Does anyone else LOVE white elephant gift exchanges? I always love them, until the day of when I start to doubt my gift choice. There are so many options out there for gift ideas around $20, but everyone wants to give the gift that gets swapped for, right?
My experience with white elephant gift exchanges is mostly those where people buy something they’d actually want to get. Something useful. No gag gifts. The items that almost always do very well include:
- Bottle of wine (or two)
- Reusable wine bottle carrier bag
- Wine bottle chiller, aerator, pourer
- Very soft throw blanket or fuzzy slippers or fleece lined slipper socks
- Gift card for a local restaurant or store
- Pretty earrings or a necklace
- Scratch off-lottery tickets ($20 worth is a lot!)
- A popular book
- Super pretty candle
- Warm infinity scarf , oversized scarf or winter hat
- Bath bombs
- Face masks
- Trendy clutch purse
- Jade roller
Need more gift ideas? Think pampering. Something you’d buy yourself but rarely do (or perhaps you buy one for yourself too).
If you want items that are less than $20 that you can buy right now off Amazon:
Of course, it completely depends on what specifically you buy (type of wine, blanket color, etc.) as to whether or not it fits someone’s personal style, but those items are always safe bets for money well spent.
During the holidays, I always look for items that regularly cost more than $20, but with the black Friday deal or holiday special, is less than $20. That way, I know the recipient gets a good value. And, it’s like a game.
If there’s money left over, I buy something else to total $20 — for example, a cute pair of earrings AND an infinity scarf. Or a bottle of wine AND wine carrier bag.
Sidenote: Am I the only one that includes the gift receipt with the item so if someone doesn’t really want it, they can exchange it for something else? I might be overthinking this a little, but that’s nothing new.
When all else fails, alcohol is usually a winner. Put it in a shoebox and throw people off!
When you’re thinking of white elephant gift ideas, what do you look for or tend to buy? Or what item would you steal from someone else during a game? I’d love to hear your ideas!
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