How To Organize A White Elephant Gift Exchange: 12 Steps - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Organize a White Elephant Gift Exchange PDF download Download Article Co-authored by Michelle Cousins

Last Updated: March 10, 2025 Approved

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  • Basic Gameplay
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  • Variations
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  • Q&A
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  • Tips
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This article was co-authored by Michelle Cousins. Michelle Cousins is a Wedding and Event Planner based in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is the Founder of Michelle Leo Events, an award-winning event design and planning firm specializing in local and destination events. Founded in 2010, Michelle Leo Events has planned over 2,000+ weddings and events across four states and multiple five-star resorts and luxury venues. With locations in Utah and a satellite branch in Dallas, Texas, Michelle Leo Events continues to serve clients around the globe with unparalleled dedication and creativity. Michelle tailors each event to reflect her clients’ unique tastes, styles, and personalities. She collaborates closely with clients, ensuring that every celebration is a true expression of their vision. Michelle and her team have earned widespread recognition, being named one of the Top Wedding Planning Firms in the U.S. by VOGUE, BRIDES, and Martha Stewart Weddings. Her designs have been featured in prestigious publications such as The New York Times, Huffington Post, Vogue, Grace Ormonde, Martha Stewart, Over the Moon, and Style Me Pretty. Additionally, Michelle Leo Events has earned 18 Best of State awards as Utah’s Best Event Planner and Best Bridal Services Provider. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 92% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 1,404,009 times.

A white elephant gift exchange is a lighthearted way to have fun with your work colleagues, or at family gatherings. "White elephants"[1] are traditionally presents that are undesirable but one cannot turn down: extremely tacky, nearly useless, silly or weird. In white elephant gift exchanges the goal is really to have fun. Most is to give everyone a chance to rid themselves of these tacky gifts—and invariably gain a new one!

White elephant gift exchanges can be run different ways. Some set rules that the item must be previously owned, which means that you are re-gifting an unwanted item or trinket. Others purchase a new, (generally inexpensive), item just for the party. The goal is to choose wacky, funny or entertaining gifts. Some encourage a mix of wacky gifts, and sensible if generic ones--after all, one person's trash is another person's treasure!

There are a few variations and different names for this game. Not all require gifts to be regifted. This basic game is also called "Yankee Swap" in some regions, and are often played at workplaces and with families.[2]

Steps

Part 1 Part 1 of 2:

