The 32 Absolute Best White Elephant Gifts Under $25 (2024)

According to most chefs and our kitchen testers, a garlic press is one of the kitchen gadgets you can skip. (Mincing is better than smushing.) But this little plastic vampire has metal teeth to chop and mince as you twist the head, and it can tackle ginger, nuts, and other grindables as well. It’s charming, quirky, and exceptionally well reviewed.

This foot mask enjoyed a bout of internet fame a few years ago, in part because it’s a little weird. And it used to be much harder to get your hands—or rather, feet—on. Recipients tape their tootsies into gel-filled booties for an hour—after rinsing and waiting a few days, skin begins to slough and peel. It’s safe and immensely satisfying. The lactic and glycolic acid work even better if your feet are presoaked and pliant.

This twist on the classic Rubik’s Cube uses magnets in its mechanism, so it’s pleasantly smooth and easy to manipulate (it doesn’t have any of that crunching noise you get with old-school cubes). Our testers deemed it great for novices and practiced cube-heads. If your recipient doesn’t appreciate this particular type of brainteaser, they can always use it as a paperweight.

Staff writer Samantha Schoech brought this genius hat to a Yankee swap last year and it became the coveted gift to snag. She later bought herself one and it became a lifesaver while putting on tire chains in a snowstorm after dark (she failed, but at least her head was warm and she could see). It’s a soft acrylic beanie with a flat, bright light that can be removed for USB recharging. It has an on-off button in the middle and runs about eight hours on a charge. Better headlamps are available, but this model is the coziest.

This lightning-fast game combines the wordsmithing of Scrabble with the heart-pounding pace of Boggle. It’s easy to learn, works for two to eight players, and comes in a portable, unmissable banana-shape pouch. Because players race to finish first (rather than for points) and create their word grids freeform, the game doesn’t require a board or even a scoresheet.

Give the foodie in your life something to chew on when they aren’t slurping tonkatsu ramen or gnawing a Chicago dog. These photographic food puzzles are 70 pieces, take less than an hour to complete, and would be great for travel. Want something more complicated? Check out other jigsaw puzzles we love.

Adult coloring books are so early 2010s. So we’re calling it now: The paint-by-number genre is this decade’s meditative, grown-up art pursuit. And no sets are as appealing as the Museum Series from Faber-Castell. Each package includes a 6-by-8-inch canvas, six 5 mL pots of acrylic paint, a soft brush, and (most importantly) detailed yet easy-to-follow instructions for mixing. We love “The Starry Night” miniature, but you can also choose works by Seurat and Monet, depending on your recipient’s artistic proclivities. A tiny chipboard easel is included, but each artist will need to provide their own beret.

The contents are unassuming, to be sure: a block of wood drilled with a crude hole and 24 nubby brown logs. But the unfussy presentation belies a transportive experience. Each tiny cylinder is rendered from Maine balsam boughs that are ground, dried, and pressed. When they are lit, the resulting scent is rich, resinous, reminiscent of Christmas, and not overly earthy or cloying like some incense. The nostalgic box is charming, too, and it looks lovely without any extra wrapping.

“Oh, how cute … white plastic matryoshkas,” your unwitting recipient will marvel. But you know better. These little babushkas are not only traditional Russian nesting dolls but also handy measuring cups. The tallest of the three dolls is just 5 inches, and each half is cleverly labeled with six dry measuring increments, from a quarter to a full cup. The plastic is food safe and BPA free, so your recipient can use them to make batches of chocolate kolbasa and buckwheat blinis.

When the Wordle dust settles, gamers will appreciate this 160-piece Nanoblock Pizza set. Challenging enough to be engaging but not so tricky (or tiny) as to be enraging, the Lego-like assembly is a fun distraction for whoever ends up with the fully loaded slice. Once your gift recipient has crafted their mini piece o’ pie, the assembled item is just 5 cm, so it won’t take up too much space when it’s proudly displayed.

Celebrate the holidays and T-Swizzle’s insanely successful Eras tour with this blown-glass Tay Tay in the Versace jacket she wore to the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards. Although the little ornament doesn’t bemoan breakups or flip its hair, it won’t shatter if you accidentally knock it down during a raucous dance party—it’s made from sturdy stuff, just like the singer herself. If this ornament appeals, buy it now. The topical Cody Foster & Co. glass ornaments tend to sell out.

