A white elephant exchange runs on two things: numbers to decide the order, and rules everyone agrees on before the first steal. The second is where parties go wrong. Somebody steals the same gift for the fourth time, somebody else steals it straight back, and number 1 asks whether they get a turn at the end. This kit settles all of that on paper: a rules page with the house rules you choose, and a number card for every guest.
What prints
- The rules page, a whole sheet to stand on the table or read out loud, with the party name and date if you add them, and the rules numbered in the order you play them.
- The number cards, one per player from 1 up to as many as 60, six large cards or twelve smaller ones to a sheet, with gray lines to cut along.
- The dice game card if you want it: a second round once every gift is open, with what each number on the die means.
The house rules you can choose
| Rule | Your choice |
|---|---|
| A gift is frozen after | 2 steals, 3 steals, or no limit |
| No stealing back straight away | on or off |
| Number 1 gets a last turn to swap | on or off |
| Gift price | whatever you type, such as $25 |
Everything else on the page is the standard game: everyone brings one wrapped gift, number 1 opens first, each turn is open or steal, and a player whose gift is stolen opens or steals again without losing a turn.
How to run it
- Print the kit at 100 percent on A4 or US Letter, and cut the number cards apart.
- Fold the numbers once and put them in a bowl; everyone draws one as they arrive.
- Read the rules page out before the first turn, or stand it on the table where everyone can see it.
- Play in number order. When every gift is open, finish with the last-turn swap or the dice game.
What it costs
Nothing. No account, no email, no watermark. The kit is drawn in your browser and the PDF goes straight to your printer.
For the rest of the party, the same bench makes Christmas picture bingo, winter bingo and a Christmas word search, all free to print.
The other classic exchange needs no numbers at all: the left right game prints a story with your guests’ names in it, and the gifts travel round the circle at every LEFT and RIGHT until nobody holds the one they brought.
If the party is a cookie swap instead, the cookie exchange kit works out how many dozen each baker brings and prints the rules, the platter labels and the ballots. For a Secret Santa, the Secret Santa questionnaire prints a form for every name so each Santa knows what to buy.
Questions
What are the rules of a white elephant gift exchange?
Everyone brings one wrapped gift and draws a number. Number 1 opens a gift from the pile. Each player after that either opens a new gift or steals one that has already been opened; a player whose gift is stolen opens another gift or steals a different one. Most groups add two house rules: a gift is frozen after it has been stolen two or three times, and you cannot steal back the gift that was just taken from you. The rules page here prints the version you choose.
How many times can a gift be stolen?
That is the house rule every group should agree on before the first turn. Many groups freeze a gift after two or three steals, two keeps the game shorter, and some play with no limit. Pick one here and it prints on the rules page, so nobody argues about it halfway through.
Does number 1 get a last turn?
In many groups, yes: number 1 never had a chance to steal, so when every gift is open they may keep their gift or swap with anyone whose gift is not frozen. Tick or untick the last-turn rule and the page says which way you play.
How does the dice version work?
Once every gift is open, a die goes around the circle and each number means a move: swap left, swap right, steal any gift, keep yours, everyone passes left, or roll again, until a timer rings. It is a house variant, and the dice card says so. Tick "Add the dice game card" to print it.
How many number cards do I need?
One per player. Type the number of players, from 2 to 60, and the kit prints exactly that many cards, six or twelve to a sheet, numbered 1 upward in reading order. Cut them apart, fold each once and drop them in a bowl.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The rules and the cards are drawn in your browser and handed to your printer as a PDF; nothing you type is sent anywhere.