‘Tis the season for joy, laughter, and a dash of merry mischief, and what better way to infuse your holiday gathering with all three than by hosting a lively White Elephant Christmas Gift Exchange Party? If you’re looking to add a playful twist to your festive celebrations, read on to see how I set up my White Elephant Gift Exchange Party—a holiday tradition that blends the spirit of giving with the joy of unexpected surprises!
How to Host a Fun White Elephant Christmas Party
Poply App Invitations
First of all, I have to talk about the invitations. This year, I used the Poply app to create video invitations, allowing me to save time, money, and paper. This app is so easy to use – I was able to pull directly from my contacts and text, email or just send a link or QR code. It took no time at all.
Your guests can all RSVP with the click of a button and tracking is included, so easy follow up! You can also message each other to share any additional information or ask questions. Not sure about gifts? Want guests to bring a dish? All done in the app! This app is a game changer for me.
Check out the fun video invite I created below.
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Table Setting
Then, it was time to set up the party space! I started with the table setting. I arranged some red fabric in the center of the table as a table runner, and then added Christmas baubles, greenery, and snow under a gift box decoration as a centerpiece. In the middle of the gift box, I placed a “White Elephant Champ” trophy – the events of the evening would determine who would go home with the prize!
Next, I set up my place settings.
I used a traditional Christmas color palette of green, red, and gold, and layered the cutest striped Christmas word party plates on top of white chargers and gold placemats.
I added gold flatware and red wine glasses to each setting.
The final touches were napkins saying “Holiday Spirit Activate” and some Christmas crackers for us to pop open at the end of the evening!
Food
Because there’d be a lot of activity at this party, I didn’t want to serve anything complex or messy. You can’t go wrong with charcuterie! It’s perfect for everyone to grab and nibble on throughout the festivities.
I provided a regular charcuterie board with meat, cheese, crackers and fruit, as well as a dessert board with cookies and other treats. In addition, I supplemented the food trays with additional Christmas-themed plates of snacks.
But of course, I couldn’t help myself – I had to also have a cake! This is a celebration, after all. This simple red and white cake perfectly matched the overall theme and provided a fantastic finish to the fun towards the end of the party.
Bar Cart Drink Station
Then, I set up a drink station on a gold bar cart in the corner of the room. I placed it it front of a fun fringe backdrop from The Party Darling and underneath the rules of the White Elephant game. I printed these out and framed them in a red frame with tinsel and bows, and added cute little santa hats and dice.
On the top shelf of the bar cart, I set out adorable Christmas present tumblers, along with a really great disco ball ice bucket and some white elephant-themed décor.
Then, on the bottom shelf, I added a fun red ornament drink dispenser, and an easy and quick Christmas decoration I made by filling a large jar with ornaments.
Gifts
Next, the gifts! You can decide what type of gifts to have everyone bring, and what price limit you’d like to set. In my experience, it’s always fun to have a mix of “good” gifts and silly/funny gifts. Having some gag gifts mixed in makes the eventual competition that much more fun.
White Elephant Gift Exchange
Then it’s time for the gift exchange! Everyone rolls the die, and the highest roller gets to choose a gift first. Once everyone has chosen a gift, it’s time to take turns rolling again! This time, follow the rules below. Depending on how many people are at your party, you can choose to give everyone one turn or multiple turns rolling the die.
I used a large foam die to make it more fun and easy for everyone to see each roll.
Get ready for some mischief and fun with stealing and swapping galore!
After the gift exchange it was time to pop our Christmas crackers and enjoy some cake and conversation.
Cheers to a successful White Elephant Christmas Gift Exchange Party!
Get ready to “unwrap” the fun as you gather friends and family for an evening filled with laughter, camaraderie, and just a bit of mischief. Let the festivities begin!
Happy Partying!
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