Christmas Gift Games | White Elephant (With A Twist!)

How To Play White Elephant (The Traditional Way)

1. Each player brings one wrapped, anonymous gift to contribute to a common pool.
2. Players draw numbers out of a hat to determine what order they will go in.
3. Players should be seated in a circle, sitting in the order of which they’ll take their turn.
4. The first player selects a gift and opens it for everyone to see.
5. The following player can choose to either pick an unwrapped gift from the pool or steal the previous player’s gift. 
6. After all of the players have had a turn, the first player gets a chance to swap the gift he or she is holding for any other opened gift. 
7. If they decide not to steal a gift, the game is over. If they do steal a gift, the game continues until someone decides to keep their gift, rather than steal.

How To Play White Elephant (With A Twist!)

For a game of White Elephant (with a twist!), why not add in Rule Cards to make things interesting? These awesome, customisable Rule Cards by Siege Media allow each player to trade presents with another person. The ‘twist’ is that you won’t know who it will be until you draw your Rule Card. 

These Rule Cards add a bit of fun and mischief into the game, and allow for a bit of lighthearted group bonding too! Say, for example, you have to trade presents with anyone who owns a pet — that could be everyone! In that case, you get to choose who you want to trade presents with. 

Looking for another variation? As a host, you could set a silly theme for the party — like condiments, wacky kitchen tools, or obscure op-shop finds!

How To Host A White Elephant Party 

The whole point of a White Elephant gift exchange is to have fun (and hopefully leave with the best gift!). If you’re thinking of hosting a White Elephant party, here are some helpful tips.

First, you need to send invitations to your loved ones with explicit instructions! We love these adorable elephant invitations by Siege Media. As you can imagine, it would totally ruin the fun if someone accidentally showed up with an unwrapped gift, a gift with their name on it, or a gift clearly out of the advised price limit. So this helps keep things fair and enjoyable for everyone!  

Again, another optional aspect is to create a theme. It could be affordable eco-friendly products, homemade gifts only, or op-shop finds — the possibilities are endless!

Flora & Fauna | White Elephant Gift Ideas Under $20

Looking for a quick and easy White Elephant gift that’s eco-friendly, ethical and vegan? Ditch the novelty, disposable gifts this Christmas and choose from our Gifts Under $20! 

There’s bound to be one chocoholic in the room, so why not go for the Loving Earth Assorted Bonbons Gift Box? We also have the wonderful English Tea Shop Advent Calendar for tea-lovers. It contains 25 different festive tea blends! 

For a crowd-favourite gift, we recommend the bright, summery ​​Peach & Elderflower Maison Blanche Soy Wax Candle. This soy wax candle has a 15-hour burn time. Looking for a gift that’s practical and portable? Try the Green + Kind Bamboo Cutlery Set! It contains a bamboo knife, fork, spoon, chopsticks and straw — all rolled up in a handy canvas pouch.