Creative White Elephant Gift Ideas for Christmas

Many of us have heard of "White Elephant" gift exchanges -- parties where guests bring along a nicely wrapped unusual gift in the hope that one person's trash may prove another person's treasure. Of course, the gifts are not "trash" at all, but tend to be somewhat on the strange or quirky side, and definitely are not typical presents. Sometimes partygoers know exactly who will receive their gift, and other times, gifts can be "stolen" from the intended recipient several times as part of the process.

White elephant gifts are not broken or junky. They should be new or in good shape, and should not be something offensive. There is nothing fun or festive about receiving something that is insulting or upsetting. Tackiness is fun, but know the limits of taste!

If you are going to a White Elephant party -- and they are becoming more and more popular -- here are some ideas to get you started. Of course, you may already know exactly what you intend to bring -- that horrid set of Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum vases some wag gave you for your wedding, the dashboard Hula Girl you inherited, or the fake-fur tie Uncle Jerome sent -- but just in case you need some inspiration, here we go:

Think Vintage
For the Record: Few items scale the heights of bad taste like album covers from the early 1970's. Look through the stacks and stacks of albums at your local thrift shop, antique mall, or used bookstore in search of the worst of the worst, and then put it in a frame. You'll have plenty of excruiatingly tacky covers to choose from: Perhaps your taste runs to obscure family groups, in matching bellbottoms and sequined tops, posing on albums with names like "Groovy Livin'" or "Six Brothers and A Big Sister, Too." Or you might not be able to resist some laquer-haired crooner, his mutton chops dyed a sexy ash brown, as he stares moodily out at you from the cover of his "Baby Baby Pop Machine" album, featuring his signature song, "I'm Adorable." Or perhaps you always wanted that John Davidson album and now is your chance to finally buy it.