White Elephant Theme Ideas

Give the swap one rule about what to bring, with a theme that says it in a line.

White Elephant Theme Ideas

  1. Things With FacesAnything with a face on it that is not a person: a smiling mug, a frog planter.
  2. The Good StaplerThe deluxe version of a dull office thing: the good stapler, the heavy tape dispenser.
  3. Around the WorldSomething from, or about, another country: a snack, a map, a phrase book.
  4. Campfire KitMarshmallow forks, a headlamp, a tin mug or a bag of trail mix.
  5. Favors, Not ThingsA handwritten coupon for a favor: a car wash, a baked pie, an hour of babysitting.

Next step Before the swap: work icebreakersPass the gifts with a left right story

How it works

These white elephant theme ideas give a gift swap one rule about what to bring, from All One Color to Handmade Only. Press Pick 5 new themes, or choose Work, Family or Friends first.

Read the full guide

Pick a theme, then tell the guests

Press Pick 5 new themes until one fits your crowd, and Lock any you like while you keep looking. A themed white elephant works only when everyone knows the rule before they shop, so put the theme and one spending limit in the invitation. Copy the list takes each theme and its rule to the group chat.

Work, family or friends

Work holds 57 white elephant gift exchange themes that suit an office. Family holds 68 that children can join. Friends holds 66, with the fun white elephant themes that are built on a joke.

Tips
  • Unique themes for white elephant swaps come from the room: a shared hobby, the street you live on, the year the group met.
  • White elephant themes for adults need not be rude: try Nothing New or Gloriously Useless.
  • Name the theme on the invitation, not at the door.

Questions and answers

What are good white elephant gift themes?

Ones a guest can shop for in a single trip: one color, a mug, a book, a snack, something handmade or something regifted. Each of the 76 themes here comes with a line that says what to bring.

How do I choose a white elephant party theme for work?

Choose Work. Those themes keep to desks, lunches, snacks and small useful things, and none asks for anything personal. Send the theme with the invitation and one spending limit for everyone.

Do themed white elephant gift ideas change the game?

No. The numbers, the turns and the steals stay as they are. A theme only decides what goes under the wrapping paper, so every gift on the table belongs to the same joke.

What are the best themes for a white elephant gift exchange with family?

Themes where a child and a grandparent can both bring something: Ornament Exchange, Candy Only, Recipe Cards, Attic Finds. Choose Family and the list keeps to those.

Can I print the list of themes?

Yes. Print takes the themes on screen, and Show 10 lengthens the list first. The full list below the tool holds every white elephant theme with its rule.

