‘Tis the season for holiday parties! White elephants are being planned by friend groups everywhere… so it’s time to start shopping for the perfect gift. Lucky for us college students and recent grads (that are trying to ball on a budget), white elephant gifts don’t need to be crazy expensive at all. If anything, they just need to be thoughtful, memorable, and provide some good laughs. The point of a white elephant gift exchange is to have fun, after all! There are no wrong answers here, besties.
If you’re lost on what a “white elephant” is, I’ll explain. The rules are these: every party guest comes with a wrapped and inexpensive gift. Then, once everyone is there, everyone draws numbers to determine the order that they’ll go in. The first guest will choose an unwrapped present and open it in front of everyone. Then, the following players will choose whether or not they want to unwrap a new present or steal a gift from another guest. Anyone who gets their gift stolen will also have the choice to get a new present, or steal someone else’s. There are a few additional rules, but I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it.
To get your gift-giving gears turning, here are 15 white elephant gift ideas that are all under $10. Let the gift guide commence!
- Memory Photo Journal
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urban outfitters All the pics you snap at your white elephant party can go straight into this Memory Photo Journal (Urban Outfitters, $10)! Its 80 pages are just waiting to be filled up with special visual and written memories that’ll last a lifetime.
- Mini Waffle Maker
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amazon This Mini Waffle Maker (Amazon, $8) comes in 20+ colors and just might need to be busted out during the party. Holiday waffles, coming right up!
- Sephora Skincare Set
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sephora Calling all skincare gurus! We all have those friends who are the designated skincare, makeup, and hair stylists of the group. Whether they’re the ones receiving this gift or not, we guarantee that they’ll want to get their hands on these Sephora skincare essentials (Sephora, $9) asap.
- The Screaming Goat (Book & Figure
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amazon Believe it or not, I got this Screaming Goat (Amazon, $9) gifted to me at a white elephant party a few years back. Not only is this gift the G.O.A.T. (literally), but it’s quite possibly the loudest and funniest things you’ll see unwrapped.
- Conversation Cards
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target The perfect gift to keep the party going! These Conversation Cards (Target, $10) from Target are perfect for bringing friends and family together post-gift opening.
- Monogram Mug
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Anthropologie A practical, classic, and personalized gift. You really can’t go wrong with any of Anthropologie’s Monogrammed Winter Mugs (Anthropologie, $10) this season.
- “NO” Desk Button
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target Another one that’s guaranteed to yield lots of laughs. Just don’t start hitting this “NO” Desk Button (Target, $10) every time your professor or boss assigns you new tasks… they might not find it as funny.
- Reversible Fuzzy Socks
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Nordstrom Two in one?! Everyone’s going to want these Reversible Fuzzy Socks (Nordstrom, $6) once they see how comfy they look on whoever unwraps them.
- Gel Undereye Pads
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urban outfitters New year, fresh eyes. Gifting these Gel Undereye Pads (Urban Outfitters, $5) will inspire a much-needed self-care Sunday during the holiday break. Be sure to snag some for yourself too since they’re on sale right now!
- The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook
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target It may be called The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook (Target, $9), but trust me… it’s one of the most hilariously relatable reads. And who knows, it might really come in handy one day.
- Airpods Case
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Urban Outfitters With so many of us still in our Airpods era, this Floral & Pearl Airpods Case (Urban Outfitters, $10) is the perfect way to spice up the look of your earbuds.
- Face Mask(s)
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Sephora Another Sephora staple. It may feel like a basic gift, but you really can’t go wrong with a Face Mask (Sephora, $6)! In fact, you may just want to bring them for the whole group… so you can easily go from white elephant to face mask night.
- Beaded Phone Strap
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urban outfitters Phones like bling too! This cute and functional Beaded Phone Strap (Urban Outfitters, $8) will compliment just about any phone case and add just the right amount of flair.
- Holiday Soap Bar
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Anthropologie Probably the most in-theme gift we have listed here, a Holiday Soap Bar (Anthropologie, $9) is the perfect present to get everyone smelling the scents of the season.
- White Elephant Ring Holder
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Amazon Quite literally a white elephant, this White Elephant Ring Holder (Amazon, $10) will make the daintiest gift and holder for your jewelry. Plus, elephants are said to bring lots of good luck. Wink wink.