White Elephant Gifts Under $25 for Every Gift Exchange

One of the Christmas traditions we do with Michael’s family is a big white elephant exchange with his extended family. By now, most of the “kids” are millennial adults, but it’s still a range of ages from school-age kids to grandparents with a lot of different interests in between.

I feel like there are two main camps to white elephant exchanges: funny or practical. Since I’m not about to bring Cards Against Humanity to a family or work gift exchange, I err on the side of practical. Here are some of my favorite go-tos for a wide audience.

Note: Prices displayed were accurate at the time of posting.
I’ve noticed prices on Amazon swinging wildly this year, so if the exact linked item is out of budget, maybe it can still spark an idea you can grab locally. Some of the items also have varied prices based on color or size.

.01 Crab Multi Tool | $23
A little bit of whimsy but still useful! Stick with a general multi-purpose for wider interest or if you know your audience has a lot of bikers/survival enthusiasts, Kikkerland offers a few multi-tools for different uses.

.02 Wireless Fast Charging Dock | $13
This is one of those items I don’t think you can have too many. They’re convenient to keep around your WFH desk, your “office” office if you’re hybrid, on the nightstand, by the entryway, living room side table, etc. This one in particular comes in beautiful metallic colors for a high-end look and feel.

.03 2-Pack Portable Charger (USB, USB Type C, Micro USB) | $22
Just downright useful. Hopefully, regular travel will resume soon so your giftee can really put these to the test.

.04 Smart Lightbulb | $17
My parents had a blast setting theirs up in their living room and I imagine a kid would love one in their room as well. If you decide to shop around, make sure you get a ‘hubless’ option. Hub light bulbs sync to a main hub and use a different frequency to control the lights. A hubless option will be easier to set up and be under $25.

.05 Cable Knit Dog Sweater | $13-15
All of Michael’s siblings and Aunts are hardcore dog moms. I can see a lot of people vying for this one or an Instagram worthy dog toy.

.06 Rechargeable Fabric Shaver | $12
It feels like every few years electric fabric shavers come back into trend. This one has great reviews and is small enough for travel. If you’re on the fence, I will say these work MUCH better than a razor.

.07 Rechargeable Lighter | $15-20
Rechargeable lighters are on every TikTok trending list. You’ll never run out of lighter fluid or matches again! Fair warning: I did find that my dog seemed to be responding to a high-pitched sound from one of these I couldn’t hear, but a lot of people love theirs!

.08 Scratch Off Map Poster | $20
How cool would this be for any traveler? Giftees can use it as a displayable bucket list. Comes in white or black.

.09 Plaid Throw Blanket | $20
I certainly was not a blanket believer, but at every white elephant I’ve been to since high school, someone brings a fuzzy blanket and they always get stolen. After getting one as my takeaway gift last year, I’m convinced. This plaid one is a nice, neutral option that could appeal to many.

.10 12 oz. Ceramic Mug w/ Protective Silicone Sleeve | $23-25
I love ceramic reusable mugs and this one has the cutest silicone sleeve! If your group leans towards more outdoor adventures, this Stanley flask is another great option at $25.

.11 Cork Fascia Roller |$17-27
I find fascia rollers (either a cork one as linked or the multi-roller plastic ones found in running shops) are more targeted than large foam rollers, but either option is good!

.12 DIY Celebration Cookie Pie Class | $25
It’s $25 just for the class, $55 for the kit. They do list all the ingredients you’ll need if you opt out of the kit, and for the most part, it all looks like pantry staples. Maybe get a bottle of peppermint extract to attach the class access.

.13 Cocktail Recipe Glass | $15-26
There’s a glass for each kind of liquor + beer & wine (oddly enough, they’re all priced differently with tequila being the most expensive at $26, but most are under $20).

.14 Rocketbook Smart Reusable Notebook | $12-25
Yup, you read that right- REUSABLE notebook. This is a great option for people who’ve been interested in using an iPad for notetaking but would miss the feel of real pen to paper. Not only can you reuse the pages time and time again, but the Rocketbooks help you stay organized too. Each page has a QR code you can snap after you’ve filled out the page. Then within their app, you can organize your notes to automatically send to Drive, Evernote, etc. Any of the colors are more expensive than the black option, but honestly, black is classic. They offer their notebooks in a few different sizes (letter, A5, mini 3.5″ x 5.5) and come either lined or dotted, side or top bound. I got these for my department gifts last year and they were a hit!

.15 Mini Waffle Maker | $10-13
I freaking love our mini waffle maker. It makes on-the-go weekday brunches possible and adds a little fun to the weekends. DASH has a few holiday designs and other under $25 cooking options like this griddle or waffle bowl-er, but the waffle maker is my favorite. I’m considering this for next year’s staff gift. 🤫 There is also this full-sized maker that is currently on sale for $25!

.16 Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza Card Game | $10
Both our families are competitive board gamers, but family hits need to fit in the ven diagram of being reasonably quick to pick up, don’t take hours to complete, let at least 6 people play, and bonus points if they make us laugh. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza hits all of those. Just… go watch the introduction video. It will give you the perfect sense of what the game is about 😂

.17 On a Scale of One to T-Rex Charades Card Game | $20
Another great game option is On a Scale of One to T-Rex. The group is dealt charade cards (not a secret) and each player is given a performance intensity level card (secret). The goal is to figure out which other players have the same intensity level card you do. To quote the makers “it’s the perfect card game for adults, teens, and kids, especially if you’re looking for a board game for adults but still want to be able to play fun games with kids. This holiday gift favorite takes 5 minutes to learn, 15 minutes to play.” Similarly, Quelf is also a family favorite. I love games as white elephant gifts because it usually leads to a breakout game after the main event!

.18 Tech Organizer | $20
Help them keep any tech gifts they’re getting this year organized.

P.S. If you’re looking for more gift ideas, I have gift guides by interest under ‘Finds’!