Last Minute White Elephant Gift Ideas

We all get stressed in the holiday season buying gifts for everyone, and its no wonder we get sidetracked! With so many sales and specials going on, its easy to forget just exactly what you walked in the store to buy. So when it comes down to getting the gifts for parties, sometimes we need quick and easy gifts to pick up on the go. So I've listed a couple last minute white elephant gift ideas that fit any white elephant party you're invited to.

General Gift ideas:

Candle sets

This is ideal for anybody who wants their house or apartment to smell good. Most people in the general population like vanilla or cinnamon scented candles. This is an easy gift to pick up anywhere, and most stores have nice little candle sets of different sizes. The small little glade candles ( http://www.glade.com/productDetailPage.aspx?productId=19 ) smell really good, and are a great accessory to any household.

Christmas socks

Who doesn't like to get into the Christmas spirit? Christmas socks are a cute and easy way to add an air of the holiday seasons to any outfit. You can get them in the clothing section of almost any store around the holidays, and they're almost always guaranteed to be worn and appreciated.

Set of screwdrivers

Who can't use a nice set of screwdrivers! For any person, woman or man, they are a useful tool. You can even give a tiny eye glass repair kit, which also has a tiny screwdriver in it, and this is incredibly useful as well. You can find these screwdriver sets at any hardware store, and sometimes in your local general stores. They should offer a really interesting gift idea for a white elephant party to see who steals them the most! It may be someone you never expected.

Bathgel set

Depending on the scent, you can get this item for a man or a woman. Yes, they do make bath scrubs and gels for men! Just go to any gift section near the toiletries. Everyone showers, and pretty much everyone uses soap when they do. You've got a win win situation here. This gift is a great gift idea for both genders and all ages. Most of the time these prepackaged sets are low priced and easy to wrap in a Christmas bag with tissue.

Tweezers & nail grooming kit

This useful gift is great for both genders, and can often come in many shapes and colors. It can be viewed as a fashion accessory, or a necessary overnight bag item. Pretty much everyone you know is going to have fingernails, and what better way to keep them in shape than to offer a tiny travel size nail grooming kit. This great gift idea will be very affordable and easy to gift wrap as well!

Funny gifts:

Joke book

This gift is good for pretty much anyone who likes to have a good time, but be sure to make the item relevant to the players participating in the white elephant gift exchange. For instance, don't get the joke book "Jokes Women Won't Laugh at" for a Christmas party of your in-laws unless you know they'll get it and laugh.

Overly decorated Christmas sweater

This gift idea is pretty much a MUST to any white elephant gift exchange party if only for the look on people's faces when they pull it out of the wrapping. Not only is it a cheesy, but silly gift idea, but someone might actually want to wear it, and then it becomes a funny holiday story for all the family members to laugh at!

Fuzzy animal or cartoon slippers

You would actually not believe how much a hit this gift idea is at white elephant gift exchange parties. So many times I've been to a white elephant party where these giant gorilla foot slippers were stolen from player after player until they finally were kept at the end of the game. They provide tons of laughter and great memories! This gift idea is good for any age or any gender!

Ninja costume

Now this costume just speaks for itself. Adults and kids alike love to play dress up, and even if you're at a serious business party, it will be a hit! The office will be chattering with laughter at the one guy who really wanted the ninja costume, and stole it back 3 or more times. This gift idea is ideal for younger party goers, and the young at heart. However, it could be slightly hard to find during Christmas, so definitely shop at the bargain bins of your local thrift store.

Kiss the cook apron

This is always a fun way to give appreciation to the person who put out all their energy into cooking the Christmas food for the white elephant gift exchange party. it's a cheeky little saying that brightens the mood in any kitchen, and can provide lots of entertainment when people really do kiss the cook.

Fake teeth

This gift is ideal for the jokester of the family that will actually put them on during the party. Yes I've seen this happen, and boy was it hilarious. We were talking about this gift idea and how fun it was for years after the party I attended. Its best for younger crowds, or the old uncle you have that still thinks he's hilarious at 82.

Youth gifts:

Itunes gift card

With todays definite leaps and bounds in technology, this is pretty much a must have for anyone into computers. With ipods becoming more cheaper and popular every day, this gift can be used by pretty much anyone under 30. Even 30yr olds have ipods, but be sure to know your audience when picking this out. You can find them online or at your local apple store, along with plenty of other useful accessories

Shot glasses

This is a great idea for someone just going to college, or someone who just graduated. it's a celebration and most of all, it's a memento. Get a shot glass that has a quirky or naughty phrase on it, and you've got yourself an instant winner of a gift idea!

Pocket knives

This gift is ideal for a young person who is into the outdoors or possibly carpentry. They're very useful in situations you couldn't imagine! Think of all the times you wish you would have scissors to cut something, and imagine having a small yet effective pocket sized knife to use. Make sure the people vying for this gift have taken a knife safety course, or are old enough to know how to handle sharp instruments such as this. This gift idea is ideal for the outdoorsman, or the junior explorer, and can pretty much fit in well with any party crowd at a white elephant gift exchange.

Card games

So many times in life I've been gathered around with friends, and they've wanted me to provide entertainment. A small pack of cards can provide hours of poker playing, gin rummy, and even black jack parties. Its so easy to find ways to entertain yourself with cards by looking up online game tutorials. Not only does a nice pack of playing cards provide hours of entertainment, its also very affordable! This gift idea is generally good for the older crowd, or the much younger who are just learning to play cards and use numbers.

Tiny FM radio

This gift idea is ideal for pretty much anyone. Everyone you know likes music, or even talk radio, and this little machine can do it all. It can add spice to your life by providing audio entertainment, and can be carried pretty much anywhere to pick up different radio stations for varied listening pleasure. They come in all shapes and sizes, and most portable FM radios are pretty affordable with basic settings. This is sure to be a popular item at a white elephant gift exchange, and you might even want to steal it back for yourself!

These are just a few gift ideas I remember from holidays, and parties in the past, and most of them I'd be happy to receive myself. Pretty much all these gift ideas are available for your "under 20 dollar" limit for most white elephant gift exchange parties, and can be found in any local shopping area. I hope my ideas have provided at least some inspiration for the holiday gift giving season!