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Ten Creative White Elephant Gift Ideas for the Office

By Lauren Smith Janzen, published Dec 19, 2007
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Your office is having its annual White Elephant gift exchange, and you can't bear the thought of ending up with another pair of Mr. and Mrs. Claus salt and pepper shakers. You weigh the social consequences of bringing an unwanted gift versus just sitting this year out. Don't despair! This article contains ten creative White Elephant gift ideas that are sure to please your coworkers.

Choosing the right White Elephant gift - the one that will have your colleagues buzzing at the water cooler for years to come - is a delicate art. Whether you choose a gift that is practical or attractive, edible or spendable, you're shopping on a budget and often at the last minute. With that in mind, this list compiles ten gifts that are easy to find at major U.S. retailers and cost under $20.

The Fun
Ultimately, the White Elephant gift exchange is about fun. Extend that idea of office camaraderie by gifting a game. The 20 Questions Handheld Game by Radica ($12.99 at Toys R Us, in purple or blue) is a fascinating twist on a classic game. The player thinks of an item, and the game asks increasingly specific questions to determine what the item is. The artificial intelligence of the game is uncanny, and the new owner of this gift is bound to spend hours trying to outsmart the machine.

The coffee drinkers of your office will get a kick out of the whimsical Emergency Coffee ($10 at Restoration Hardware), four servings of coffee presented in a sardine can. And if your coworkers don't want this gift for themselves, they'll be trying to nab it to stuff the stocking of a coffee-guzzling friend or relative.

Throw a little political controversy into your office's White Elephant exchange with Stephen Colbert's I Am America (And So Can You!) ($26.99 list price with discounts online at both Borders and Barnes & Noble). Colbert's political irreverence is sure to liven up the conversation at the gift exchange!

Did You Know?
Already had this year's office gift exchange? Stock up on these items at the after-Christmas sales!
Comments
Comments 1 - 15 of 32
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One man's elephant is another man's high performance vehicle indeed! ;o) Thanks for great ideas!

Posted on 05/21/2008 at 2:05:32 PM

 
Cute ideas!!

Posted on 02/19/2008 at 6:02:13 PM

 
These sound so much better than the lame ones we exchange! Good article!

Posted on 01/30/2008 at 9:01:27 AM

 
good article!

Posted on 01/26/2008 at 7:01:44 AM

 
I want to be in your white elephant group. These are great ideas.

Posted on 01/25/2008 at 12:01:17 PM

 
Very creative ideas. Too bad I never get White Elephant gifts like these. I always get the lame ones!

Posted on 01/24/2008 at 3:01:29 PM

 
Fun ideas! You just never know what you will end up getting with a white elephant, but I guess that's part of the fun!

Posted on 01/22/2008 at 3:01:50 PM

 
These are novel suggestions. I wouldn't have thought of stamps! Sophie

Posted on 01/22/2008 at 8:01:36 AM

 
Love this list! I never know what to get for a White Elephant exchange.

Posted on 01/20/2008 at 7:01:50 PM

 
Great ideas. I always enjoy the white elephant gift exchange occasionally you receive some great stuff.

Posted on 01/18/2008 at 11:01:41 AM

 
:)

Posted on 01/17/2008 at 5:01:13 PM

 
White elephant gifts are fun :)

Posted on 01/17/2008 at 3:01:36 PM

 
These are some really good ideas! Stamps!

Posted on 01/17/2008 at 3:01:49 PM

 
Great ideas! I love that keyboard vacuum idea.

Posted on 01/17/2008 at 10:01:48 AM

 
Good ideas for the next gift exchange!

Posted on 01/16/2008 at 7:01:41 PM

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