20 Affordable Gift Ideas For A White Elephant Exchange

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Almost all holiday traditions that we practice today have their roots deeply embedded in rich history and cultures from around the globe, and one such tradition involves the legend of a snide high king and a white elephant. According to historical myth, when a royal subject was to be punished in ancient Siam (now Thailand), they were not tortured or killed, per The New York Times. Instead, the subject was gifted a treasured and sacred animal — a white elephant. As lovely as this bequeathing may sound, it was actually a fate sealed in doom; white elephants required an outrageously high cost of upkeep and because of their sacred status, they were not allowed to be put to work. The royal subject — who likely did not even have the room to house such an animal — was left with a beautiful and pointless gift that would surely leave them in financial ruin.

Over time, the term "white elephant" evolved as a way to refer to a gift that was considered useless and burdensome (via Oxford Dictionaries). Nowadays, we gather 'round the fireplace each year for what is known as the White Elephant — or Dirty Santa or Yankee Swap depending on the region you hail from — gift exchange. If you're not familiar with the game, each person attending the get together will bring a wrapped gift to be placed under the tree. After drawing numbers out of a hat, person number one will select a gift from the pile to be opened. Person number two can decide to either unwrap a gift of their own or steal the gift of person number one. This continues all the way down the line of numbers. But exactly what gifts should you be bringing to this thing? Sure enough, we've got you covered.

Whether you're watching a Youtube video of a cat playing piano or are currently snapping the 67th photo of your fur baby today, cats just seem to bring a sense of joy to everyday life, and their depictions on items and objects make us laugh — turning even the worst day around. We can guarantee that any cat lovers at your party will be gift-stealing this set of cat coasters that are from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store over and over again.

Purchase the MET Store Cats Coasters from The MET Store for $15.95.

Have you ever tried texting with gloves on? Long story short: It's a nightmare. However, running out and buying ourselves a pair of touchscreen gloves is often not at the top of most of our lists during the busy holiday season. As insignificant as a pair of gloves may seem initially, any giftee receiving them will be thanking you for years to come after a couple of text messages sent with these beauties.

Purchase the RainCaper Fine Art Women's Texting Gloves from Amazon for $24.95.

Ah yes, the dreaded receiving of socks on Christmas out of all of the possible gift ideas on the planet. But while bold colors and prints are at the 2022 fashion forefront, these poppy socks are technically super in style and trendy right now. Although socks are often listed as an undesirable item, these fun head-turners will actually have the game players wanting to head home with a brand new and unique pair of comfy cozies.

Purchase the Sockologie Bold Poppies from Sockologie for $14.

Wine glasses are usually thought of as elegant and luxurious pieces of glassware. Gifting something sophisticated would be suited for a Secret Santa, but for a White Elephant exchange, try to go for something a bit more light-hearted. A wine glass with cute little figurines attached to the bottom are a great way to give someone a seasonal and festive gift without going too over the top with luxury — it's both adorable and functional.

Purchase the HeguSun 3D Drinking Glass Cup from Amazon for $24.99.

Don't be shy about buying a gift that someone will have absolutely no idea what to do with — that's all part of the fun! So while it may seem like a pair of sunglasses adorned with miniature donuts around the frames isn't the most fashion-forward option out there, someone may really appreciate the unique and different look — or they may get a good laugh out of it if they have an affinity for donuts.

Purchase the Emblem Eyewear Donut Round Women's Sunglasses from Amazon for $18.

Funny, serious, artistic, plain, bold, colorful, or black and white — no matter the style, people love mugs. There's just something so refreshing about starting our day with a delicious cup of coffee inside a mug of our choosing, and oftentimes the art and images depicted can bring a smile to our tired and unenthused morning expressions. Matsumoto Hoji was a late 17th-century Japanese painter who, although living centuries before us, seemed to capture our Monday morning faces quite poignantly — we think most anyone can relate.

Purchase the Unimpressed Frog (1814) – Vintage Art Coffee Mug from Etsy for $15.

Who says adults can't set aside the pricey box of holiday chocolates and reach for something a little more fun and nostalgic? And better yet, something that your giftee can have a blast making themself. The Bob Ross Make Your Own Gummy Kit is your passport to the serene and relaxing world of Bob Ross — with a sweet twist. Allowing one to make their own happy little gummy squirrels and trees, this kit is worth it alone for the smiles it's sure to bring folks at the gathering.

Purchase the Bob Ross Make Your Own Gummy Kit from Amazon for $14.99.

We all have those subgroups in our friendship circles, and more often than not, there's typically a beer-drinking subgroup. No matter the occasion or time, these are the friends who will indulge in a beer before any other drink option on the menu — or hey, maybe this is your whole friend group, and that's even better for this gift option. The Swag Brewery Beer Soap 3-Pack is a nice little set of soaps made from real beer, and according to reviewers, they actually smell fantastic.

Purchase the Swag Brewery Beer Soap 3-Pack from Amazon for $23.99.

Some days, reading comics is exactly what we need to pull us out of a funk or bring us that little internal warmth we may be lacking. The "Dinosaur Therapy" comic may seem like your basic and average silly gag gift at first, but the number of readers these comics have helped goes to show that this book goes much deeper than this. "This is the first time I've felt an author actually understands depression and anxiety," a reviewer states. "He manages to shine dark humor on the subject and personally, it made me feel less alone and perhaps that I was just as normal as millions of others."

Purchase "Dinosaur Therapy" from Amazon for $11.

Whether you're playing with a group of older folks or teenagers, there's sure to be a few "Star Wars" fans in the clan. In fact, even if no one is an avid follower of the saga, these chopsticks are just plain fun and cool. Help your giftee make eating a good time with these LED-powered utensils that can be switched on and off with battery power. "They're just the right touch of nerdy and useful," as one reviewer described the foodware.

Purchase the Lightsaber Chopsticks from Amazon for $14.