Basic Gameplay

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  1. Step 1 Set the gifting rules for your group. 1 Set the gifting rules for your group. Is this a re-gift party or are folks supposed to buy something new--or does it matter? How much is the spending limit? Is there some sort of challenge or theme? Make sure everyone understands the rules like whether they have to buy new things or not.
    • Be careful of sticking to overly stringent rules. After all, not everyone has a regiftable present laying around. Not everyone is good at picking out gifts. The focus of this game is on fun not making it a picky rules-bound affair.
    • Be aware that very elaborate rules or themes (such as it has to be edible, or red or green, or some such) may be fun for some but may be an annoyance and stress for another. In general, keep it simple.
    • Gift spending limits avoid putting people in a position to pay an uncomfortable amount for a gift. What may be comfortable for the vice president will not be the same as the junior secretary.[3]
    • Price limits keep gifts more or less on the same level of value. You don't want one person to get a brand new video game console and another person to get a used pen protector.
  2. Step 2 Find that perfect white elephant gift. 2 Find that perfect white elephant gift. Get it gift wrapped or wrap the gift yourself, and bring it to the party stealthily. And feel free to have some fun with this.
    • Feel free to do a really silly wrapping job. Use plain brown paper, or even just stick it in a plain mailing envelope.
    • Do something silly. Feel free to wrap it with a different theme than expected. For a New Year's gift exchange, wrap it in birthday, baby gift, or graduation themes.[4]
    • If you enjoy wrapping, feel free to do an excellent job. Go overboard, do every elaborate flourish.
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  3. Step 3 Some great "White Elephant Gift" Ideas. 3 Some great "White Elephant Gift" Ideas. If you're having trouble coming up with a gift that is both off-the-wall and appropriate, consider these gift ideas:
      • Hideous or tacky jewelry
      • Perfume or lotion with an unpleasant scent.
      • Cheap, ugly statues or other decorative knick-knacks.
      • An obnoxious T-shirt, sweater, tie, socks, or bow-tie.
      • Workout videos, particularly those with obnoxious aerobic instructors
      • Bargain bin DVDs of Grade-B movies...the worse the better.
      • A framed picture of your boss, (perhaps autographed) but only if the boss has a good sense of humor.
      • CD of awful or weird music
  4. Step 4 Find Other Low-Cost Fun Gift Exchange Gifts. 4 Find Other Low-Cost Fun Gift Exchange Gifts. Although "White Elephant" or "Yankee Swap" gifts often aim to be wacky and goofy, there is nothing wrong with a gift that is sensible. It is OK to go with something that you are pretty sure will not get tossed in the bin. Sometimes trying to find the perfect crazy gift is just adding too much stress to holiday shopping. Some perhaps more boring but welcome exchange gifts:
    • Lottery tickets
    • Water bottle, mug, or coffee travel cup
    • Small gift certificate to local eatery
    • Winter hat, scarf, or gloves
    • Good quality tea or coffee gift set
    • Kitchen items, such as measuring cups, spoons, oven mitts
  5. Step 5 Be secretive about your gift. 5 Be secretive about your gift. The idea is for people to not know who the gift is coming from. Once you get to work, place the gift into a gift box along with all the other gifts.
  6. Step 6 Write out consecutive numbers on small pieces of paper. 6 Write out consecutive numbers on small pieces of paper. Make numbers for however many people are participating in the gift exchange. For example, if there are 15 people participating, write out the numbers 1 through 15 on small pieces of paper, fold them once or twice, and throw them into a small bowl or bag.[5]
  7. Step 7 Have everyone draw a number. 7 Have everyone draw a number. The number will signify the order in which they choose a gift.
  8. Step 8 Begin with the person who draws #1. 8 Begin with the person who draws #1. The first person chooses any wrapped gift in the gift box and opens it. Their turn ends. The first player will be given the option to exchange gifts with another player at the very end.
  9. Step 9 Have the next person choose whether they want to steal a previously-opened gift or choose an unopened gift from the gift box. 9 Have the next person choose whether they want to steal a previously-opened gift or choose an unopened gift from the gift box.[6]
    • A person who has his/her gift stolen from them gets to either steal a gift from someone else or choose a replacement gift from the gift box.
    • You cannot immediately steal back the gift that was stolen from you. You must wait at least one round before stealing back a gift that was once in your possession.
    • A gift cannot be stolen more than once a turn.
  10. Step 10 Repeat in order of number. 10 Repeat in order of number. The person with the next-highest number either chooses a gift from the gift box or steals a gift from someone else. People who have gifts stolen can choose a gift out of the gift box or steal items that have not yet been stolen that round.
    11. Advertisement
Part 2 Part 2 of 2:

