In the past on Christmas evening, together with all of my in-laws, Jeff’s cousins and a few close family friends, we share a hysterically fun gift exchange. You’ve probably played this in the past, where everyone brings a wrapped gift based on a dollar value previously set, draw numbers for picking order and then proceed with the opening and stealing of gifts. Our dollar limit has traditionally been set at $50 per gift. However, the last few years, we have not done the exchange at all since money is tighter than ever at the holidays. But the fun sure has been missed.
So, this year, I’m organizing a thrifty gift exchange. New rules. No money. I even made a promo image for adding to the email announcing the new exchange. Feel free to grab it to announce your own gift exchange for family, work, church or school. There’s one with a fifty dollar mention and one without for naming your own price range.
Gift Exchange Information (modify as needed):- Participants MUST bring a wrapped gift with an approximate dollar value of around $50
- Gifts MUST NOT be newly purchased
- Gifts MUST be wrapped in newspaper, magazine pages, or paper grocery bag paper.
- Gifts MUST have a unique non-traditional bow or gift-topper.
- Used gifts, such as appliances, MUST be gently-used and very clean.
- No White Elephant or gag gifts, please.
Gift suggestions:
Music CDs, previously purchased or custom mixed
Books
Small Appliances
Home Decor
Gently used or unused purses or accessories
Jewelry
DVDs
Tools
Wine or Spirits, unopened
Sports Gear
Accumulated gift cards
Handmade gifts
A Grab bag of multiple items
The Game:
- All wrapped exchange gifts are placed under the tree or in the middle of the room with players surrounding.
- The game coordinator writes one number per participant on small pieces of paper beginning with the number 1. Numbered papers are placed in a “hat” and passed around, each participant draws a paper stating their designated player order.
- Player No. 1 chooses a gift from the pile and opens it.
- Player No. 2 has the choice of either stealing player No. 1’s gift or choosing an unopened gift from the pile.
- Player No. 3 can choose to steal previously opened gifts or choose an unopened gift from the pile.
- If a player’s gift is stolen, at that moment they are allowed to either steal another player’s gift or choose another unopened gift.
- A gift may only be stolen 3 times, at which time it is considered untouchable and remains in the permanent possession of the 3rd thief.
- You may not immediately steal back a gift that is stolen from you.
Do a Google search for more gift exchange ideas and rules. If you do a traditional exchange, I’d love to hear about it!
26 comments:
Very cute and smart idea!
We just had our "Shopgirl" party last night at Joyworks. We always play a dice game and steal each other's too. Our twist is to put something enticing on the outside of the box/bag such as something either handcrafted or vintage ornaments. I made a polka dotted paperchain for mine this year. . .
Oh, and we have a sweatshirt that has assorted embellishments on it that we manage to pass on to a new co-worker (recipient) each year,,,with more, ummm tacky, add ons.....Check out my blog to see IT and who got it this year!
You can view our ALWAYS fun Girl's only Party on from last night, on my blog....
You are so creative! Nice idea. For our book clib it's an ornament exchange and someone always thinks up these games to switch the gifts up! Such fun!
Oh how fun, wish I had seen this earlier, have to save for next year for sure.
I love this idea!
This take gift giving to a whole new level and I LOVE it!!! What a fun idea. My fiancée actually requested that I get him clothes from Goodwill this year! I felt a little unsure about wrapping up used clothes as a gift but that’s what he wanted so I washed them first and they are now wrapped up nicely under the tree. I did get him a few new items as well but you can really find get guys clothes at thrift stores.
Let us know how the exchange goes. I can’t wait to see what people come up with!
http://domesticprincessintraining.blogspot.com
Love it!!!
It sounds like it would be a lot of fun!
What a fabulous idea, I'm going to file this away for next year. I love how even the wrapping is thrifty.
I belong to a guild of quilters and we have retreats twice a year. The highlight of the the retreat for me is when we have this kind of exchange with a $10 limit among about 45 crazy ladies. It is absolutley hilarious.
Emanda
I have played this game in various forms--usually an ornament exchange. (I will participate in two of those this week.) I have seen guys do a beer exchange. My neighborhood did a white elephant exchange several years in a row. Once someone chose the tiniest "gift" they could find. When opened, it indicated that the real "gift" was a huge plastic statue that was being stored outside.
always lots of laughs!
Hi i have not had time to digest your blog yet, i should be up and at it, not blogging, but it is good for the creative mind as i am sure you would agree, my name is stephne halden with an "a" x
I have the coolest wrapping paper which is actually large sheets of property plans from the County Planning Department. It's so big I think they're run on a plotter. I wrap all my gifts in it, with different toppers.
But you know, as soon as I read no white elephants or gag gifts (which I'd never do anyway) I thought an unique topper would be some nice cheese....in it's packaging, or course. But yes, that's what I envisioned first thing in the morning....
Your relatives are so lucky to get a handmade gift from you!
Thanks for the great idea, but boy! People must make a lot more money than I do! Fifty dollars would be what this little old rural Maritimer would consider expensive. We try to set a limit of $10-$20 on new! So I guess we'd have to call ourselves "Nifty Thrifty Spend Ten!"
With my in-laws, we do something similar except each person brings TWO gifts. (and we have a lower limit).
We draw numbers to pick the order, and use that order for people to pick/steal their first gift, then use the opposite order for people to pick/steal their second gift.
I looove this idea! The other day a friend of mine told me about a re-gifting party that his family does. Wonderful!
That is such a wonderful idea!
Great idea, but I'm more impressed by that picture up there! The little truck with the trees and all the white glittery stuff?! Impeccable as always. Love it.
I love this kind of gift exchange! Thanks for sharing a new twist on it!
We are doing it this year! And are getting quite excited about it. I think its going to be fun. Will keep you posted.
I LOVE this idea Cathe!!
Oh how I'd LOVE to be the person who gets YOUR gift! LOL
You should come over and link you post up on my blog today - it' Christmas Traditions and Memories Linky party!!
Merry Christmas!
~TidyMom
Thanks for sharing some great ideas! You really are so creative and you can think of many new ideas in a time. Keep it up!
Your Sis-n-law Katie introduced me to your site today. Wow! love it!
like your flier you came up with
ours is similar, but we use 2 decks of cards...one is dealt out to all the folks, then the other is turned over one at a time and whoever has the matching card, gets to choose...it is fun !!!
our other idea one year was to do...a 'what would you give if money were no object'...everyone did a bit different take...one just wrote things on little slips of paper, one cut out pictures from magazines, one made collages with both cut outs and drawn pictures, my son cut up his car magazines and everyone got a new car !!! i used all the catalogs i get at christmas and cut out pictures...some gave non material items...like a vacation, or plastic surgery...it was soooo much fun !!!! since i organized it, lastly i gave everyone a lottery ticket at the end...in hopes of that large sum of money to actually GIVe the gifts !!
For the last two years, my family has done a gift exchange with a $10 limit and the gift has to be handmade or thrift. It has been an absolute blast! I highly recommend doing something like this--easier on the pocketbook and lots more fun than a traditional gift exchange.
Sharon
Post a Comment