Variant
White Elephant: rules & the funniest ideas
White Elephant isn't about value, it's about the laugh. People gift discarded, odd or wonderfully useless things. Here are the rules, the flow and plenty of ideas for the group.
- Junk becomes the hit of the evening
- Little to no budget needed
- Draw fairly — even in big rounds
What is White Elephant?
White Elephant is the humorous take on classic Secret Santa. Instead of a serious gift, everyone brings something that's just lying around at home: the never-used kitchen gadget, the odd holiday souvenir or last raffle's prize.
Among colleagues, in flatshares or friend groups it's popular because it costs next to nothing and makes for the evening's best stories — provided the draw is fair.
The rules
- Everyone brings a used or odd item — nothing bought new.
- Gifts are wrapped as funnily or mysteriously as possible.
- Drawing works like classic Secret Santa: each draws a person.
- The dice variant is popular: take turns rolling and swap or steal gifts.
- Important: nobody should be embarrassed — fun for everyone comes first.
Funny White Elephant ideas
Guaranteed laughs.
From the household
The third garlic peeler, an odd vase or the egg slicer nobody needs.
Quirky & absurd
Singing plush toys, a toilet-brush holder with a face or the book “Crocheting Pot Holders for Beginners”.
Retro & vintage
A cassette tape, an old phone case or a calendar from two years ago.
Homemade
A “voucher for nothing”, a self-painted artwork or an absurd craft.
Frequently asked questions
What can you gift at White Elephant?
Anything used, odd or useless that gets a laugh — from the duplicate kitchen gadget to the quirky souvenir. Usually nothing is bought new.
Is there a budget for White Elephant?
Usually not. The whole point is to get rid of things you already have. If something is bought, one or two euros for something suitably absurd is the cap.
How does dice White Elephant work?
All gifts go in the middle. Players take turns rolling: on certain numbers you may take, swap or steal a gift. After a set time it ends — whatever you hold is yours.
Draw White Elephant fairly
Invite the group and draw online — without self-draws and redraws.
No credit card · Guests need no account