Bring The Fun And Feathers To Christmas With Rubber Chicken Slingshot - It's A White Elephant Gift That's Anything But Fowl!
Review: "Bought these for stocking stuffers - tested one out when I first got it by flinging it to the ceiling. It’s been about 5 months now and little Arnold the Ceiling duck is still going strong. Pretty awesome
EDIT: It's been 3 years and Arnold has still not moved." - Rebecca Gahner
Gift The Magic Of Shimmer And Shine With A Crystal Prism Suncatcher - Because Everyone Deserves A Little Sparkle In Their Life!
Review: "Might just be my favorite Amazon purchase. They came very securely and beautifully packaged. They were a bit finicky and tedious to tie, but that’s no biggie. An entire side of my room is just covered in “mini rainbows” as I like to call them. So, so beautiful and mesmerizing. Would absolutely suggest purchasing these!" - Neriah
Review: "Yeah, I must have been hungry (weak-willed) when I bought these. A pound of crunchy marshmallows is a lot to have in the house at one time. Nonetheless, they are here and are pretty fun to eat. The crunch is delightful and they make my hot chocolate look so happy.
I have remove the air from the resealable bag and placed them at the back of the top shelf in my panty to try to forget about them. If this works, then I will have a delightful surprise. If this does not work, then it looks like I will steal someone’s idea about putting them in rice crispy treats and bring that lovely mess into my ceramics class to share.
As for the colored sugar powder in the bag, this is to be expected in my book as they traveled I don’t know how many miles to get to me in UPS warehouses and the back of trucks. I am sure I will find a use for it. Right now, chopping it into lines and snorting it sounds good... but messy. Oh so messy." - Say
Light Up The Room With Bofa Deez Nutz Banana Nut Bread N Hazelnut Vanilla-Scented Candle – The Sniff Test You Will Nut Be Telling Your Friends About
Review: "I LOVE this scent. We had burned the candle for several hours Christmas morning, and every single person has asked us “where did you get it”...as I sheepishly show my Mother and step dad fresh from Christmas Day church my candle... and they crack up laughing, as with everyone else who is within eat shot. The scent is true all through the candle. It really does smell wonderful! I am so happy with my purchase. I will be buying tinsel tits, and the others they have made-I’m curious about the melts. The candle seemed better than the Yankee candles I’ve bought in the past, and I liked it. This is a very well made product, with very fun names." - Adam
Source: 64_lolly
Review: "they list this product as a product for a man, but I love the smell of sandalwood, and I wanted a solid perfume like my mom had when I was a little girl. This is perfect! It smells great! If you know, sandalwood, you know that it has a musky scent. I’m guessing that’s why they say it is for men but I love the smell." - Miss Angela
Review: "Here's how I played this game. My 3 friends and I sat in a circle, drew green and white cards, and looked at them until we had a puns. When we had one, we'd lay down our cards and say whatever silly thing we'd come up with - or if we couldn't come up with one, we'd draw new ones, no big deal! We were whipping through the deck quick as could be. About 50% of our jokes were funny, but we didn't care. It was quick, mentally stimulating, and really funny (with plenty of good pun-groans).
When we ran out of cards we just shuffled and we were back in business. Did anyone win? Nope. Did we have fun? Absolutely. I had brought this game on vacation with friends and they were constantly asking to play.
I cannot speak to the rules or rulebook or any of the other material contained there in as I did not read/use any of them. But if you love puns, I would 100% recommend this game if only for the well thought out and structured green/white cards which you can use for endless fun.
BONUS: There are hilarious pun jokes on the back of the cards which I discovered during my 3rd play through. Just imagine for $12 you can have a great book of puns with a BOARD GAME FOR FREE." - Everly Brodie
Review: "i bought this stuff to wear to my eras tour show and wow. im in love. it's so sparkly and applies so nicely (i just used my hands). i covered my arms and legs, along with my chest, back, and shoulders + my (2) friends both covered their arms and chests. i used probably way more than recommended and i still have about half the tub left. it's sticky when first applied but then it dries and i didn't even feel it. if you don't want glitter everywhere i recommend showering when you're done with it, but i was so exhausted i just put on sweatpants and went to bed, which made for a funny moment in the morning when i took off said sweatpants and glitter went everywhere. amazing amazing purchase i wholeheartedly recommend. (i forgot to take photos of it directly on my skin, so here are photos of it before i put it on and some zoomed in photos)" - megan
Beyond the immediate laughs, these gifts represent something deeper – the universal human love of shared absurdity. They're tiny monuments to our collective ability to find humor in the unexpected, to turn potentially awkward moments into memories that'll be retold for years. Whether stolen, traded, or claimed with surprising enthusiasm, these budget-friendly finds are about to prove that the best gifts aren't about price tags, but the stories they create. Get ready for a gift exchange that's less about winning and more about the pure, chaotic joy of human connection.
Need Answers To Life's Burning Questions? This Magic 8 Ball Has All The Wisdom You Seek (And Maybe Even A Few Sassy Comebacks)
Review: "I really was a skeptic when I first bought it, but the magic is real! It hasn't been wrong yet! First I asked it if I was gonna have breakfast tommorow, and then I did! I was amazed! This thing truly is psychic. I now plan on using this for all of my future financial decisions! I highly reccomend this product" - Anne
Review; "A really unique and fun snack! I brought these out when we had company over and they were a big hit. Some people were scared to try them but those of us that did loved them! Will buy again!" - JL
Spread Big Joy With The World's Smallest Elf On The Shelf - It's The Little Things That Make The Holidays Magical!
Review: "Loved this!!! Carried it in my purse to mess with my nieces and nephews last Christmas. Would also hide it randomly in their house when I visited and just became a staple in my purse for awhile even going to bars with me. One of my nieces demanded I have a name for it thus this is my Petunia!" - Victoria Cardinale
Review: "Works like a magic wand! while we sit on our throne and do our business. Highly recommended :)." - EMENKy
Review: "I bought this nightlight as a part of a small gift for husband for Valentines Day. He loved it and its such a cute likeness of Grogu! Would definitely recommend as a fun little gift for any star wars/mandalorian fans!" - Christina M
Gift The Perfect Spice Companion: Mini Sriracha Keychain - A Small Token For The Big Flavour Lover!
Review: "This bottle is perfect for having my Sriracha wherever I am. I used it at a pub yesterday with peel and eat shrimp. I won't be caught without it any more" - Jim Brickett
Your Sticky Notes Will Be Pulling Double Duty With This Sticky Note Stencil And Holder
Review: "I work in an office and this little template has made sense of chaos with random notes now easily organized into one convenient list." - katwalk1978