White Elephant Invitation Wording: 10 Examples
‘Tis the season for holiday gift swaps, where the goal is to walk away with the nicest gift while sticking someone else with useless junk. Whether you call it a White Elephant, Yankee Swap, Dirty Santa, or one of its many other aliases, a gift exchange is the highlight of many a Christmas gathering.
Coming up with the right White Elephant invitation wording is a lot like finding that perfect gag gift that makes everyone laugh until egg nog shoots out of their noses. You just have to look around for ideas – and apply a little creativity. If you’re just getting started on invites, or find yourself struggling with the words after working on it a bit, this guide will help you deal with the White Elephant in the room.
Samples
Here are some White Elephant invitation examples you can use as-is, or modify for your purposes. Whether you’re sending an electronic invitation or a paper one, be sure to include an attention-grabbing image (preferably of a white elephant).
- Jingle All the Way to Our
White Elephant Party
Saturday, December 13 at 6 pm
The Johnson Residence
1234 Harmony Street
Springfield, IL 62701
Bring a Wrapped Gift of $25 Value - I’m Dreaming of a
White Elephant Gift Exchange
Bring a Dish to Share & a Gift to Swap
Gifts Should be Wrapped and Cost Roughly $30 - Join Us For Some
Jolly Good Fun
Drinks, Food & Gift-Giving Galore
Bring a $20 Wrapped Item For a Gift Exchange
- ‘Tis the Season For A
White Elephant Gift Exchange
Bring a $15 Wrapped Gift
Re-gifting Encouraged - Ho-Ho-Hope You’re Ready For A
Dirty Santa Gift Exchange
Come with a Wrapped $30 Gift - Join Us For A
Dirty Santa Gift Exchange
Bring a Wrapped Gift of $10 Value
Funny & Unique Gifts Welcome
- Come to Our
Holiday Gift Exchange
Bring a Wrapped Gift (Regift Only) - Join Us For A
Yankee Swap Gift Exchange
Bring a $20 Gift to Swap
No Gag Gifts Please - White Elephant Gift Exchange
Let’s Swap Some Gifts and Have Some Fun!
Bring a Wrapped Gift of Your Own Making - Join Us For An
Ugly Sweater Party
&
White Elephant Gift Exchange
Wear Your Worst Sweater
And Bring a Wrapped $15 Gift
White Elephant Invite Tips
As with any party invitation – Christmas or otherwise – you should make sure to include the key information your invitees need. However, White Elephant invitations should also have some crucial swap-specific details. Here are some general tips to think about:
1. Use the right term for your gift exchange. As mentioned, there are a lot of different terms for this type of gift swap. If you’re not sure which one to use, you may want to ask around to find out what people in your area call it. When in doubt, go with “White Elephant,” as it appears to be the most popular.
2. Don’t overwhelm people with rules. A gift exchange is a game with rules for opening and swapping (or stealing) gifts. The standard rules are simple, but there are variations and special cases that can get complicated. The invitation isn’t the place to spell everything out. Instead, follow up with a more detailed email or send out a link to the official rules.
3. State your price range clearly. While you don’t want to stuff your invite with too much information, the price range for the gift swap is one rule that absolutely must be stated clearly. A typical price is $20, but you should decide what’s best based on the composition of your group. If there are any special twists, such as a requirement that all gifts be used or handmade, be sure to state that upfront as well.