Everyone who organizes a party wants the guests to have fun, to relax, and to have great memories of that event. In order for the party not to be just gathering around snacks and drinks, the host should come up with fun activities to keep the people entertained. White Elephant gift exchange undoubtedly became one of the favorite things people do at parties.
The idea is to use something rather silly and completely impractical, but you don’t give that to anyone in particular. Just wrap it up and leave with other wraps; everyone will have to choose one present. Over time, the gift idea may run out, and you can be ‘in trouble’ when you have to choose tacky and funny white elephant gifts.
Gifts for Casual Company CelebrationIf you are working in a place with a relaxed, friendly atmosphere, you probably celebrate all-important holidays and occasions together, in a way appropriate for a workplace. Secret gift exchange is a new ‘custom’ among employees, introduced to break the monotony of company celebrations.
However, if you have the time or the ability to design the gift yourself, many online gift-shops offer unusual presents in the form of something for everyday use, but in an odd way. So you find things like toilet paper roll made of sandpaper, fridge magnets with de-motivational quotes, or a set of beer glasses in some unusual shape.
People at workplaces drink lots of coffee, tea, and always have some snacks in the stash. A box of snacks, gummies, or mini-candy bars is something that everyone will love, and if they pick some of these, they certainly won’t trade for anything else.
Thermos, tea infuser, regular or travel mug are also great ideas. Find items with some funny and ironic ‘corporate’ message on them, and make even your boss laughs. On this link, see some hacks on how to wrap up the present in a creative way.
Be Creative for House-Party White Elephant
Hosting a house-party is always a challenge. Present exchange among familiar and dear people is an excellent opportunity to be creative and showcase your hidden talents or DIY skills. Bake a cake or make cookies or cupcakes, and arrange them in some unusual shape (depending on the occasion – Santa for New Year, turkey for Thanksgiving, etc.).
Decorate a jar and fill it with colorful papers with funny quotes on them. Find a used box of chocolate and fill it with beans or onion cloves; or put gummy worms into a bottle of expensive wine. Or you can take any non-transparent box, fill it with all kinds of treats. Name it ‘In case of emergency;’ no one will ever guess what’s in it.
Read this to can find a useful instruction on making ‘explosion box’ suitable for White Elephant:
If poetry is your thing, write or compose a funny song. It can be about any of the people attending the party or anything you can think of. The one who chooses this gift has to read or sing it in front of others to make everyone laugh.
Mask Your Presents
When choosing gifts that should be kept secret until opening, make sure that you somehow hide their shape. For example, a decorative pillow, even when you wrap it up, resembles a pillow because it is soft to the touch. Pack it in a box and then put a decorative paper on to mask the trail. You can apply this to all objects that have a recognizable shape (mugs, glasses, bottles).
If you have already decided on a pillow, have some interesting print on it, or it may be in the form of a donut, hotdog, or tacos. Banana, monkey, or flamingos-shaped wall hooks are also an unusual and affordable gift idea.
An excellent choice for White Elephant exchange is also a piggy bank, but of some distinctive shape – frog, cactus, or even a unicorn. Or you can buy a wallet, and put some money in it. These can be fake banknotes or a few real ones (of less value), which you can stick to the wallet.
Overall
Each of us is experiencing gifts and the very act of giving in a different way. So choosing the right present for others can be a daunting task (especially for people we don’t know very well). But buying or making silly and tacky gifts shouldn’t be that hard.
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