The Best White Elephant Gifts Under $20 According to Fetch

The best white elephant gifts under $20 are unforgettable, in either the best or worst sense of the word. Your entire white elephant gift party might thirst for bold colored socks from Uniqlo and LED smart lights, or they might toss a tortilla blanket around like a game of hot potato. 

Fetch helps you fully commit to your white elephant gift: you won’t have to spend a dime on whatever strangeness you bring to the party when you pay for it with a gift card from Fetch.

What is a white elephant gift?

A white elephant gift is something you buy for a white elephant party, a gift exchange where you don’t know who will be going home with the gift you bring. The best white elephant gifts come in two different flavors: something unforgettable that everyone fights over or a gag gift absolutely no one wants to go home with. 

Historically, the “white elephant” was a gift of the King of Siam to courtiers he was unhappy with. Though beautiful, white elephants were incredibly expensive to care for and most people had nowhere to house an elephant. 

Are white elephant gifts supposed to be bad?

Whether or not white elephant gifts are supposed to be bad depends on who’s doing the gift giving. There’s something exciting about bringing a gift everyone wants to take home with them, but that can also have people leaving with hurt feelings if the gift they want is stolen from them. 

We’d say the King of Siam’s elephants were particularly awful gifts, but that was also the point. You should check with whoever is throwing the party so you don’t accidentally bring a pooping puppies puzzle to a serious gift exchange.

Fetch your white elephant gifts in Fetch Shop

Using Fetch points to fund your white elephant gift is smart, and it’s even smarter to do your white elephant gift shopping in Fetch Shop. From weird kitchen gadgets to books to knickknacks to whatever you can find on eBay, you can earn points on every dollar of your white elephant gift when you purchase from Fetch Shop retailers like:

• Barnes & Noble
• Bed Bath & Beyond
• CVS
• eBay
• JCPenney
• Kohl’s
• Temu
• Walgreens
• Walmart

Shop current Fetch offers to earn even more points on your white elephant gift.

Fetch’s favorite 10 white elephant gift ideas under $20

Now that you know what a white elephant gift is, we’ve got some suggestions for you. Specifically some white elephant gifts under $20 so you can save your money (and points) for your other holiday gifts.

Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Snuggie

Any Snuggie will keep you warm, but this one’s flamin hot. As practical as it is fun, the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Snuggie is a great gift for lounging around during the holidays.

Chonk Cats Nesting Dolls

Who doesn’t love a chonky cat, a good thicc boi? Purrfect for cat lovers, you’re sure to have one or two people at the party fighting over these cute chubby kitties to decorate their desk with.

Donner Dinner Party

This white elephant gift comes in under $20, but you might want to save it for a party where you know nobody is eating dinner. Donner Dinner Party is a murder mystery game where you try to suss out the cannibals among you before it’s too late. 

Beer Belly Fanny Pack

This shockingly realistic “dad bag” looks like an actual beer belly until you unzip it to reveal… whatever you might keep in a fanny pack. If you want to stay in character, you can slip a dad beer in there and still come in under the $20 limit.

12-piece Multi-color Measuring Cups

A practical gift with fun colors makes for a pretty safe white elephant gift if you aren’t quite sure what to expect from other gift givers. These multi-color measuring cups will get used all the time and add a splash of color to a kitchen.

Crayola Bath Bombs

Practical and colorful isn’t just for the kitchen. These Crayola bath bombs are an excuse for the gift receiver to relax with a nice bath while bringing a sense of childlike fun some of the guests might not have had since they were actually kids at Christmas. 

Traitor Tots Game

A spudtacular party game of betrayal and sabotage, Traitor Tots takes the classic game of Hot Potato to a new level. Score chips, change teams, nuke your enemies (or friends) and more to win.

Emoji Poop Bag Dispenser

Leave no doubt in their mind that the container at the end of your keys is full of poop scooping bags with this pet waste bag dispenser in the shape of the poop emoji. Comes with a carabiner and a roll of 15 bags, so it’s ready to use if Fido needs a walk during the gift exchange.

An Actual White Elephant

You won’t find one of the King of Siam’s elephants under $20, but Temu has you covered if you’re a fan of wordplay. You might not be able to get away with it more than once, but you’re sure to get some laughs (and groans) with this resin white elephant figurine.

Tamagotchi

They still make Tamagotchi virtual pets, and most of the adults at your gift exchange will either remember having one as a kid or hunting for one for their kid. It’s a fun little tchotchke that someone might really want or think is just a cute little keychain.

How to wrap a white elephant gift

There are three ways to wrap a white elephant gift:

• Normally. Just take wrapping paper, cut, tape and call it done.
• Gift Bag. Using a gift bag means it’s easy to pull out and reveal, easy to hand off and easy to carry home. Plus, no wrapping paper mess.
• Like a Jerk. White elephant exchanges are supposed to be fun and funny, so consider wrapping yours in Tyvek paper insulation or adding a few layers of clear packing tape over your wrapping paper.

Can you steal your own white elephant gift?

You can’t steal your own white elephant gift. Your party might have some unique rules, but this is nearly a universal one. Taking your own gift ruins the fun, and white elephant gift exchanges are all about the fun.

Fund your white elephant gifts with Fetch gift cards

Most white elephant gifts have a spending limit, which makes them perfect purchases with a gift card from Fetch. Turn your points into a $25 or $50 gift card to Amazon for one of the widest selections of white elephant gifts, shop local with a Visa gift card or find something truly unique with a gift card to eBay. And if you’re not sure what to get, browsing any of these stores should give you some ideas:

• Barnes & Noble
• The Container Store
• CVS
• Groupon
• JCPenney
• Kohl’s
• Meijer
• Target
• Walmart

If you know there are a few dog lovers present, you could even turn those points into official merch with Fetch mascot Calvin.

Open the Fetch app and snap your white elephant receipt

Make sure you snap the receipt for your white elephant gift in the app if you end up buying in-store, but you could also save yourself the trip and simply order online using Fetch Shop. Either way, you can help fund next year’s gift or use the points to go toward a gift you really want for yourself.