Hide the shape and the weight of a white elephant gift, and keep the weight modest enough that a steal still feels fair. The method works the same for funny white elephant wrapping and for plain gifts.
A player choosing from the pile sees only the box size, shape and weight. Every step below works on those three clues.
How to Wrap a White Elephant Gift
Five steps hide the outline, the rattle and the weight of a gift before it goes into the pile.
- Choose a box that hides the outline. A plain shipping box does this for an oddly shaped item such as a mug or kitchen tool, which would otherwise show through tight paper.
- Pad the box, then shake it. Add crumpled paper until the box is quiet, because a rattle suggests hard small items. Soft items like socks or a blanket need padding too, so they keep their shape.
- Add ballast when the gift is light. A bag of dry rice or canned beans gives a light item extra heft, so lifting the package suggests something expensive. Seal the ballast in a zip bag so nothing spills if the box is shaken or the wrap tears. Keep rice away from electronics or glass without a bag, and pad first.
- Wrap in plain paper. Use the same paper for every gift in the pile, and put clear tape on two seams only.
- Tag it with a number. A numbered sticker on the outside lets the host track each gift without opening it, and the guest’s name stays off the package.
Wrap the heaviest or most awkward gifts first, while you still have patience and tape, and leave the soft ones for last. Plan a few minutes for each gift, and wrap the night before rather than on the way to the party.
A steal takes a gift that is already open, so the wrap only affects the pick from the pile. For how to play, see our how to play white elephant page.
Wrapping to Hide the Shape
An oddly shaped item gives away its outline when wrapped tight in paper, so the box or bag around it has to do the hiding. Three techniques hide shape.
- A plain shipping box, which hides the outline of a mug or kitchen tool.
- A bag-in-box, where the gift goes in a bag and the bag goes in a box, so the contour stays hidden without paper creases.
- A mailing tube, which also hides the contour without paper creases.
Bottles and cans need their own method. Stand the bottle upright in a bag with tissue so the neck does not show, then place that bag in a box, which hides the bottle shape.
Flat items such as a book, a framed print or a puzzle go in a larger flat box with padding, so the thin shape does not show. A pizza-style box works for this job.
Soft items call for padding or a bag. Stuff a scarf, socks or a blanket into a box with crumpled paper so it keeps its shape, or wrap it in a gift bag with tissue. A gift bag with tissue hides the contour of soft items well, but the handle shows weight when the bag is lifted. A box with a lid avoids that problem.
Gifts that smell strongly, such as soap, candles or food, go in a sealed bag inside the box so the scent does not reveal them.
Wrapping to Hide the Weight
Weight is the clue that ballast changes.
Ballast gives a light item extra heft, and a package that feels heavy suggests something expensive. That effect works on light gifts, but it has a limit. Wrapping that adds a lot of weight can make a gift look better than it is, so keep ballast modest. Say in the invite whether decoy weight is allowed.
Two situations need weight handled in a specific way:
- A feather-light box suggests clothing, and ballast can offset that guess when the gift is a different item.
- A gift card or cash-like item goes in a small box, which sits inside a larger box with tissue. Use rice in a sealed bag as the filler, not coins.
Funny and Decoy Wrap Ideas
A decoy is a wrap or box that suggests a different gift than the real one. Three decoy setups are:
- A big box around a small gift.
- A heavy-looking box around a light gift.
- A plain box with a joke label.
Decoys are allowed only when the invite says so. A decoy that hides a broken or empty box breaks the exchange, so it is not allowed.
Nesting is another funny wrap. Nesting puts a small gift inside progressively larger boxes. A gift card or desk toy inside three boxes is the example on our funny white elephant gifts page, and each layer adds suspense as the player unwraps it. Our funny gifts page also covers ballast and plain shipping boxes, so use it for gift ideas to pair with these wraps. For house rules, see our white elephant rules page.
Wrap Rules for the Group
Each rule below belongs in the invite.
- Size cap: ask guests to keep each package under a size the host names, such as no larger than a standard shoebox. A size cap keeps wrapping from becoming a contest of box size. Oversize boxes make the pile look uneven and invite jokes that stall the game.
- Tape and ribbon: use clear tape on two seams, and skip heavy packing tape and excessive ribbon. Hard-to-open wrap stalls the game while the room waits, and it is hard for small hands and older hands too. Say so in the invite.
- Paper: use one plain paper across the pile. If wrapping styles differ, players read the style as a clue about the giver or the price. A pile with one glittery gift tempts everyone to pick it.
- Invite statements: say whether decoys, gift cards and food or fragile items are allowed. Food or fragile gifts need padding inside the box so they survive transport.
Groups that play online or by mail follow the same wrap rules and add a shipping box. The virtual white elephant page covers that setup. For the draw itself, see the white elephant generator.
| Technique | Hides the shape | Hides the weight | Watch-out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain shipping box | Yes, the outline of an oddly shaped item | Add ballast to change the weight | Shake and pad until quiet |
| Bag-in-box | Yes, without paper creases | Add ballast to change the weight | Seal ballast in a zip bag |
| Mailing tube | Yes, without paper creases | Add ballast to change the weight | Pad before adding anything heavy |
| Flat box with padding | Yes, the thin shape of a flat item | Add ballast to change the weight | A pizza-style box works |
| Gift bag with tissue | Yes, for soft items | No, the handle shows weight when lifted | Use a box with a lid for weight |
Wrapping on a Budget
Reusing boxes, newspaper and gift bags costs little. Save new boxes for the oddly shaped gifts that need a plain shipping box.
A plain paper bag sealed with tape at the top is a quick disguise without a box. It hides the contour of soft items.
For gift ideas to wrap, see our white elephant gift ideas page, or browse white elephant gifts under 25.
Our Takeaway
Shape comes first in the wrap, and weight comes second. A plain shipping box, padding that stops the rattle, one plain paper and a number tag form the base wrap for every gift. This method fits groups that want a guessing game at the pile. A group that wants zero mystery, such as an open-gift exchange, can skip the wrap rules and show every gift from the start. The answer changes when the gifts are soft, because a plain paper bag sealed with tape can hide them without a box. Before the party, put the size cap, the decoy rule and the gift card rule in the invite.