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20 Great White Elephant Gift Ideas For Under $20

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Woman holding a Christmas gift in each handWhat’s the best gift to bring to a holiday gift exchange? It all depends on the group, the guidelines, and your own personal style.

Gag gifts are always a big hit, but there’s also nothing wrong with bringing a nice item that people actually want. Better yet, if you can find something that’s both funny and useful, you’ve hit the White Elephant jackpot.

Fortunately, the internet is chockfull of unusual products for sale, if only you know where to look. Here are my picks for the top White Elephant gift ideas for under $20. Some are hilarious, some are nice – but all are perfectly unique.

Note: This article contains links to Amazon.com. When you click one of these links and purchase a product, the owner of this site receives a commission, at no extra cost to you.

Prank Pack NapSack

NapSack

To be clear, the NapSack isn’t a real product. It’s just a funny parody box that you can put the real gift inside. What I love about this is that it allows you to turn any gift into a hilarious gag. Also, the sense of mystery (what’s really inside?) adds a fun touch.

People of Walmart Boxed Calendar: 366 Days of Shop and Awe

People of Walmart Calendar

If you’re going to bring a calendar to a gift exchange, you better make it a good one. This People of Walmart boxed calendar (based on the popular website) is funny enough to stand out from the crowd.

Big Mouth Toys Toilet Mug

Toilet Bowl Mug

This gift combines two tried-and-true elements of gift swaps: coffee mugs and toilet humor. If you have a higher price limit, you can sweeten the deal with a pound of gourmet coffee.

Christmas Eggnog Moose Mug

Moose Mug

Fans of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation will instantly recognize this goofy moose mug. But even those who don’t get the reference should get a big kick out of this gift.

Muffin Tops Baking Cups

Muffin Top Baking Cups

Everyone overindulges around the holidays. These funny muffin top baking cups serve as a reminder of what happens if you eat too much of the yummy stuff inside.

Pick Your Nose Paper Cups

Pick Your Nose Cups

Funny… check. Unique… check. Cheap… you bet. These novelty paper cups are ideal for gift swaps in the lower price range.

Christmas Story Sculpted Leg Lamp Mug

“A Christmas Story” Mug

Next to “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid,” the most memorable thing about the movie A Christmas Story is the “special award.” It’s a perfect symbol of holiday tackiness, which makes this mug a perfect item for a gift swap.

Scotch Shoe Dispenser with Magic Tape

High Heel Tape Dispenser

When you think of funny or exciting gifts, a tape dispenser probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. This is no ordinary tape dispenser, however. Perfect for office gift exchanges.

Vosges Mo's Milk Chocolate Bacon Bar

Bacon Candy Bar

They say bacon makes everything better. This bacon chocolate bar puts that statement to the test. Find out who the real bacon lovers are in your gift exchange.

Butt/Face Soap

Butt/Face Soap

This soap has two sides – a white one for your face and a brown one for your you-know-what. It’s a great way to promote personal hygiene. Or maybe it’s just a hilarious gag gift that you can buy for less than $5.

Splat Stan Coaster

Splat Stan Coaster

This rubber coaster makes it look like you’re crushing a little man with your coffee cup. Who wouldn’t enjoy that? Another solid option for office gift exchanges.

Spinning Hat Social Shower Curtain

Social Shower Curtain

This may not be appropriate for all groups, but it’s great for the techie/geeky set. The shower curtain looks like a social media profile, with a clear square for the “profile picture.” How cute is that?

Mooning Garden Gnome Salt and Pepper Shaker Set

Gnome Shaker Set

Looking for a cheeky gift? You can’t go wrong with this cute and kitschy set of salt-and-pepper shakers.

Giant 1 Pound Snickers Bar

Giant Snickers Bar

The holidays are a time of big portions, but this is ridiculous. Given how popular Snickers bars are, you can count on this 1-pound monster being a popular item. Just remind the lucky winner of this giant candy bar that it says “share” right on the wrapper.

ABC (Already Been Chewed) Cookie Cutter

ABC Cookie Cutters

ABC stands for “Already Been Chewed,” in case you’re wondering. These cookie cutters make a plate of Christmas cookies look like they’ve been ravaged by an 8-year-old.

Ozeri Nouveaux II Electric Wine Opener

Electric Wine Bottle Opener

If you’re looking for something that people will fight over, you probably can’t do better than this electric wine bottle opener. It’s a brilliant invention, and a lot of people don’t even know that such a thing exists.

Prescription / Pill Bottle Drink Kooler

Rx Drink Cooler

This foam koozie might not be the best choice for an office or church party, but it’s great for a group of friends. This is one of the cheaper items on the list, so feel free to combine it with a few cold ones if you’ve got a higher price limit.

Boston Warehouse Moose Oven Mitt

Moose Oven Mitt

This moose oven mitt is funny, adorable, and appropriate for groups of all types. Some folks have complained that the oven mitt isn’t that protective, but as a cheap gag gift, it works just fine.

Knit Winter Crochet Beard Beanie

Beard Hat

Wearing one of these beard beanie hats is undoubtedly the funniest way to stay warm during the winter. While bringing clothing to a gift exchange is usually a bad idea, these are one-size-fits-most. Great for groups of men, but can also make for lots of fun swapping if women are participating.

Stress Balls

Stress Balls

Okay, these obviously aren’t for mixed company (I don’t want to get anyone in trouble!). But for a group of girlfriends, these “stress balls” are sure to get lots of laughs. Great stress relief for when you start to get testy.

Find something you like? You can click on any of the images above to check out the product page.

Merry Christmas!

Disclosure: The owner of this site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

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Roberta Jeeves

Roberta Jeeves is author of the book White Elephant Gift Exchange: Rules, Themes, and Ideas for Hosting a Perfect Holiday Gift Swap. You can buy or borrow it at Amazon.com.

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