White Elephant Gifts for the Queer Friend Group
White Elephant with your queer friend group is a sport. Someone will steal the good gift three times. Someone will pretend they’re fine with the candle they ended up with. It will be chaotic and everyone will leave happy.
Here are the gifts that get stolen the most. You are welcome.
A Queer Enamel Pin Set
A little tin or box of themed enamel pins is the perfect White Elephant gift. Under $20, visually appealing when opened, and immediately wearable. Look for curated sets from Strange Ways or indie queer pin makers on Etsy. The girls are giving craft fair meets online gallery. Shop the Strange Ways enamel pin sets
A Tiny But Bougie Candle
A single votive or travel candle from Otherland fits perfectly in the under $25 budget and feels like a treat. Their scents have names like “Group Chat” and “Terracotta” and every single one smells like a good decision. Shop the Otherland mini candle collection
A Game That Will Cause Drama
Card games under $25 are the secret weapon of every White Elephant. Something like Exploding Kittens or a queer-specific party game will get stolen immediately and played loudly all night. This is the point. Shop the queer party card games
A Funny Zine or Mini Book
Queer zines and small press books make surprisingly great White Elephant gifts. They feel personal and weird in the best way. Check out the online shop at Bluestockings Co-op for options that are actually interesting to read. Shop the Bluestockings Co-op zine selection
A Ridiculous but Cozy Pair of Socks
Rainbow corgis. Tiny gay frogs. A sock that just says “QUEER” in bold varsity font. Any of these. Budget: $12 and your dignity. Both worth spending. Look for two-packs so it feels more like a haul. Shop the novelty queer socks
A Cute Sticker Sheet
A giant sticker sheet from a queer artist on Etsy costs $6 to $15 and feels like unwrapping treasure. Put it in a nice bag with tissue paper and suddenly you look like you tried very hard. You did not. But they will think you did. Shop the queer artist sticker sheets
A Mini Skincare Treat
A travel-size face mask set, a fun lip balm duo, or a tiny roller bottle of something nice from a queer-owned brand like Lockwood Apothecary feels luxurious at the $20 price point. Someone will definitely steal this. Shop the Lockwood New York skincare collection
A Cheeky Magnet Set
Fridge magnets that say queer things or feature queer art are an underrated White Elephant move. They are small, cheap, and very easy to display. Grab a set from an Etsy queer artist for under $15. Shop the queer fridge magnet sets
Cap your budget at $25, wrap it nicely, and let the chaos begin. The best White Elephant gift is the one everyone wants. These qualify.