15 Creative White Elephant Gift Exchange Theme Ideas

Blogmas Day 9

It’s Christmas party season, which means that odds are, you may be going to (or planning) a white elephant gift exchange.

I know I always have trouble coming up with fun themes for gift exchanges, so I figured I’d round up 15 creative theme ideas in case you need some inspiration!

  1. Your Favorite Things - Gather a few of your favorite things so someone else can try them, too.

  2. No More Than $10 - It could be a gift card or something from Amazon, but the object is to spend no more than $10.

  3. As Seen on TV - Ever wake up on the couch at 2 am to a bunch of informercials? Well, now impulsive purchases come in handy!

  4. Things That Start With (The First Letter of Your First Name) - Test your creative skills to see what you can come up with!

  5. Things Popular the Year You Were Born - This requires a bit of research, but the end results will be worth it.

  6. Dollar Store Finds - Go raid the dollar store and see what hidden gems you can find.

  7. Represent Your Home State - This theme would be fun if you know a lot of your guests are originally from out of state.

  8. For the Kitchen - The options are endless for this one.

  9. WFH Essentials - Working from home has become, more or less, part of our everyday lives, and odds are, there are some essentials that have made it easier. Now’s the time to share your favorite finds!

  10. You’ve Got to Read This Book - Have a book you really love and want others to read it, too? This is a great theme for book lovers or book clubs especially.

  11. Fun in a Box - If it comes in a box, then it counts! Ideas include card games, board games, puzzles, etc.

  12. Junk Food - You can never go wrong with snacks.

  13. Ornaments - There are a lot of unique ornaments out there, so challenge your guests to find the perfect one for this theme idea.

  14. What’s Your Favorite Holiday Movie? - I love The Christmas Story, so for this, I could bring the actual movie, a leg lamp, or something else that reminds me of The Christmas Story.

  15. As Seen on Instagram (or TikTok) - Instagram made me do it. Between Insta and TikTok, I am bombarded with so many fun products and sponsored content. Now you can scroll and say you’re researching gift ideas ;)