Klutzy kids often grow into klutzy adults, but that doesn’t mean their first-aid kits have to grow up too. Unlike some novelty adhesive bandages we’ve tried that feel cheap and flimsy, these photorealistic pickle bandages stick strongly to the skin for sterile wound care, and they also broadcast the wearer’s love of dill and fermentation. This is a great gift for a recipient with kiddos, two left feet, or a playful streak; a more carnivorous crew might enjoy the bacon slab version.

You don’t need to suffer from migraines to dread the sight—and the scent—of a tree-shape air freshener dangling from the rearview mirror of an Uber car. One of these upscale auto scents from the fragrance geniuses at D.S. & Durga may change your giftee’s tune entirely, though. Based in New York City, editor Gabriella Gershenson doesn’t have a car, but she likes this freshener so much she hangs one by her desk to gently scent her workspace. Her favorite, Wild Brooklyn Lavender, smells of lavender, concrete, and suede—an earthy floral effect, not anything like the stomach-turning scents of ye olde piquant pines. The brand also offers a handful of other evocative olfactory moods, like Big Sur After Rain and Portable Fireplace.

We’re not saying that storing a sponge in the mouth of an amphibian makes doing the dishes any less of a drag. Well, actually we are saying that, and we’re also saying that this fellow is more than just a jester. By lifting a sponge up and out of the sink, this holder helps it stay fresh longer, as well as easier to find for quickie cleaning projects. The frog is made from a sturdy plastic that doesn’t mold and dries quickly, and his eager jaws readily held any size sponge we tried.

A person can never have too many socks, especially if they feature the face of a friend or pet. At DivvyUp, the process is easy: Upload an image of your favorite visage, select the background color or print, and let the company handle the rest. Consider different faces depending on whom you’re swapping with. For a friend from work, you might go with someone’s particularly hilarious ID photo. For a pal from college, slap on the mug of their favorite professor. And a group of neighbors will love a pair that calls to mind the squirrel that keeps attacking your bird feeders. Further customize these socks (which come in four sizes) with one of 14 colors. Made from a durable blend of polyester, nylon, and spandex, DivvyUp socks aren’t very soft—but they hold up well, and the photorealistic faces don’t pull or snag.

Sometimes the creation of whimsy requires nothing more than making one food look like another. Here, white-chocolate-covered almonds masquerade as martini olives—and we are smitten. But unlike so many other novelty sweets, these are certified kosher and don’t include artificial flavors. And though they shouldn’t necessarily garnish a martini, as a gift they pair well with a nice bottle of vodka.

Real plants make risky presents. They require sunlight, water, attention—and they still might die. But not plant magnets: Not only do they serve an important utility, holding up photos and grocery lists on the fridge, but they also require no care whatsoever. These cacti magnets are especially cute and, according to customer reviews, strong for their diminutive size.

True, there’s no replacement for a proper karaoke night. But the lucky recipient of this portable karaoke microphone can at least recreate the party at home, albeit on a smaller scale. Kidwill’s wireless karaoke mic, which connects to a music source via Bluetooth or a 3.5-millimeter audio cable, has a long-lasting battery to amplify voices for several hours of crooning fun. A lot of cheap karaoke mics are sold online, but of those priced under $25, this mic has some of the best reviews we’ve found. If you’re at a loss for what to sing, check out Wirecutter’s Spotify playlist of our favorite karaoke songs.

We’ve been saying this for years now, but it still holds true: There’s no time like the present to drink in the bathroom. This silicone wine holder affixes to dry, nonporous bathroom tile or a shower door—or, hell, to the window near a desk (we’re not judging). It holds a glass and, hopefully, keeps relaxation—or at least a nice pinot—close at hand.

Sugru glue works like something you’d expect to find in a sci-fi novel: Just roll and squeeze the silicone rubber into the desired shape, place it where you want it, and in 30 minutes the putty hardens. Your gift recipient will be able to fix broken parts, make new components, or DIY whatever they can imagine. Winnie Yang has used this glue to mend a broken ceramic plate and a plastic knob on an old AC unit—by her own admission, “not particularly sexy or exciting” projects. But those seeking inspiration can find even more ideas online for what to do with the glue.

