White Elephant Gifts Idea

[paiger81]

So my company's holiday party is next week, and we are 'encouraged to bring a white elephant gift for the gift exchange'.

Any suggestions?

[wordsmith]

Mr. T air fresheners.

[katip]

A fake, mounted singing fish. :p

[steph78]

If it's a white elephant exchange that usually means something funny. In the past, people have brought random things like Chia pets, ugly-ass decorations, etc. basically anything you would give someone as a joke. I once received the ugliest porcelain bear you have ever seen at a white elephant gift exchange, and I totally saved it in its box for the whole year, rewrapped it, and brought it back the next year. This year I am bringing a pair of handpainted wine glasses that I received as a birthday present that there is no WAY I am going to ever use -they are hideous! They have fake jewels stuck on them, I should find a way to attach a picture just for laughs.

[biodork]

A friend of mine suggested lottery scratch-off tickets. I thought that was a good one :)

[WorkInProgress]

White elephant, as in tasteful but you have no use for it, or white elephant, as in there's gonna be a competition for who gets the most horrendously useless, ugly gift? And, of course, how much are you looking to spend? Do you have preferences with regard to this gift?

Nice white elephant--maybe a nice glass/crystal vase or centerpiece bowl from a store like Mikasa?

Not so nice (but funny?) white elephant--maybe an ugly pitcher, bowl or vase. Or, you could maybe get a calendar of the spoof motivational posters (at www.despair.com). Or maybe a supremely tacky tie.

In any case, you could maybe go into an antique or thrift store and find something appropriate for your company party.

[paiger81]

See, that's the thing, I've been to fancy white elephants(got a faberge(sp?) egg) & shitty white elephants(hideous towels) so I asked around & was told "well, it's both, some people bring fancy stuff, some bring tacky stuff".

So it makes me wonder what category I should be in, the fancy or the tacky :p

[wordsmith]

Tacky and useless is by far the most fun. And the cheapest entertainment.

[tina1979]

So it makes me wonder what category I should be in, the fancy or the tacky :p
That basically gives you free reign. I'd just get something thats kinda cool, but someone else may find it a bit of a joke.

[blueyes]

We had a white elephant thingie at work last year. I was the only one who really played by the 'rules' (e.g. crappy useless things no one really wants) and everyone else brought wine, nice wineglasses, cheese dish, etc. I looked like an ass.

This year, I'm going to the dollar store or PaperMart and buying about $5 worth of small, weird toys and putting them in a tin in the shape of Juliette Low's house. I figure that's just weird enough to qualify as a white elephant gift, but not so strange my coworkers will look at me funny.

Sidenote: my family used to do the whole white elephant thing; my granma actually came up with a real (ugly) white elephant statue. Complete with faux jewels.

[wordsmith]

We had a white elephant thingie at work last year. I was the only one who really played by the 'rules' (e.g. crappy useless things no one really wants) and everyone else brought wine, nice wineglasses, cheese dish, etc. I looked like an ass.

How is this a white elephant, and not just a regular gift exchange? I'm just askin'.

[WorkInProgress]

See, that's the thing, I've been to fancy white elephants(got a faberge(sp?) egg) & shitty white elephants(hideous towels) so I asked around & was told "well, it's both, some people bring fancy stuff, some bring tacky stuff".

So it makes me wonder what category I should be in, the fancy or the tacky :p

Well, if some people do both, and you have no particular preference, I would do something midrange. (Mostly because I wouldn't want to be the jerk who brings in ugly towels, nor do I want to be the person who spends real money for a faberge and then receives, say, ugly towels.) So I'd probably go with something not particularly useful, but not desperately tacky. Maybe a set of funky looking martini glasses? Kinda ugly vase/centerpiece bowl? Maybe a gift basket with interesting stuff? (Target has some several, including one gift set with coffees that are flavorled like different drinks--Jack, Tia Maria, SoCo, etc. I think the set of coffees costs about 7 bucks. Maybe some tacky coffee mugs to go with?).

Maybe a neat/artsy/not for everyone piece of artwork or picture frame.

I also noticed that they have some desperately (delightfully?) tacky Christmas ornaments this year. Fake birds, with feathers stuck on them, in various sizes, shapes and colors. I actually laughed in the middle of the aisle when I saw some of them. I am sure other stores (Michael's, Kmart, Wal-Mart, etc.) have things like this as well.

If you want to go for both/neither tacky and nice, you could go to a store and get the tackiest tin you can find and then fill it with cookies or fudge.

[blueyes]

How is this a white elephant, and not just a regular gift exchange? I'm just askin'.
My point exactly.

[shimmer728]

My old paper had a white elephant gift exchange several years ago. I brought this HIDEOUS (well, at one time, I thought it was cool!) fake flashing police light in as my gift. I forget who got it, but everyone laughed at it.

[SmilesSoSweet]

I've bought a couple of Chia pets in the past for white elephant gifts. At my old job, anything goes; so some people bought stuff other literally just wrapped up something from home or from the office.

[Kitty]

Nice stuff: Bottle of wine, nice coffee beans, chocolate, coffee mugs, etc.
Tacky: kung-fu singing hamster!!

[coll214]

For a few years my family attempted to do a grab bag; it usually ended up being rather white-elephant. My father was known for some odd gifts; windshield wiper fluid, a HUGE box w/ 8 gallon jugs was one of his contributions.

[Angyl]

actually, you know, you can send that absinthe to me. I have some butt ugly things i can send you in return.

[k.monster]

absinthe.

asdkjfd

I know it's always been my dream to see how my boss would react to absinthe in his body :)

I have a friend that used to make it and give out bottles for xmas.

[MollyMe]

I always like alcohol at those types of exchanges...

[blueyes]

So we just finished up our office White Elephant exchange...

...and I received the fugliest candles in the history of the world. It's a Day-Glo orange mango-mandarin citronella candle. With a holder shaped like a hat. A yellow and green beach hat with orange flowers. And it looks like it's been sat on a couple of times.

I am so re-gifting this thing next year.

[blueyes]

A 'collector's tin' of Juliette Low's house, with a mini-box of chocolates, a mini-bowling set (complete with pins!), and a mini-slinky. I also went to Target and picked up a picture frame, which I filled with a picture of my sister's pug with a red bandana.

The tin was mostly a joke (as was the pug picture), but everyone actually LIKED the tin and the crap inside... :confused: The picture frame was the real gift!

[paiger81]

Ok, tomorrow is our company's party & today I went to go get something for the gift exchange. I ended up getting a 3-piece collection of lawn gnomes; they are tacky, but strangely cute so I figure it could go either way with people.

[biodork]

Ok, tomorrow is our company's party & today I went to go get something for the gift exchange. I ended up getting a 3-piece collection of lawn gnomes; they are tacky, but strangely cute so I figure it could go either way with people.
LOL! Thats funny :)

I got that flashback atari system to give for my party with friends over last weekend and then I also gave (well this one was for my bf) a nice case that held a poker chip set. I think they were pretty decent items. Especially the atari flashback!