Christmas Party Gift Exchange Ideas

Grab Bag Gift Ideas

While some people draw specific names for a Christmas party gift exchange, it’s quite common to have a “grab bag” exchange in which you are asked to purchase either a men’s or women’s gift. These Christmas gifts are typically fairly inexpensive, but you may want to set a specific price range to make sure everyone understands what is expected.

Christmas party gift exchange ideas for men include:

• Flashlight
• Pocketknife
• Travel alarm clock
• Calendar with pictures of flashy sports cars
• Deck of fancy cards
• Tin of nuts or beef jerky
• Gourmet coffee in a fancy travel mug

Christmas party gift exchange ideas for women include:

• Scented candle
• Picture frame
• Stationary or note card set
• Scarf, hat, or gloves
• Makeup bag
• Small box of chocolates
• Homemade cocoa mix in a pretty jar

While some people like to host humorous gift exchanges during the holidays, it’s best to avoid purchasing gag gifts unless you’re certain the sentiment is appropriate. What you find amusing may not be a good gift choice for a gift exchange that includes your grandmother or your boss.

If you’re on a tight budget, regifting a present you’ve received in the past may seem like a great way to save money during the gift exchange. While this practice is becoming increasingly common in many social circles, it’s important to follow a few basic guidelines. For example:

• Ask yourself if the item is something you honestly think someone else at the party may enjoy receiving. Don’t use the gift exchange as an excuse to clean out your closet!
• Only give gifts that are in new condition. If you’ve already used it yourself, it’s time to spring for a new present.
• Don’t regift at a party that will be attend by the person who originally gave you the present.
• Replace the original card and gift wrap.

Christmas Party Gift Exchange: Ideas for Holiday Games

Once you’ve selected the perfect grab bag gift, it’s time to decide how gifts will be exchanged at your party. Consider one of the following fun ideas:

• Number the presents, then have everyone pick a number out of a hat to determine which gift they can keep.
• Play a game such as Bingo, then give the winner first choice from the gifts.
• Require everyone to answer a trivia question in order to pick their gift. For more fun, let someone “steal” a gift from the person who answers incorrectly.
• Pass out key words from a Christmas story such as Twas the Night Before Christmas and read the story. When you say one of the code words in the story, the person holding the word gets to pick a gift.
• Ask everyone to bring a gift that is wrapped in five layers of paper. Give everyone a gift and tell them when you turn on the music to pass the gift. When you turn off the music, the person holding the gift gets to take off one layer of paper. Continue this until the last layer of paper is removed by the final recipient.
• Have one person in the group read a Christmas-themed story that involves liberal use of the words “left” and “right.” Instruct participants to pass gifts around in the appropriate direction as the story is read. When the story is over, everyone gets to keep the gift they are holding. If you don’t want to make up your own holiday story, use the sample provided on the Santa Lady Web site.

Additional LoveToKnow Resources

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