If you need to buy a gift for a White Elephant gift exchange this holiday season, or if you have a Secret Santa game to play at work, these gift ideas that cost less than $20 (at the time I’m writing this article) will get you started with some ideas. These are budget-friendly options, but they’re not cheap or junky, and the person you’re giving them to will like them. These are the White Elephant gifts that people will try to steal from each other during the party.
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A patterned flash drive.
A red buffalo plaid flash drive has a wintery pattern and is also a useful gift that’s gender-neutral. This is one of the things that people will actually want, since they can use it.
Botanical kitchen towel.
This botanical kitchen towel with hand painted watercolor autumn leaves is a useful gift that can be put to work in any kitchen, or used in a bathroom as a guest towel.
Chocolates.
Get a bunch of nice chocolates together and make a little gift basket. People will be fighting over it, and if there’s someone who can’t eat it they’ll be able to trade it for something else.
A luggage handle wrap.
Get this frog pattern luggage handle wrap that can be used for travel or for keeping the straps of a gym bag in check.
A computer cooling stand.
This gift is surprisingly inexpensive, and really does work to cool a laptop or tablet down. I bought this one and I’ve been using it, so I can vouch for the fact that it does keep your computer from overheating. It also has a phone stand and a light show in the fans if you’re into that kind of thing, but you can turn that off if you’re not!
Frog poster.
This vintage reproduction frog poster is a fun gift that will appeal to certain people and will probably be stolen a few times during the gift exchange.
Cat socks.
These socks have little cat drawings on a watercolor blue background. They’re a gender-neutral gift for anyone who likes cats.
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Pumpkin keychain.
This keychain with hand-drawn pumpkins is useful for anyone, and people who like the pumpkin spice season will want this.
An embroidered sports towel.
This embroidered towel can be taken to a workout and is a funny and useful gift that people will want to steal from each other during the exchange. Get them in multiple colors from Krafty Box on Etsy.
A handy notebook.
This notebook is a truth-teller, and it’s also useful and gender-neutral, so it’s a good choice for a White Elephant gift exchange.
A handmade glass pendant.
This handmade glass pendant from Thomas Critchlow Art Glass is priced right at $20 at the time I’m writing this, so it would fit into the guidelines for a “20 and under” gift exchange. This is a nice handmade gift that comes in a lot of colors, and it’s a truly one-of-a-kind pendant since it’s made by hand.
Beeswax pillar candles.
Candles are a popular item, and you can get beeswax candles for a reasonable price on Amazon. This pack of two will give oyu a couple to wrap and give individually, or to give as the set.
A gel mousepad.
This zebra fur photo gel mousepad looks like it has a fur texture, but it’s printed. It will liven up someone’s workspace and also help to support their wrist while they’re working.
Christmas table runner.
Get this cute table runner on Etsy and it will be one of the hits of the gift exchange!
A summer coaster for their desk.
Give them a stone coaster with a summer beach scene on it so that they can have a reminder of vacation during their work week. For this one you can substitute one of your own photos if you have a nice image that you’d like to put on it instead of the one that we have.
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A funny night light.
Get them a cute duck lamp that they can use for a night light. This is funny enough that it appeals to most people, so it will be a popular item at a gift exchange.
An Irish blessing pint glass.
This pint glass has an Irish blessing on it, and it would be a popular White Elephant gift because hey, everyone likes a pint glass.
A cork ornament.
This cute bee ornament is made by Corkies By Steph, and is a fun gift that any wine lover would like to have.
Full list of gift ideas on Amazon.
See our full list of White Elephant gift ideas on Amazon here. This list has price points up to $50, but I’ve tried to keep most of them under $30.
A purple polka dot mug.
No list of gifts under $20 would be complete without a mug, and this one is going to be a crowd-pleaser. White polka dots on a purple background make this a timeless design that’s easily identifiable if someone in the office tries to steal your mug.
A tabletop game.
Get them a little tabletop game that they can keep at their desk to play with when they’re avoiding work. There are a lot of varieties on Amazon, like this bowling set:
A knitted-look zippered pouch.
This cute zippered pouch could be used as a makeup bag, a pencil case, or to corral small things inside a briefcase or backpack. It has a knitted look but it’s printed on the bag.
A handmade tree ornament.
Get a handmade ornament from Holidays Lane. There are a lot of designs to choose from, including some holiday-themed designs and some that are more color-themed.
A ceramic tile.
This pretty hummingbird ceramic tile can be used as a trivet or stood upright as shelf decor.
A cardmaking kit.
Bring a creative gift that someone can use to make their own notecards. E.E. James Stationery has a bunch of quick kits that are priced right for a White Elephant gift.
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