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Liven up the holiday party with the 10 best white elephant gifts for $20 or less

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Would it really feel like the holidays without a white elephant gift exchange? Gathering together with a fun group of partygoers and fighting over a pile of ridiculous gifts is just one of those Christmas traditions that never gets old. Coming up with white elephant gift ideas year after year is rarely an easy task, however. You could always phone it in with a bottle of wine, candle, keychain, or a funny cat mug, but if you’re looking for the ultimate gift for your 2018 white elephant party, you’ve come to the right place.

We’ve tracked down our 10 favorite gift ideas to help you gift like a champion. We looked for the perfect mixture of funny, practical, and most importantly, affordable. Take a look at the best white elephant gifts under $20 and get ready to get your white elephant on.

White Elephant Ring Holder

 — $13

There are a lot of different directions you can go with white elephant gifts. You can try to be funny with a Tacosaurus or a

Big Mouth Bass

, but those are both obvious choices and you’d risk having the same gift as someone else in that office gift exchange. If you really want to take the whole funny gift thing to the next level, why not go with a literal white elephant? This white elephant ring holder is the kind of clever, yet obvious gift that everyone else will wish they thought of. It even serves an actual purpose, so whoever ends up with it won’t end up stuck with something they can’t even use.

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You can pick up this white elephant White Elephant gift for just $13 on Amazon.

White Elephant Ring Holder

Cactus Coasters (6-piece)

 — $13

There are endless amounts of different coasters out there, but how many of them double as a plant? Probably not very many, right? These awesome cactus-themed set of coasters are probably one of the coolest gift ideas on our list right now. It comes in a set of 6, and you can assemble them into various cactus shapes however you see fit. If any of those holiday party-goers don’t appreciate a gift as rad is this at your white elephant exchange, you can always take it back for yourself.

You can pick up this practical cactus for just $13 on Amazon right now.

Cactus Coasters (6-piece)

BigMouth Toilet Coffee Mug

 — $13

Can’t you just imagine someone in a nice Christmas sweater drinking a booze-infused beverage out of this mug? Any classic white elephant gift exchange is bound to come with its fair share of mugs, but if you’re looking for something a little more out of the ordinary, why not go with a toilet?

You can pick up this great gag gift mug for just $13 on Amazon.

BigMouth Toilet Coffee Mug

Exploding Kittens Card Game

 — $20

This game isn’t your average everyday card game, in fact, it goes well beyond that. Featuring illustrations by The Oatmeal, Exploding Kittens is a family friendly game filled with goats, magical enchiladas, and baby cats that can kill you. It’s basically Uno, but with the added benefit of lasers, explosions, and more ridiculous cards than you can imagine.

You can pick up this awesome card game for just $20 on Amazon.

Exploding Kittens Card Game

16 GB Thumb Drive

 — $10

Going along with our ridiculous, yet practical theme, this literal thumb drive is a great gift for anyone looking to transfer files with just one finger. Though there are some folks who may want to offer this slightly macabre computer accessory up for grabs during the gift exchange, it’s still totally worth it. What are the holidays without a little holiday fun after all?

You can pick up this thumb gift for just $10 on Amazon, or browse on for more great gift ideas.

16 GB Thumb Drive

Beard Head Winter Hat

 — $20

The holiday season may be filled with gifts and good times, but that doesn’t mean it’s not really, really cold outside. If you’re looking for a Christmas gift that can help someone stay warm, without sacrificing the ridiculous nature of your yearly white elephant gifts, then this beard hat should do the trick. It’s basically like an ugly Christmas sweater, but with the added benefit of making just about anyone look like a rugged Viking man. It may look quite silly, but once you wrap your head in its glorious warmth, you may think otherwise.

You can pick up this Viking beard hat for just $20 on Amazon and have it arrive before Christmas.

Beard Head Winter Hat

Taco Socks — $10

The perfect gift for practical people is almost always socks. It may sound like a boring gift, but that doesn’t mean you can’t spice things up with a fun pattern. These taco socks from Uncommon Goods are a wonderful combination of fun and fiesta. If whoever unwraps this pair of deliciously themed stockings doesn’t immediately smile with delight, someone else is sure to snatch them up.

You can pick up these taco socks for just $10 at Uncommon Goods right now.

Buy Now

Nicolas Cage Reversible Sequin Pillow

 — $13

If you’ve never seen these magical pillows before, then you’re in for a real treat. On one side is a crimson red, but as soon as you brush your hand across them, you reveal an entirely different image. In this case, it is, of course, a picture of Nicolas Cage awkwardly smiling back at you.

You can pick up this Nick Cage pillow for just $13 on Amazon and get it before Christmas when you choose expedited shipping.

Nicolas Cage Reversible Sequin Pillow

Pickle Bottle Stoppers (2-pack)

 — $10

Who doesn’t love a good pickle and a glass of wine? Well,  a lot of people, probably, but this gift combines those two things perfectly. Anyone who opens up a bottle of wine and doesn’t want to finish it all in one sitting is going to need some sort of stopper to keep their adult grape juice from going bad — so why not use a pickle? If you’re looking for practical white elephant gifts that are still out of the ordinary, this is a great option. Though you may have to pair it with some pickle-themed wine glasses.

You can pick up this gift for just $10 on Amazon, which is an absolute steal for a 2-pack. These also make great stocking stuffers if you’re looking for some extra holiday gift ideas.

Pickle Bottle Stoppers (2-pack)

Farting Animals Coloring Book

 — $5

Whether you’re an adult, child, or just an adult man-child, coloring can be really quite soothing. There’s something about staying within the lines and bringing a black-and-white image into full color all by yourself. Normal adult coloring books have a tendency to be a lot less exciting than you’d expect, however. Which is why adding farts to the equation can be so beneficial — for everyone involved. Whether it’s a unicorn, cat, giraffe, or a penguin, this coloring book lets you bring some glorious farting animals vividly to life.

Great white elephant gift ideas under $10 are few and far between, so don’t miss your chance to pick up this $5 gift that keeps on giving.

Farting Animals Coloring Book

Looking for more great stuff? Find Amazon deals, last-minute gifts, stocking stuffers, and much more on our curated deals page.

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Jacob Kienlen
Jacob Kienlen
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jacob Kienlen is a culture writer for The Manual and Amusement Muse and an SEO Strategist for Digital Trends. Born and raised…
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