Socks are an objectively good present. Those who disagree have never pulled on a pair fresh from the dryer on a cold day. And though plain crew socks would probably be the least-desired present at a white-elephant exchange, socks in the shape of sushi rolls are a different matter entirely. With cute designs that are fun but not garish, these sushi socks look as good in their packaging as they will on your loved one’s feet.

Popcorn is hard to get wrong. But for those who don’t want to deal with space-hogging air poppers or annoying-to-clean stovetop methods, a dedicated microwave bowl might be just the thing. A favorite among the popping methods we’ve tried, this silicone bowl is dishwasher safe and collapses down to about 2 inches for easy storing—and it can pop up a bowl of the good stuff in just about two minutes.

Wirecutter has recommendations for great waffle makers. But on occasion everyone just wants to make something adorable and small (about the diameter of an Eggo waffle). This mini waffle maker is nonstick, for easy waffle extraction, and it’s small enough that storage isn’t a problem. It comes in several poppy colors and prints, as well as interesting shapes like a heart or a pumpkin. And though it may lack the longevity of our picks, it does come backed by a one-year warranty.

This is a perfect gift for fans of astrology, lovers of Greek mythology, or anyone who simply likes beautiful things (surely your friend group includes someone who fits one, if not all, of those descriptions). The mug holds 10 ounces and reveals 11 constellations after hot liquid is poured in. And it’s microwave safe, so when your recipient’s coffee cools, they can nuke it to bring back the lost stars.

Salt may seem like the last gift someone would want to trade for. But one taste of Maldon’s delicate, crunchy flakes will shatter that perception. A favorite among home cooks, celebrity chefs, and members of our own kitchen team—one of our kitchen editors even has a tattoo of the flakes on her forearm—Maldon salt is just prettier and tastier than the normal stuff. Gabriella discovered this mondo bucket a few years ago, and now it’s her go-to affordable hostess gift.

When you pat this little potato on its round head or chubby tummy and watch it light up, you can’t help but smile. The darling spud emits a soft glow in one of three brightness levels and operates via a USB-rechargeable battery. It is cute and perfect and sweet, and it must be protected at all costs.

These cute porcelain cats perform a small but important task: keeping chopsticks off the table. That might not seem like a hugely important job; after all, you can always wipe a table clean of whatever sauce a chopstick might track. But these cats are so adorable that anyone who owns them will look for excuses to whip them out—as a rest for spoons, forks, or even pencils. (And speaking of eating utensils, this set also includes a stainless steel spoon.)

When you’re drinking wine with a group, nothing is more annoying than setting down your glass and then realizing you have no idea which is yours. It’s doubly annoying when you discover the mistake the hard way—say, when you expect a taste of dry pinot grigio but are greeted by cloyingly sweet moscato instead. Sold in a set of six, each silicone sloth charm is a different color, so everyone will be able to tell which glass belongs to them.

A dear friend sent staff writer Dorie Chevlen this five-pack of cat socks when she asked her to be her maid of honor. And if she’d been on the fence before, this pushed her to the side of virtue. (Just joking! Every maid of honor lives to serve.) Each sock features a sweet cat face at the top and paw prints at the bottom, and the stretchy cotton stays soft and comfortable even after months of wear. And if your giftee isn’t into cats, you can also choose an owl, dog, llama, panda, or sloth print.

This page-a-day calendar has 365 of Shakespeare’s best barbs, so you can read through long-forgotten lines while you check the date, which is even harder to remember than deciphering Old English. Should your recipient’s honor ever be challenged, they’ll be ready to tell that “threadbare juggler” or “poisonous bunch-backed toad” just what a “lump of foul deformity” they are.

Whether your white-elephant exchange includes New Yorkers or just lovers of design history, this ceramic facsimile of the ubiquitous Big Apple paper coffee cup will make a welcome addition in whatever latitude it lands. It’s an especially nice gift for NYC expats, and its dishwasher- and microwave-safe.

This shower jelly from Lush is luxurious and hilarious at the same time. With the wobbly, jiggling consistency of Flubber but an elegant scent profile of citrus, rosemary, and geranium, it’s as moisturizing as it is entertaining. It can be used like a bar of soap (sudsed in the hands and then transferred to the body) or broken off and smushed into a loofah. And in case you’re curious, this strangely sensual video shows just what this idiosyncratic soap can do.

We love finding gifts that are unusual, thoughtful, and well vetted. See even more gift ideas we recommend.

This article was edited by Hannah Morrill and Jennifer Hunter.