9 perfect White Elephant gifts under $20 to buy for your holiday party in 2024

Charles Curtis, FTW Staff
·3-min read
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Ah, the White Elephant gift exchange. It's a holiday classic enjoyed by many folks every year.

You may know it by other names like Yankee swap or Dirty Santa, but the concept is basically the same: everyone brings a gift that has a relatively low cost and the people in attendance then open the wrapped gifts, choosing to either steal one that's been opened or to unwrap a new one.

We here at For The Win want to help you with what to bring, so we asked our staff to come up with one gift, $20 or less. Hopefully this helps!

1. A stupid mug

12/11/14 11:49:49 AM -- McLean, VA, U.S.A -- Studio photos of assorted Christmas-themed music "merch." Tee shirts, Christmas ornaments, coffee mugs, etc. from a variety of musicians. Alabama coffee mug. Photo by H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY Staff ORG XMIT: HB 132236 HOLIDAY MUSIC ME 12/11/2014 [Via MerlinFTP Drop]
12/11/14 11:49:49 AM -- McLean, VA, U.S.A -- Studio photos of assorted Christmas-themed music "merch." Tee shirts, Christmas ornaments, coffee mugs, etc. from a variety of musicians. Alabama coffee mug. Photo by H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY Staff ORG XMIT: HB 132236 HOLIDAY MUSIC ME 12/11/2014 [Via MerlinFTP Drop]

The stupider, the better. Because someone is going to get stuck with it and it'll become a conversation piece. -- Charles Curtis

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2. Costco rotisserie chicken

Shoppers walk past the rotisserie chicken counter at the new Costco Wholesale store in North Port during their grand opening on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. (Via OlyDrop)
Shoppers walk past the rotisserie chicken counter at the new Costco Wholesale store in North Port during their grand opening on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. (Via OlyDrop)

I saw someone do this as a white elephant gift in a TikTok video, and while I can't find the original video, the idea is brilliant. It perfectly fits the obscure white elephant category, but unlike random objects, there's a good chance the receiver of this will be overjoyed — vegetarians and vegans aside. -- Michelle Martinelli

3. Decorative wishbone

A UofL student walks past Mark Handforth's Silver Wishbone at the Speed Museum on Friday, March 24, 2023, as several rounds of rain moved through Louisville. Rain07
A UofL student walks past Mark Handforth's Silver Wishbone at the Speed Museum on Friday, March 24, 2023, as several rounds of rain moved through Louisville. Rain07

I received one during a White Elephant with friends and we continue to talk about it to this day. It's the perfect conversation starter! -- Mary Clarke

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4. The dumbest local sports jersey available at your local thrift store

Dec 11, 2017; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler (6) looks on after defeating the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-359050 ORIG FILE ID: 20171211_jfv_bv1_074.jpg
Dec 11, 2017; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler (6) looks on after defeating the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-359050 ORIG FILE ID: 20171211_jfv_bv1_074.jpg

Give the gift of remembering some guys. Use the money left over to wrap it around a six pack of the worst beer you can find. -- Christian D'Andrea

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5. A tiny violin

A musician plays her violin during a rehearsal the Kimbanguist Symphony School in Kinshasa on October 16, 2024. When Armand Diangienda founded the Kimbanguist Symphony Orchestra, one of the most famous in Africa, in 1994. The orchestra now boasts 200 highly accomplished members, including a choir. But at the beginning not everyone knew how to read music and the group had just a few instruments between them. But by 1999 everyone had their own instrument picked up here and there. The idea for the orchestra was first born in 1985 when Diangienda's father, Joseph, asked him to gather up different musical groups from within the Kimbanguist church. (Photo by Hardy BOPE / AFP) (Photo by HARDY BOPE/AFP via Getty Images) ORIG FILE ID: 2183791114

Next time someone in your life is whining and complaining and it's driving you up the wall, feel free to break this bad boy out. Note: there are no guarantees it won't strain your relationship. But you can live with that. -- Robert Zeglinski

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6. The Complete History of Every Kansas State National Championship

Oct 26, 2024; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats mascot Willie Wildcat flexes at midfield before the start of a game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images ORG XMIT: IMAGN-883324 ORIG FILE ID: 20241026_tbs_as4_163.JPG
Oct 26, 2024; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats mascot Willie Wildcat flexes at midfield before the start of a game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images ORG XMIT: IMAGN-883324 ORIG FILE ID: 20241026_tbs_as4_163.JPG

Do you know a college sports fan (or, even better, a Kansas State fan!) who loves to revel in another team's misery, this book of 100 empty pages chronicling all zero of the Wildcats' national titles is for you. Re-live every unimaginable moment of Kansas State glory in less time than it takes to say "Every Man A Wildcat" (which is a real thing Kansas State fans say!) -- Blake Schuster

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7. Tortilla blanket

Texas Tech fans throw tortillas onto the field during the game against Texas at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas on Sept. 24, 2022. (Via OlyDrop)
Texas Tech fans throw tortillas onto the field during the game against Texas at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas on Sept. 24, 2022. (Via OlyDrop)

My life's wish is to be at a holiday party and have the pleasure of receiving a tortilla blanket as a gift. I would go home and quite literally wrap myself in it. 10/10 experience. -- Meg Hall

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8. A pooping puppy calendar

Two dogs in Santa Claus costumes are pictured on the sidelines of Santa's Fun Run in the Old Town of Riga, Latvia, on December 8, 2024. Santa's Fun Run charity run aims to raise money for providing medical aid to children who are living in rural areas of Latvia. (Photo by Gints Ivuskans / AFP) (Photo by GINTS IVUSKANS/AFP via Getty Images) ORIG FILE ID: 2188282390

Dogs are cute. Poop is not. Great gag gift that everyone will be eager to trade and spice things up a bit with. -- Mike Sykes

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9. Toilet paper and/or other basic, cheap household necessities.

Rolls of toilet paper move along a conveyer at a Georgia-Pacific paper mill in Green Bay. USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Rolls of toilet paper move along a conveyer at a Georgia-Pacific paper mill on Friday, October 6, 2017 in Green Bay, Wis. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Rolls of toilet paper move along a conveyer at a Georgia-Pacific paper mill in Green Bay. USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Rolls of toilet paper move along a conveyer at a Georgia-Pacific paper mill on Friday, October 6, 2017 in Green Bay, Wis. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

I've seen it done and to be honest with you, it's a much bigger hit than you would expect. It gets competitive as everyone realizes this saves them a trip to the store and you can never have too much of it. -- Bryan Kalbrosky

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This article originally appeared on For The Win: 9 perfect White Elephant gifts under $20 to buy for your holiday party in 2024

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