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.

50's Food Fetishes: Can you get your hands on a vintage copy of a cookbook or pamphlet featuring a specific brand? Think Jello, or Betty Crocker, or now-defunct brands. Such a cookbook, with a tacky plastic or metal gelatin or aspic mold, would be just the thing to torture a gourmet friend with, wouldn't it? If you can't find the cookbook, consider a tacky apron -- both male and female cooks would "love" such an apron.

Think Silly
Let's Play: One White Elephant party I attended had some truly great gifts, but the hit of the party was a box of potato guns and some ammo (potatoes). Get in touch with that silly, playful side with goofy toys such as potato guns, Floam, and harmonicas. Dress-up tiaras and feather boas were another crowd favorite.

The Unexpected
Sometimes, something can be a funny visual joke. One item that made it to "legendary" status among a group of friends was the "automatic dishwasher" gift, often sprung on newlyweds. It consisted of a real dishcloth to which a short length of electrical cord, complete with plug, had been sewn. A note: Make sure the plug is a dummy!

Think Extraordinarily Tacky
Ugly is in the Eye of the Beholder: There are some dreadfully ugly items out there that just scream "White Elephant," and sometimes they are found in swanky stores as well as in your local "dollar" store. From the politically incorrect "sleeping Mexicans" to evil-looking cookie jars, keep your eyes peeled for gifts that are just plain ugly.

Old Standby: The venerable pink plastic flamingo is a standing joke, and almost always a hit.

So, have fun thinking up what you'll bring to a White Elephant party! But keep it kind -- gifts that mock physical attributes, such as weight, age, or height, are not fun and can lead to hurt feelings -- not the result you want at a party with friends and family. Stay with non-personal goofy items!