Gift ideas · Updated November 2026
White elephant gifts that get stolen
The short answer: Bring something useful with a laugh attached. Those are the ones people fight over.
The winner of a white elephant swap is never the pure joke and never the sensible candle. It’s the gift that’s a little funny and that somebody actually wants to take home.
Everything here is safe for an office or a family party, and most of it will get stolen at least once.
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Funny, and they’ll keep it
- Find on Amazon
Burrito tortilla blanket
A round blanket printed like a giant flour tortilla. Somebody will be wrapped in it within thirty seconds.
- Find on Amazon
The Screaming Goat desk toy
A tiny goat on a stump that screams when you press it. Lives on a desk and gets used in meetings.
- Find on Amazon
Chia Pet Bob Ross
Grow a head of green hair on a happy little painter.
- Find on Amazon
Archie McPhee bacon bandages
Adhesive bandages that look like strips of bacon. Useful, technically.
Useful with a twist
- Find on Amazon
Dash mini waffle maker
Makes one small, perfect waffle. Cheerful, takes up no room, and tends to get stolen twice.
- Find on Amazon
Tovolo sphere ice molds
Big round ice for drinks. Feels fancier than it has any right to.
- Find on Amazon
Scrub Daddy sponges
The smiley sponge from Shark Tank. Everyone has heard of it, few have tried it, all will take it.
- Find on Amazon
Whirley-Pop stovetop popcorn popper
Crank the handle and get movie-theater popcorn in a few minutes. A surprise hit every time.
Crowd-pleasers
- Find on Amazon
Exploding Kittens card game
A fast, silly card game about cats and explosions. Gets opened and played before the party ends.
- Find on Amazon
Magic 8 Ball
Decides who does the dishes. Reply hazy, try again.
What to skip
- Anything truly useless. It becomes someone’s problem.
- Inside jokes only two people in the room will get.
- Anything rude, unless you know the room really well.
Make it personal
Check the spending limit, then wrap it badly on purpose. A lumpy, mysterious package gets picked first.