30 Gifts under $30 for White Elephant Parties

The Chic Geek
The Chic Geek
Published in
9 min readNov 27, 2017

Tina Poon

Some recognize twinkling lights hanging from trees as a sign of Holidays approaching, or Jingle Bells playing in the background at the mall; but for me, I sense the Holidays are coming when I start hearing whispers of White Elephant Parties.

A White Elephant party is one where everyone gives a gift (under a certain dollar amount) to a random guest, and the party goers opens the gifts one at a time. Names are drawn and an order established, and each guest, when it’s his or her turn, has the option of opening a new gift, or stealing a previously unwrapped gift from an unsuspecting victim. After the victim dries their tears, they then have the choice of opening a second gift, or stealing another previously unwrapped gift. The cycle continues until all gifts have been opened. A good White Elephant host sets the ground rules for how many steals an item can have, or else the night ends in a vicious, thieving bloodbath. That’s the true meaning of the Holidays. (Relax, I’m joking! It is about love and family.)

But, if you’re like me, you have no idea what to buy for a White Elephant party. You also want to bring a super cool gift. It’s so satisfying seeing your gift pass from hand to hand because it’s in demand. If you don’t want to be the guest who brings the classic bottle of wine, read on for 30 ideas for White Elephant parties. Of course, this wouldn’t be a Chic Geek post if the ideas weren’t at least a little, well… geeky!

  1. USB Light Up Astronaut — $19.95

Fly high and light up the sky (or your keyboard) with this little space walker.

2. Bluetooth Toque — $29.99

Have you ever felt cold while listening to music? Well never again with this singing hat!

3. Mr. Coffee Mug Warmer — $14.99

We get it, you’re a busy person and you have emails to send and no time to microwave your coffee. Fear not! You can keep your coffee warm with this handy, dandy mug warmer.

4. PopSockets — Expanding Stand and Grip for Smartphones and Tablets — $15

These little gadgets stick onto your smartphone or tablet to enhance your grip and secure your phone. Pop, tilt, wrap, prop, collapse, grip, and repeat.

5. Wireless Charger — $24.99

The future is here! No need to plug in your WiFi-enabled device. Put it down and watch it charge.

6. Tile Mate Bluetooth Tracker — $29.99

If you’re like my husband, who asks at least once a day, “where is my cellphone?”, then the Tile Mate is your holy grail gift. It’s a tiny Bluetooth Tracker you can attach to anything. And with the easy-to-use companion app, you can find all your everyday items in a snap.

7. LifeStraw Personal Water Filter — $19.99

This product could literally save your life one day. LifeStraw offers easy access to clean and safe drinking water, and is great for the camping or outdoor enthusiast.

8. Minecraft Light-Up Torch — $27.59

Why limit Minecraft to your computer when you can bring some of the magic to your home? The Light-Up Torch can either sit on a table or hang on a wall.

9. Pac-Man Handheld Mini Arcade Game

Take your favourite classic arcade game anywhere with this mini, handheld version.

10. LapGear My Desk

This portable, laptop surface helps you be productive anywhere you go without overheating your lap or spilling your accessories!

11. Mocreo Universal Travel Charger Adapter — $19.99

The Universal Travel Adapter is a compact, lightweight all-in-one travel charger that works in over 150 countries. You’ll never have to carry different types of travel chargers again.

12. AnyGlove

AnyGlove turns almost any glove into gloves compatible with any touchscreen device. It’s fast, safe and easy to use. You can also buy a version specifically for leather gloves.

13. Urbo Keyring Charger- $15

This tiny, handy 0.2 oz charger loops around your keychain so you always have a charging cable at your fingertips.

14. BPSMedia High Quality Mobile Phone Camera Kit — $29.99

Turn your cell phone into a powerhouse camera with 10 high quality, unique lenses. Create cool compositions with fisheye, super wide angle, macro and telephoto lenses.

15. Selfie Lighting Ring — $19.99

#WhenYouTakeASelfieInTheDark

16. Virtual Reality Headset and Remote — $29.99

Virtual Reality is within your grasp and budget!

17. Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky — $22.76

A charmingly illustrated and educational book, Women in Science celebrates the achievements of the intrepid women who have paved the way for the next generation of female engineers, biologists, mathematicians, doctors, astronauts, physicists, and more!

Women in Science

18. Bitcoins — $30

A $30 Bitcoin gift today could be worth a million tomorrow. Or however Bitcoin actually works.

Bitcoin

19. Bluetooth Selfie Stick Tripod

#UpYourSelfieGameEvenMore

20. Anker SoundCore Mini, Super-Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Bring the party anywhere!

21. Bluetooth Headphones

These specially designed Bluetooth Headphones are meant to be sleek and hidden, and are perfect for joggers.

22. Luxon Mini Drone RC Quadcopter — $28.99

This little drone is not only stable, wind-resistant and capable of doing flips, but it’s also adorable.

23. Smart Phone Projector- $21.00

Create your own mini-movie showings with this adorable, classic Smartphone projector. It’s a cinema in a box, and it’s light, compact and portable.

24. Wireless Bluetooth Karaoke Microphone — $29.99

Sing it! Sing to the world and let them hear that beautiful quiver of yours!

25. Useless Box Kit — $29.99

Have you ever wanted a useless box? Read on.

26. R2-D2 USB Car Charger

Channel your inner Luke Skywalker with your own personal R2 unit!

27. Orpheus — the Saddest Music Machine — $29.99

Orpheus is a robot-shaped DIY music box that plays sad, melancholic music. He may sound gloomy, but he’s a steadfast companion and a loyal servant (if all you need is sad music).

Orpheus

28. Hydrobot Hydration Spray Bottle 1000 ml — $29.99

Shower, mist or jet water up to 25 feet with this portable water sprayer. Perfect for washing sand off feet, rinsing dishes while camping, or sipping water without touching the bottle!

Hydrobot

29. Hoverkraft Levitating Construction Challenge

Hoverkraft is an old school board game with a futuristic twist. Players take turns balancing pieces on a platform… that levitates.

30. Chic Geek Gear — Wear Your Geek!

Chic Geek Merchandise

Wear Your Geek proudly! All merchandise proceeds go towards funding Chic Geek initiatives, including our Mentorship Program, MeetnTech events and Geeky Summit. Thanks for your support!

Thanks for browsing and let me know which gifts got stolen the most at your White Elephant parties!

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The Chic Geek
The Chic Geek

is a Calgary-based non-profit building a supportive community for women at the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship. http://www.thechicgeek.ca