Christmas Gift Exchange Ideas

The gift giving season has kick started, and it’s time to start thinking about those Christmas gift exchange ideas. Christmas gift exchange parties are so popular due to the cost savings associated with buying a limited amount of gifts in a given price range. Plus it saves you from buying a ton of gifts. Having a set dollar amount makes it easier to shop, however, you might get stuck on what gift to buy for a Christmas exchange? Today I’m sharing a few ideas about what to buy for a holiday party, and the different types of gift exchange ideas incase you want to plan one of your own!

Christmas Gift Exchange Ideas

Traditional Gift Exchange Ideas

Secret Santa

I think most of us have participated, or at least know about the Secret Santa exchanges. This is a great choice for taking the pressure off of buying for large families. Plus it’s fun! The idea is that everyone writes their name on a folded piece of paper (if you are remote, you may need someone to choose the name for you), and places their name in a bowl. Everyone selects a paper to reveal who they will be buying a gift for. If your family, or friend group is together at Thanksgiving, this is a great time to do this. Just make sure everyone agrees on the price limit first! I really love this option since you can tailor your gift to the recipient.

Grab Bag

This is where everyone buys a gift in a set dollar amount, or price range, and brings the wrapped gift to a party. This is a popular gift exchange for the workplace or large families.

The party organizer writes a number on a piece of paper and folds it in half (the amount of papers with a number on it should match the amount of gifts). A jar or a box can be used to store the numbers, and everyone grabs a piece of paper. The number you get, is the order in choosing a gift. So if you receive number 1, you are the first to choose your gift from the gift pile (gifts are usually stored in a bag such as a large trash bag, so you can’t see what you are choosing). You are literally grabbing from the bag. Unisex gifts are a great idea for this type of gift exchange.

White Elephant

If you are competitive, you will love the White Elephant! You can choose a theme if you want but it’s not necessary, as long as a dollar amount is set ahead of time. Everyone brings a gift to the party and draws a number. The number you get is equal to the order you choose your gift. There’s a catch though! When it’s your turn to choose, you can either choose a gift from the gift pile, or steal another persons gift. If you steal a gift, the person who looses their gift chooses another one from the pile. The gifts are usually unwrapped once chosen, so that everyone can see what they are in for. The game continues until everyone has a gift. For this game, being number 1 is not always best, as you cannot steal anyone’s gift!

Themed Christmas Gift Exchange Ideas

Themed Christmas gift exchanges are a great way to make gift giving more interesting. This is fun for a friend group, as you can get really specific on your themes, or for a family to really make special memories.

Lipstick Swap

This is fun for a group of friends. The great thing about this is it’s easy to carry as the gift is small enough to fit into your bag. I love this Christmas gift exchange idea when a group is going out for brunch or dinner. It’s an easy exchange at the table. Please make sure the lipstick is new and unused! In addition to giving tried and true favorites, here are some lipsticks in really beautiful packaging.

French Themed Gift Exchange Ideas

A fun way to bring in a little Paris to your party. This is a gift exchange idea that I particularly love! If you can’t get away to Paris this year, why not bring a little whimsy to your holiday.

Book Swap

A book swap is an inexpensive way to give something useful. This can be a new book, or you can swap pre-read books for a no-cost alternative to Christmas gift exchange ideas. A travel coffee table book is an all-around crowd pleaser. For a more personal gift, try an old favorite or a new best-seller!

Christmas Ornament Exchange

Tis the season to be festive. And what more way to get festive than giving Christmas tree ornaments? This is a great way to grow an ornament collection for new home owners, or newly married couples. Each year your gift recipient will remember you for your thoughtful gift.

Recipe Exchange

A recipe exchange is no cost but lots of fun! Share your old favorites, or new found loves. I find dessert recipes to be easy and fun, while dinner recipes will add a new variety to your weekly dinner menu. Easy side dishes are also always a welcome addition. If you want to elevate this gift exchange, try giving your recipes in a beautiful recipe book, or recipe box.

Wrapping Paper Exchange

A wrapping paper exchange party is a great way to get some pretty wrapping paper before the holidays. I love sourcing beautiful papers. Instead of holiday specific wrapping paper, you can give birthday themed wrapping paper, or just a pretty generic paper to use throughout the year. Nice wrapping paper is always great to have on hand for those last minute gifts!

Nail Polish Swap

Just like the lipstick swap, the nail polish swap is also a really fun small gift idea for anyone who enjoys painting their nails! This can be in the form of nail polish, or nail care gifts in general.

For more holiday inspiration, check out the Holiday Shop.