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Looking for white elephant gift ideas? This $30 Trader Joe’s gift basket is fun, easy, and guaranteed to be the first pick at your holiday party.
Filled with crowd-pleasing treats and delicious surprises, everyone will want to grab it first.
Last year we decided to do a white elephant gift exchange for our extended family get-together on Christmas Day. A $30 price limit was set.
I’m a big fan of Trader Joe’s. So for my gift, I opted to put together a gift bag with some of my favorite Trader Joe’s items.
Every time I went to the store, I veered off of my TJ’s grocery list to pick up one or two items for the gift basket.
I kept a running tally of my total until I reached the allotted amount. I really enjoyed putting it all together, and deciding what would make the cut.
I chose all shelf stable items, so that I wouldn’t have to worry about refrigerating anything ahead of time, or trying to make room for the present in the fridge once I arrived at the event.
Also, all of the items I chose are vegan like me, but they can be enjoyed by anyone.
Don’t celebrate Christmas? This Trader Joe’s gift basket would also be good as a thank you gift for a holiday dinner or birthday idea.
You could even choose some of the lighter items to bring along when traveling to visit friends abroad. (I hear Trader Joe’s bags are particularly popular in other countries.)
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How to play white elephant gift exchange
Not familiar with a white elephant-style gift exchange? Here’s how you play:
1. Everyone brings a wrapped, untagged gift to the party within a certain price limit. All of the gifts are placed on a table, and no one knows who brought each one.
I wrapped my white elephant gift in Trader Joe’s seasonal brown paper bags. It didn’t add anything to the cost, and the bags are always well designed at the holidays. Plus, I liked the idea that I was giving a little hint for whoever was picking first.
2. Players decide who will go first (either by age or drawing numbers to determine the order).
3. The first person opens a gift. Subsequent players can either “steal” an opened gift or grab a new one from the table.
At our party, my niece went first. Intrigued by the “wrapping paper,” she picked the Trader Joe’s gift basket right away. When my brother nabbed it from her, she said, “Yeah, I was expecting that…”
4. If your gift gets stolen, you can either steal a different opened gift or select a new one. You can’t steal a gift back.
(Every group plays the game a little differently, but usually each gift can only be stolen a certain number of times, like two or three.)
5. This continues until all of the gifts are claimed or a set number of steals has been reached.
6. At the end of the game, the first player gets one last chance to swap their gift (since they didn’t have that option at the beginning of the game).
My Trader Joe’s white elephant gift
Here are the items that I chose for my Trader Joe’s white elephant gift:
Other non-seasonal white elephant gift ideas
I really had a tough time paring down my basket!
Here are some other non-seasonal items to consider for yours:
- Soft pretzel twists: Great as a snack or on a vegan charcuterie board
- Olive fougasse: Amazing with sun-dried tomato & basil spread
- Pink lady apple chips: The flavor of apple with the texture of potato chips
- Piquant popcorn: A good anytime popcorn
- Salt & pepper potato chips: Almost too good to have in the house?
- Peanut butter caramel coated popcorn: Salty & sweet snack
- Squiggly knife cut noodles: A satisfying lunch in a bowl with peanut sauce
- Thai wheat noodles: Shelf stable noodles make an easy stir-fry
- Organic tomato basil marinara: Use for pasta, pizza, or as a dipping sauce
- Green ripe pitted olives: Eat on their own or add to a flatbread pizza
- Greek chickpeas with parsley & cumin: Terrific air fried until crispy!
- Dolmas: These stuffed grape leaves are one of the best TJ’s products
- Nuts: I especially love Marcona almonds
- Fruit jellies: Soft gel-like candies with 6 different flavors
- Dark chocolate bars: The mini 3-pack with almonds is my fave
- La Sonriente garnacha: My go-to wine for a casual evening, around $7
Trader Joe’s seasonal gift ideas
Trader Joe’s always has really fun seasonal items – especially during the holidays.
Here are some fall and early winter items you might want to include:
- Grocery bag mystery packs: Sold once a year with grocery bags from 3 states in each envelope
- Trader Joe’s insulated lunch bag: Colors vary throughout the year
- Horseradish & chives potato chips: Best chips ever!
- Thanksgiving stuffing seasoned popcorn: Tastes just like that beloved holiday side dish
- Scented candles: The new can of corn scented one is so kitschy & fun
- Novelty cat and dog toys: A dog toy that’s canned corn!
- Chocolate passport: A taste of chocolate from around the globe
Keep in mind that your store’s stock may vary. For seasonal items, once they’re gone, they’re usually gone until next year.
Fun ways to theme a Trader Joe’s gift basket
If you like, you could choose a theme for your Trader Joe’s gift basket.
Romantic dinner: Choose items that work together for one cohesive meal like marinara, pasta, wine, and olives.
(Obviously, this would be best suited for an adults-only white elephant exchange where all of the people attending enjoy alcohol.)
Mediterranean mezze: Put together a basket with Greek chickpeas, dolmas, artichokes, and a variety of olives.
All one type of food: Stick with one type of food like all salty snacks, all sweets, all noodles, or all savory items.
For the stationery lover: Trader Joe’s always has really cute cards for only $1.
For a $30 white elephant exchange, put together a collection of 30 cards to last them through a year of birthdays and other occasions.
FAQ
What’s a good $30 white elephant gift?
A Trader Joe’s gift basket makes a terrific $30 white elephant gift, because for that price point you can get a lot of unique and fun items to fill out the basket. Or you can splurge on some higher end or seasonal items that people may not always treat themselves to.
Why are food gifts good for white elephant exchanges?
Food gifts are a great choice for white elephant gift exchanges, because you don’t have to worry about getting the right size or that they will add to clutter. Once the gifts have been eaten, there’s nothing to make room for in the closet.
(Of course, if any of the attendees at your gathering have specific food requirements, that’s something to consider when buying, so that everyone is included.)
Should I add refrigerated or frozen items?
I don’t recommend it. Giving shelf stable items means you don’t have to worry about ice packs when traveling to or during the event.
Plus, you (and the recipient) won’t have to make room in the host’s fridge once the presents are open.
Should I wrap all of the items in the basket individually?
It’s not really necessary!
If there are a lot of people in your group, it will save time if only the basket itself is wrapped. You can add tissue paper to cushion and protect the items, if you like.
However, if you think it would add to the fun to have the first recipient unwrapping several things inside of the basket, go for it!
Can I reuse this idea for non-holiday occasions?
Absolutely! This would be an excellent birthday, thank you, or housewarming present for anyone who loves good food and Trader Joe’s.
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