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White Elephant Gift Ideas

Workplace holiday celebrations come in every shape and size, from potluck lunches to catered cocktail hours. No matter the type of shindig you have, chances are high that there is an element of gift exchange, whether it’s a Secret Santa, group gift, or a white elephant. There are several approaches you can take when shopping for white elephant gifts, whether you go with a gag gift or something more thoughtful. Still, it’s hard to shop for colleagues, especially if you may be newer to the organization or have little interaction with the group as a whole. Here are a few suggestions for office-appropriate, under $25 gifts, for your workplace white elephant gift grab.

Go for the laugh. If you consider yourself the office clown, or just enjoy silly presents, gag gifts are an easy way to bring a bit more fun to the process. However, it would be best if you approached with caution. Humor is very subjective, and you definitely want to stay away from anything too explicit: Looking at you “Old Fart” graphic tees. A safe, yet still funny gift is, “101 So Bad, They’re Good Dad Jokes” from Amazon. This extremely punny tome is full of some amusing and harmless one-liners. I’d also recommend “The World’s Greatest Book of Useless Information” from Amazon. This book is full of frivolous facts and silly statistics that no one really needs to know but are cool to find out.

If you’re more of a practical gift-giver, go for something useful. In any work setting, there are some essentials that everyone can use, and a white elephant exchange is a convenient way to fulfill those needs. Gifts like desk organizers, BPA-free water bottles, or word-of-the-day calendars may not be the most talked-about gift at the party, but something functional is better than something weird, gross, or creepy—looking at you dog poo calendars. I also like the idea of mini care packs as a white elephant option. A gift bag with travel size toothpaste, a face mask, and lip balm are alternative work essentials that allow your co-workers to practice some self-care on the job.

Speaking of self-care, you can never go wrong with socks and soap. Everyone needs to keep their feet warm, and we all need to bathe. This may seem kind of boring, but you can get quite creative with this combo, like a snowflake soap on a rope from Target with snowmen-printed novelty socks from Sockologie. Or, encourage your officemate’s New Year’s resolutions to work out with a pack of athletic socks and a travel soap case so they can shower at the gym. Or, go with fuzzy slipper socks and a bar soap enriched with shea butter and honey to keep skin extra smooth for the rough months ahead.

Lastly, you’re always safe when you go with a gift card. These aren’t as much fun as actual, physical presents when unwrapping and “stealing” during your white elephant exchange, but this is second only to cash money in terms of the one-size-fits-all type of gifts. Gift certificates for stores that most everyone frequents, like Walmart, Target, and the grocery store, won’t set the gift-giving world on fire but are much appreciated. I know I appreciated the Target gift card I got last year, it covered a crucial diaper run on New Year’s Eve.

White elephant gift exchanges are all about the luck of the draw; you never know who will end up with the present you brought. And while it may be tempting to push the envelope with edgy gag gifts, chances are your racy deck of cards will wind up in the hands of a co-worker that will take offense or, worse yet, your boss. So, for this year’s office party, consider going with a safe, yet still thoughtful gift for your workplace white elephant.

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