75 white elephant gift ideas for work, by price and type
Work-appropriate gifts under $10, $20, $25 and $50, plus funny, useful and food picks. With quick rules for a smooth office exchange.
The best white elephant gift ideas for work are things almost anyone would use, eat or laugh at, with no inside knowledge needed. Below are 75 white elephant gift ideas for the office, sorted by price limit and by type, plus five rules that keep an office white elephant gift exchange fun instead of awkward. Every idea is safe for a mixed room of coworkers and managers.
How an office white elephant gift exchange works
The short version, for groups of about 8 to 30. Read it out loud before the first number.
- Set one price limit. Put it in the invite and ask managers to stick to it too.
- Wrap it, no name tag. Gifts go on one table. Nobody should know who brought what.
- Draw numbers. Player 1 opens a gift. Each next player opens a new gift or steals an open one.
- Cap the steals. A gift is frozen after its third steal, and nobody steals straight back.
- Give player 1 the last turn. When every gift is open, player 1 may swap once. Then it's over.
Want a twist, like the dice game or a left-right story? Our white elephant gift exchange games guide has rules for 18 of them. Prefer everyone shopping for one person? Draw names with our free Secret Santa generator.
White elephant gifts under $10
Small, cheap and still worth stealing. Good for big groups and new teams.
- 1. A pack of fun gel pens
- 2. A mini desk plant in a plastic pot
- 3. A deck of playing cards with a strange design
- 4. A bag of fancy popcorn kernels and seasoning
- 5. Lip balm and hand cream in a winter scent
- 6. A sticky note set shaped like something silly
- 7. A rubber duck for debugging
- 8. A pair of novelty socks
- 9. A keychain bottle opener
- 10. Microwave popcorn and a movie-night candy box
- 11. A hand warmer two-pack
- 12. A phone screen cleaning kit
White elephant gifts under $20
The sweet spot for most offices: room for something good without anyone feeling pressure.
- 13. A reusable water bottle that keeps drinks cold
- 14. A cable organizer kit
- 15. A 500-piece puzzle
- 16. A pocket-size party game
- 17. A cozy beanie
- 18. A pour-over coffee dripper
- 19. A desk mini whiteboard
- 20. A set of reusable food wraps
- 21. A book light for night reading
- 22. A wireless mouse
- 23. A tabletop basketball game
- 24. A hot cocoa kit with marshmallows
White elephant gifts under $25
Enough budget for the gift that gets stolen three times.
- 25. A heated mug coaster
- 26. A plush throw for the office chair
- 27. A portable phone stand that folds flat
- 28. A desk-size zen sand garden
- 29. A bamboo cutting board
- 30. A travel mug that fits car cup holders
- 31. A small cast iron skillet
- 32. A plant-growing kit for the windowsill
- 33. A cocktail shaker set
- 34. A make-your-own hot sauce kit
- 35. A wrist rest and mouse pad set
- 36. A set of fancy loose-leaf teas
White elephant gifts under $50
For teams who go big. Pick things almost anyone would use.
- 37. A Bluetooth speaker
- 38. A heated throw blanket
- 39. A waffle maker
- 40. A high-capacity portable charger
- 41. A smart plug two-pack
- 42. A weighted sleep mask
- 43. A board game for game night
- 44. A good chef's knife
- 45. A pizza stone and peel
- 46. A desk lamp with a phone charger built in
- 47. A cheese board with knives
- 48. A cold brew coffee maker
White elephant gift ideas by type
Not sure what to bring? Pick a type first. Prices vary, so check them against your limit.
Funny white elephant gifts
Funny without being crude. The joke should be on work life, not on anyone in the room.
- 49. A big red desk button that plays a sound
- 50. A “this meeting could have been an email” mug
- 51. A desk punching bag
- 52. A tiny trophy for “participation”
- 53. A sticky note pad that says “per my last email”
- 54. A desk-size inflatable palm tree
- 55. A giant novelty pencil
- 56. A cat-shaped tape dispenser
- 57. A screaming goat toy
- 58. A fake plant that's impossible to kill
Useful white elephant gifts people fight over
The boring gifts that quietly get the most steals.
- 59. A multi-port USB charger
- 60. A good umbrella that fits in a bag
- 61. A long phone charging cable
- 62. An ice scraper with a mitt
- 63. A lint roller set for the office
- 64. A first-aid kit for the car
- 65. A label maker
- 66. A shoe-cleaning kit
- 67. A cord-free desk fan
Food and drink white elephant gifts
Food gets eaten, not regifted. Check the room for allergies and keep alcohol out of a work swap.
- 68. A box of good chocolates
- 69. A gourmet popcorn tin
- 70. Coffee beans from a local roaster
- 71. A hot sauce sampler
- 72. A jar of local honey with a dipper
- 73. A cookie decorating kit
- 74. A spice blend set for the grill
- 75. A snack box of treats from another country
What to avoid at an office white elephant
A good test: would you be fine if your CEO opened it in front of everyone?
- Anything about weight, age or looks
- Adult humor, even if “everyone will get it”
- Alcohol, unless your company says it's fine and everyone is comfortable
- Strong scents, and food with nuts or other allergens but no label
- Used items or company swag from the supply closet
- Gag gifts that end up in the trash before the party is over
- Gifts that need assembly or batteries nobody has
Turn the gift swap into a holiday party
A white elephant fills about 30 to 45 minutes. Want someone to run the rest? A live host runs about an hour of holiday games on Zoom (Teams, Google Meet or Webex on request), or at your office in 17 US cities. Book about 2 weeks ahead. See all virtual holiday party options.
Hosted holiday games, with today’s prices.
Is the company buying a gift for everyone? Skip the swap and send corporate holiday gifts to every home instead, from $22 to $432 with your note inside. Order about 2 to 3 weeks ahead for a smaller unbranded order, and 4 to 6 weeks for 100 or more gifts or anything branded.
More for the season: holiday party games for work, office holiday party ideas or a free quote for your party.
