9 Wonderfully Simple DIY White Elephant Gifts

A white elephant gift exchange, also known as a Yankee swap, is a holiday party game where participants exchange wrapped gifts and try to “steal” the best presents for themselves. White elephant gifts are typically humorous and inexpensive, which means any of these 9 suggestions should be appropriate.

VIEW IN GALLERY1. Folded Towel Elephant

If you’re the type of person who likes to take things literally, try making an origami elephant from a white bath towel. This is quite easy to do and the recipient will have something useful when you’re finished.

VIEW IN GALLERY2. Happy Pills

Giving actual medications for your white elephant gift exchange would be a terrible idea, but this DIY alternative is quite clever. Mother’s Niche has a free printable Happy Pills label that’s sure to make anyone smile. Add the label to a dollar store divided plastic storage container, then fill with the candies of your choice.

VIEW IN GALLERY3. Batteries, But No Gift

Isn’t it frustrating to open a new toy or electronic device and realize the batteries aren’t included? This funny white elephant gift idea flips this common dilemma by including batteries but no gift. Head over to Around My Family Table to download a free printable Gift Not Included tag.

VIEW IN GALLERY4. When Life Gives You Lemons

If you’re known for always looking on the bright side, this is a funny yet still somewhat useful white elephant gift. Fill an empty Life cereal box with lemons, adding a small container of sugar and a drinking glass so the recipient can make a glass of homemade lemonade.

VIEW IN GALLERY5. A Little Extra Dough

Some white elephant gift exchanges specifically prohibit giving money or gift cards. If yours does not, this is a creative way to make your gift seem extra special. Simply insert the cash or gift card into an empty Play-Doh container with a label that says, “Everyone could use a little extra dough.”

VIEW IN GALLERY6. Cut, Copy, Paste

For an office white elephant gift exchange, purchase a pair of scissors, a roll of tape, and an eraser. Label them with the appropriate tech-savvy equivalents and watch your coworkers breath a sigh of relief as they realize they’ll never forget those keyboard shortcuts again.

VIEW IN GALLERY7. Redneck Wine Glasses

Redneck wine glasses are a popular white elephant gift idea, as they’re easy to make and actually useful. If you want to be nice, or if your gift exchange has a higher spending limit, include a bottle of wine with the glass.

VIEW IN GALLERY8. Have a Chappy New Year

This easy DIY white elephant gift idea is perfect for a ladies only gift exchange. You can easily vary the number of lip balm tubes you include depending upon the stated budget for the exchange. Tinted lip balm in a neutral shade would be a sweet addition, as would a cute box to add the printable Have a Chappy New Year label to.

VIEW IN GALLERY9. Snowman Poop, Reindeer Noses, and Christmas Tree Seeds

Turn Tic Tacs into a white elephant gift that’s appropriate for all ages with the addition of some seasonally appropriate printable labels. This project is a great last minute DIY gift, since everything you need can be purchased at the nearest gas station.