More tools

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All 76 themes

Work 57

  • A Dozen of Something Twelve of one small thing: pencils, cookies, golf tees.
  • A Pair of Anything A pair of anything but socks: mittens, bookends, salt and pepper shakers.
  • All One Color The host names one color in the invitation. Every gift, and its wrapping, is that color.
  • Alphabet Draw Each guest draws a letter with the invitation. The gift must start with it.
  • Around the World Something from, or about, another country: a snack, a map, a phrase book.
  • Bad Day Kit Things for a rough day: tissues, chocolate, a spare umbrella.
  • Baking Day A whisk, sprinkles, a cookie cutter or a bag of flour tied with ribbon.
  • Beside the Keyboard Something small enough to live beside a keyboard.
  • Black and White The gift and its wrapping are black, white or both.
  • Book Swap One book you loved, wrapped so nobody can guess the cover.
  • Breakfast Things Anything for the first meal of the day: pancake mix, jam, an egg timer, a cereal bowl.
  • Calendar Club A calendar, a planner or a clock, because the year is nearly over.
  • Candy Only Candy only. Bonus points for a kind nobody has seen since grade school.
  • Commute Kit An umbrella, a travel mug, earmuffs: whatever gets someone to work in one piece.
  • Fits in a Sock Small things only. If it does not fit inside a sock, it stays home.
  • Fix-It Drawer One hand tool, or a roll of tape no house should be without.
  • For the Birds A feeder, a bag of seed or a field guide to what lands on it.
  • For the Pets Every gift is for a dog, a cat or a very spoiled goldfish.
  • Game Night A deck of cards, a puzzle, dice or a small tabletop game.
  • Gifts People Want No jokes this year: bring something you would be glad to win.
  • Give It Forward Everyone brings something a local shelter can use. Play the game, then donate the pile.
  • Glove Box Things that live in a car: an ice scraper, a tire gauge, a small flashlight.
  • The Good Stapler The deluxe version of a dull office thing: the good stapler, the heavy tape dispenser.
  • Hobby Starter Everything needed to begin a hobby, in one bag: yarn and needles, a sketch pad, a harmonica.
  • Hot Drinks Tea, coffee or cocoa, and something to stir it with.
  • Kind Jokes Only Every gift is a joke, and the joke must be one the winner can laugh at.
  • Loud Socks One pair of socks in the boldest pattern you can find.
  • Lunch Hour Things that make a packed lunch better: a lunch box, a small salt shaker, a real fork.
  • Made Nearby Something made or grown within an hour of where the party is.
  • Made of Wood A spoon, a puzzle, a birdhouse. No plastic allowed.
  • Meeting Survival Mints, a fidget toy, a notebook made for doodles.
  • Movie Night Kit Popcorn, a blanket and candy in a box. The winner picks the film.
  • No Name Tags No name tags. After the swap, the room votes on who brought what.
  • Nothing New Only things you already own and never used. Nothing is bought.
  • One Mug Each A mug, the odder the better, with tea bags or candy inside.
  • One-Job Kitchen Tools A kitchen tool that does exactly one thing. The stranger the job, the better.
  • Ornament Exchange One tree ornament, packed in a box far too big for it.
  • Paper and Pens A notebook, sticky notes or a pen that is a pleasure to use.
  • Pick a Decade The host names a decade. Every gift should look as if it came from then.
  • Plant Swap A small plant, a packet of seeds or a pot to grow them in.
  • Pocket Size Whatever you bring must fit in a coat pocket.
  • Puzzle People A jigsaw, a brain teaser or a book of crosswords.
  • Rainy Day Box An umbrella, a puzzle, a candle or a packet of soup mix.
  • Rhyme on the Tag Every gift carries a two-line rhyme that hints at what is inside.
  • Round Things The gift must be round: a ball, a clock, a pizza cutter.
  • Same Box for All The host hands out identical boxes. Whatever you bring must fit inside.
  • Snack for the Team One snack big enough to share with everyone on the team.
  • Snack Swap Something to eat that fits in a lunch box: sweet, salty or strange.
  • Sofa Evening A blanket, slippers, a candle or cocoa: things for an evening on the sofa.
  • Spice and Sauce A jar of spice, a hot sauce or a seasoning blend.
  • Things That Light Up A flashlight, string lights, a night light or a candle.
  • Things That Spin A top, a pinwheel, a salad spinner: if it turns, it counts.
  • Tiny Versions A miniature of something that is normally big: a tiny stapler, a tiny broom, a tiny waffle maker.
  • Useful Within a Week Something the winner will really use in the next seven days: batteries, tape, a good pen.
  • Winter Warmers A hat, gloves, a scarf or hand warmers.
  • Wrapped to Fool Any gift, but the wrapping must hide what it is: a book in a tube, socks in a pizza box.
  • Wrong Season Sunglasses, a beach towel, flip-flops: things for the opposite time of year.

Family 18

  • Attic Finds Something from the attic, basement or garage, with its story told when it is opened.
  • Bigger Than a Bread Box The gift must be large. Wrapping it is the giver's problem.
  • Campfire Kit Marshmallow forks, a headlamp, a tin mug or a bag of trail mix.
  • Favors, Not Things A handwritten coupon for a favor: a car wash, a baked pie, an hour of babysitting.
  • Framed Family Photo A framed photo of the family, the funnier the better. The winner must display it.
  • Garden Shed Gloves, a trowel, seeds or a very serious watering can.
  • Handmade Only Baked, knitted, painted, carved or glued. If you did not make it, it does not count.
  • The Kids' Round Crayons, bubbles and small toys, so the youngest guests get a swap of their own.
  • Noise Makers A kazoo, a harmonica, a tambourine: anything that makes a sound.
  • Picnic Basket Anything that belongs on a picnic blanket, including the blanket.
  • Recipe Cards A favorite recipe on a card, with one ingredient to get it started.
  • Secondhand Finds Everything comes from a secondhand shop or a yard sale.
  • Shiny Things If it does not sparkle, glitter or shine, it stays home.
  • Soap and Suds Fancy soap, bubble bath or a sponge shaped like something it should not be.
  • Things With Faces Anything with a face on it that is not a person: a smiling mug, a frog planter.
  • Toys We Wanted A toy or game you wished for when you were eight.
  • The True White Elephant Something odd from your own home that you have never managed to give away.
  • Wear It Now Something the winner puts on for the rest of the party: a hat, a tie, a cape.

Friends 1

  • Gloriously Useless A gift with no purpose at all, chosen with love.
How this list was compiled

Written for this site by the Game Night Generator editors on 2026-09-30: all 76 themes and the rule under each are our own wording. No shop, brand, product, film or show is named, no theme asks for alcohol or for anything personal, and none gives a price. Checked by script against every other list on this site: no theme title appears twice. Licence: own work