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How to Throw a White Elephant Party

The gift that keeps on giving until someone throws it out.
The gift that keeps on giving until someone throws it out.

Mostly, holiday shopping is about finding the perfect gift. But if you're invited to a White Elephant party, it's all about finding the worst gift money can buy.

It might be the only opportunity to unload that a cassingle of Right Said Fred's I'm Too Sexy or to drop a bill on a calendar of men with excessive body hair.

Why subject your holiday party guests to bad gifts? For starters it's funny. If you're looking to introduce friends or break the ice at corporate gathering, a round of gag gift giving between semi-strangers is a perfect entre. It also super budget-friendly. (I can guarantee I wasn't the first recipient of the scratched, unwrapped DVD of "Mr. Belvedere" I got last year at a White Elephant party, but I wasn't complaining.)

If you haven't been invited to a White Elephant party this year, maybe it's time you hosted your own. Here are the basics:

1. Invite six or more people. The gift exchange works best when there's a pile of mystery gifts to work with.

2. Set the guidelines. In your invitation, request people bring one gift, under a certain amount of money ($10 is plenty, but you can even increase the challenge and lower the budget to $1 or insist on re-gifts only).

3. Arrange the presents. Make sure everyone brings their gifts wrapped and unmarked so they remain anonymous. Then arrange a pile of the gifts in one place.

4. Start the name drawing. Put every guests' name in a hat and allow the first name drawn to pick the first gift from the pile. Now let that person draw the second name (and so forth.)

5. Let the stealing begin. The second person drawn has a choice: pick another unopened gift from the pile or snag the gift the first person already opened. If they choose to "steal" from any person who came before them, they forfeit the right to open a new gift. As people continue to have their names drawn, they can steal any of the previously opened gifts instead of unwrapping new ones.

6. Prevent epic battles. Sometimes, there's a gift that everyone wants. It happens, especially when the majority of guests bring inflatable fruitcakes and dog whistles. To prevent the night from becoming a feeding frenzy, include a "maximum" amount of times a gift can be stolen, so it doesn't keep floating around the room while the rest of the gifts remain unopened.

7. Come full circle. Are all the gifts opened? It's only fair the first person to play has a chance to "steal a gift too". They can pick any previously opened gift as long as it hasn't been "stolen" beyond the maximum amount of times.

Now that you've got the basics down, it's time to get cracking on gifts.

Go with gag. The only rule with White Elephant gifts: wackier, the better. See this nose-shaped pepper mill? Perfect.

Nose Pepper Mill: $22



Too expensive? How about this finger-stache kit?

Finger-stache: $7.99



Check for stocking stuffers at your chain retailers. At Forever 21, Old Navy, or H&M, you can grab under $10 gifts that people might actually use. Okay, these Old Navy socks may not be the most flattering footsies, but they're probably really cozy.

Chenille socks: $4


Throw in a ringer. If you want to ratchet up the drama as host, you can also throw in a really covetable gift. Say, a $15 gift card to iTunes.

iTunes gift card: $15


Burying treasure raises the stakes. Added bonus: if you package the prize in an unsavory envelope, amidst a sea of oversize, garishly wrapped, totally useless gifts, you'll really mess with your guests. Hey, isn't that what holiday parties all about?

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