Planning a White Elephant Party: 10 Inspiring Ideas

So you’re planning a White Elephant party. Good for you. Also, good luck to you, because like Old Saint Nick on Christmas Eve, you have your work cut out for you.

On this site, I spend most of my time talking about gift exchanges in all their various forms. But there’s a lot more that goes into hosting a gift exchange than the game itself. There’s also invitations, decorations, food, other activities, and so on.

For the most part, the keys to an amazing White Elephant party are the same as for any other Christmas get together. That said, having a gift swap does present some unique challenges and possibilities. Here are ten ideas to make your planning go more smoothly and take your White Elephant party to the next level.

1. Get organized

Whether you’re planning a small gathering of friends or a big work event, it’s important to go into it with a solid game plan. You need some way to keep track of all your decisions – the ones you’ve made and the ones you still need to make. While a simple spreadsheet can do the trick, I’ve created a set of planners and worksheets that are geared specifically to a White Elephant party. You can download and print them using the links below.

Note: These printables are for personal use only.

2. Pick the right flavor of White Elephant

There are a lot of different ways to play White Elephant, and the right one for your gathering depends on its size, schedule, and possibly, your budget. For a smaller group, you might want to consider a version that makes the game last longer. By the same token, for a larger gathering, you may need to limit gift swapping so the turns don’t drag on forever. The nature of your guests (friends, family members, coworkers) might also factor into your decision on what gift exchange rules work best.

3. Set a price range

For almost any gift swap, it’s important to set a price range and communicate it to all the invitees. For many years, $20 has been the standard. As a rule, a higher price range will discourage people from participating, but there are situations where it might be warranted. If you’re waffling on the right number, read over this article on the subject.

4. Pick the right spot

This includes both the venue (if you have any leeway in choosing it) and the actual location at the venue where the gift exchange will take place. The most important thing is for everyone to be able to see the presents as they’re being opened. To accomplish this, you could have everyone sit in a circle with the presents in the middle, or have the presents up front with players seated in back. It just depends on the size of the group and the venue’s layout.

5. Make a schedule

Besides the gift exchange itself, you’ll want to allow time for guests to filter in, socialize, eat and drink, and whatever else you have in store for them. For small, informal gatherings, you don’t necessarily need a written schedule, as long as you have a rough order of events in your head. The larger the group and the more activities you have planned, the more you should consider making a written schedule – and sticking to it.

6. Plan other activities

I mentioned activities above, but they deserve their own discussion. Along with the standard stuff like eating and socializing, you may want to plan other games or activities to complement the gift exchange. For example, you could have an ugly sweater contest, Christmas karaoke, or activities like Mad Libs and Would Your Rather? for the kids. Don’t overload your guests with stuff to do, but think about one or two other activities that might make your gathering extra-special.

7. Run with the White Elephant theme

This is optional, but you may want to consider incorporating the White Elephant theme in your decorating, invitations, signs, etc. What does that mean? Well, it could mean literally using imagery of white elephants. However, it could also mean infusing everything with the wacky, tacky, whimsical spirit that the White Elephant gift swap is known for. For ideas, see this article on hosting a tacky Christmas party.

8. Send invites early, and include all the key information

As with any holiday party, you’ll want to send invitations out early so invitees can add your party to their calendars during this busy time of year (that is, assuming you’re sending invites rather than using a signup sheet). The consensus is that invites for a Christmas party should go out at least three weeks before the event. For a White Elephant party in particular, the invitation should mention the gift swap and the price range upfront. You can send additional information (like detailed rules and guidelines for gifts) after people have RSVP’d.

9. Come prepared

When it’s time for the party, you might want to have a printout of the rules on hand, along with any other worksheets and notes you’ve made in the planning process. You can also make things run more smoothly by having signs directing guests where to put their gifts and giving them a high-level overview of the rules.

10. Use helpers

Santa has his little helpers, and so should you, the White Elephant party planner. Before the gift swap, recruit someone to assist with directing people, handling gifts, cleaning up wrapping paper, and other tasks that might get to be too much for one person to handle. This helper could be another adult (who may or may not be participating in the gift exchange), or a young person who might appreciate having a role to play.

One last bonus tip: have fun! I think you’ll find it’s a lot easier to enjoy yourself at your White Elephant party if you’ve planned all the details in advance. I hope the ideas above have given you a good start.