The 11 best white elephant gifts under $25 that we found at Walmart for 2023 (2024)

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The 11 best white elephant gifts under $25 that we found at Walmart for 2023? ›

The white elephant gift is not supposed to be ordinary. That generally means no gift cards, nice clothes, or common home goods. The more unusual or garish, the better! The present should be wrapped, bagged, or otherwise obstructed, so you can't tell what it is before opening it.

The white elephant gift is not supposed to be ordinary. That generally means no gift cards, nice clothes, or common home goods. The more unusual or garish, the better! The present should be wrapped, bagged, or otherwise obstructed, so you can't tell what it is before opening it.

The White Elephant Game Rules

Sit in a circle and place the gifts in the center, preferably under a festive tree. The person who drew #1 selects a gift from the pile, opens it, and holds it up for all to see. The person who drew #2 decides whether to steal that gift or unwrap a mystery present from the pile.

As far as white elephant gifts ideas go, candles are always a winning option.

Color Drip Candles

This pair of soy-wax candles are a colorful addition to any mantle and they are creative ideas for white elephant gifts.

In our experience, blankets are another popular white elephant gift item -- after all, who doesn't like staying warm and cozy in the winter? This soft flannel tortilla wrap blanket is a fun spin on the traditional white elephant winner.

“There [are] some things that you can't go wrong with in general: beeswax candle sticks, pretty stationery, a box of chocolates, lottery tickets, a small bottle of rum if it's the right crowd to give alcohol to,” Smith says. “There are certain general things that can make for really fun gifts.”

Part of the fun is watching players try to conceal their “good” gifts or encourage players to take their “bad” gifts. Each gift should be attractively wrapped with no nametag.

For centuries, honey has been a popular way to show someone just how much you care. It's rich history, incredible versatility and deliciousness have made it a staple for holiday gifting—whether it's a stocking stuffer, secret Santa or white elephant gift, Adee Honey Farms Honey can make someone smile.

The player who has number 1 will select a wrapped gift from the table of gifts, and unwrap it – showing the item to the other participants.

Are scratch offs a good white elephant gift? ›

Perfect White Elephant Gift! $15 worth of lotto scratchers and $1 frame from the dollar tree. Perfect White Elephant Gift!

Whoever drew #1 selects a gift from the mysterious pile of gifts, opens it, and reveals what it is to everyone. Whoever drew #2 can either select a gift from the pile or choose to steal #1's gift (this is where the dirty in "Dirty Santa" comes in). If #1's gift is stolen, they must choose a new gift.

a possession unwanted by the owner but difficult to dispose of: Our Victorian bric-a-brac and furniture were white elephants. a possession entailing great expense out of proportion to its usefulness or value to the owner: When he bought the mansion he didn't know it was going to be such a white elephant.

What is a White Elephant gift exchange? White Elephant is a party game in which players bring wrapped gifts at a set price, such as $20. From there, they draw numbers and pick the gifts out one by one from the pile. They also have the option to steal.

Sure, some variations exist, but the hardest part isn't playing the party game, it's finding the time to shop for a really great white elephant gift that isn't over the price limit (typically around $10–20).

The term white elephant refers to an extravagant, but impractical, gift that cannot be easily disposed of. The phrase is said to come from the historic practice of the King of Siam (now Thailand) giving rare albino elephants to courtiers who had displeased him, so that they might be ruined by the animals' upkeep costs.