Variations

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  1. Step 1 Agree on and implement as many variations to the game as desired. 1 Agree on and implement as many variations to the game as desired. There are lots of variation to the white elephant gift exchange. Look through a couple and decide which ones you want to implement before the game begins.
    • Mark gifts as gender-appropriate, where possible. Label a gift male-appropriate, female-appropriate, or unisex.
    • Cards containing instructions can be wrapped up to look like presents and placed into the gift box. The instructions contain rules such as "Recipient of this card chooses two presents, opens them both, and places one back into the gift box," or "Recipient of this card chooses a gift and cannot have their gift stolen." If you choose to work with these cards, be mindful of two things:
      • People who make cards with instructions have to bring both a card and a gift. There won't be enough gifts to go around if people who write cards fail to bring gifts.
      • Cards with instructions are tougher to implement if you choose to open the gifts at the very end. Obviously, it's impossible to "open two gifts and choose one" if you don't open the presents until the end.
    • The first player may be given the option to exchange gifts with another player at the very end. Because the first player doesn't have the option of stealing, they might be given it at the very end. This option works best when presents remain unopened until the very end; otherwise, the first player has a distinct advantage.
  2. Step 2 Experiment with stealing. 2 Experiment with stealing. There are many different variations on stealing in a white elephant gift exchange. Play around with a couple different variants.
    • An item that is stolen three times becomes frozen. After an item changes hands three times, it can no longer be stolen, and stays with the third person who stole it. Be sure to keep track of how many times an item is stolen on a notepad to avoid confusion.
    • Alternately, a limit can be placed on the number of times a person is stolen from (instead of the number of times an item is stolen). If you set the limit at three, for example, an item can be stolen however many times, so long as it's stolen from someone who hasn't reached his or her limit of three.
    • Place a limit on the number of steals per turn. If, for example, you limit the stealing to three gifts per turn, after the third gift is stolen, the player whose gift was just stolen must choose a gift from the gift box.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question Should I put who the gift is from on a white elephant gift? Community Answer Community Answer No, it's more fun if you don't know who the gift is from until the game ends. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 5 Helpful 27
  • Question How many times do you go around? One time, then the last person/first person gets a 2nd turn? Epic Tien Epic Tien Community Answer It depends on how the host sets up the rules, but if the rules say that the person unwraps the gifts when they get them, then the first person is the only one that does not know what the other gifts are. To make it balanced, the first person gets a second turn at the end, and the game is over. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 2 Helpful 6
  • Question Is 40 people too many people to have a white elephant? Community Answer Community Answer No. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 4 Helpful 15
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Tips

  • If you are hosting a white elephant party, you may want to choose a particular theme such as "home décor you no longer use" or "unusual tools." If your group is used to white elephant parties, this will make a fun new challenge. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=white%20elephant%20gift
  2. ↑ http://www.secretsanta.com/yankee-swap-rules/
  3. ↑ https://www.whiteelephantrules.com/price-range/
  4. ↑ https://www.businessinsider.com/best-funny-white-elephant-gifts-2018-10
  5. ↑ https://www.whiteelephantrules.com
  6. ↑ https://www.whiteelephantrules.com

About This Article

Michelle Cousins Co-authored by: Michelle Cousins Wedding and Event Planner This article was co-authored by Michelle Cousins. Michelle Cousins is a Wedding and Event Planner based in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is the Founder of Michelle Leo Events, an award-winning event design and planning firm specializing in local and destination events. Founded in 2010, Michelle Leo Events has planned over 2,000+ weddings and events across four states and multiple five-star resorts and luxury venues. With locations in Utah and a satellite branch in Dallas, Texas, Michelle Leo Events continues to serve clients around the globe with unparalleled dedication and creativity. Michelle tailors each event to reflect her clients’ unique tastes, styles, and personalities. She collaborates closely with clients, ensuring that every celebration is a true expression of their vision. Michelle and her team have earned widespread recognition, being named one of the Top Wedding Planning Firms in the U.S. by VOGUE, BRIDES, and Martha Stewart Weddings. Her designs have been featured in prestigious publications such as The New York Times, Huffington Post, Vogue, Grace Ormonde, Martha Stewart, Over the Moon, and Style Me Pretty. Additionally, Michelle Leo Events has earned 18 Best of State awards as Utah’s Best Event Planner and Best Bridal Services Provider. This article has been viewed 1,404,009 times. 77 votes - 92% Co-authors: 85 Updated: March 10, 2025 Views: 1,404,009 Categories: Featured Articles | Gift Giving In other languages Spanish Italian Chinese Russian Japanese
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Reader Success Stories

  • Eva Williams

    Eva Williams

    Dec 4, 2016

    "It gave me several ideas for a white elephant gift. The object of the game was simply explained."
More reader stories Hide reader stories Share your story

Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Michelle Cousins Co-authored by: Michelle Cousins Wedding and Event Planner Co-authors: 85 Updated: March 10, 2025 Views: 1,404,009 92% of readers found this article helpful. 77 votes - 92% Click a star to add your vote Eva Williams

Eva Williams

Dec 4, 2016

"It gave me several ideas for a white elephant gift. The object of the game was simply explained." Natosha Laning

Natosha Laning

Dec 24, 2016

"It was nice to read the rules of this game and different variations of play!" Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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