Ideas & templates
White Elephant invitation – funny texts & templates to customize
White Elephant thrive on the right invitation: everyone should know what is allowed, what the budget is and whether it should be “real junk” or “fun stuff”.
- What counts as White Elephant in your group: real junk, quirky finds, or funny little things?
- Budget: e.g. E.g. €5 or “only from the household, don’t buy anything new”.
- Rules: Will there be exchanges? Is a dice game being played? Does the gift stay where it was drawn?
- Date & Location: When and where will your Secret Santa round take place?
- Organization: Briefly explain that the draw takes place via Wichtlify.
At a glance
What awaits you on this page
- 1White Elephant invitations: what to include
- 2How to explain the White Elephant rules in the invitation
- 3White Elephant invitation text for friends or flatmates
- 4White Elephant invitation text for the office
- 5White Elephant invitation text for family and neighbors
- 6Short text for school, club & letter to parents
Practical Guide
White Elephant invitations: what to include
White Elephant thrive on the right invitation: everyone should know what is allowed, what the budget is and whether it should be “real junk” or “fun stuff”.
On this page you will find ready-made White Elephant invitation texts for the office, family, circle of friends, or club. You can copy them and adapt them for WhatsApp, email, or a letter to parents.
You can easily organize your round with Wichtlify: The organizing person (e.g. you 😉) creates the group, enters the participants and shares private links - the others don't need their own account, but can enter wishes via their link.
How to explain the White Elephant rules in the invitation
You can easily organize your round with Wichtlify: The organizing person (e.g. you 😉) creates the group, enters the participants and shares private links - the others don't need their own account, but can enter wishes via their link.
If you need more rule ideas, add a short note about swaps, stealing, or dice mechanics and link to your White Elephant rules page.
White Elephant invitation text for friends or flatmates
Template for WhatsApp/Signal or shared chat:
🎁 White Elephant with us - are you there? This year we want to play White Elephant and bring gifts that are funny, odd, or delightfully unnecessary. 😄 👉 This is how our White Elephant round works: • Each person brings ONE gift. • It can be “junk”: bad purchases, finds, things you no longer need. • Important: nothing broken, disgusting or hurtful. • Suggested budget: approx. [e.g. €5]. 📅 Appointment: [Date & Time] 📍 Location: [Location/Address] If you're there, please let us know by [reply date].
White Elephant invitation text for the office
Template for email/intranet in the team:
🎁 Invitation to White Elephant in the team Dear colleagues, In the run-up to Christmas we would like to lighten up our team meeting with a short White Elephant round. • Each person brings a gift. • Humorous is okay, but please be respectful and team-oriented. • Suggested budget: approx. [e.g. €5-10]. 📅 Date: [Date/Time] 📍 Location: [Location/Room] If you would like to participate, please provide feedback by [reply date].
Practical tips for private groups, teams and community rounds
Family & Neighborhood Template:
🎁 White Elephant with family & friends Dear ones, To make our get-together even more fun this year, we would like to play White Elephant. The idea: • Each person brings a gift. • This can be a household treasure, a bad purchase or something funny. • Nothing defective or damaging, please. • Suggested budget: [e.g. €5-10]. 📅 When: [Date & Time] 📍 Where: [Location/Address] Please let us know by [reply date] whether you will be there.
This way you can implement the topic directly in the app
Templates, rules and ideas work best when they flow directly into a clear process: create a group, share text, set rules, start a drawing.
Through private links, everyone involved only reads the information that is relevant to them. This reduces misunderstandings and keeps communication lean.
Wichtlify Pro
If you need more control: Wichtlify Pro
For larger or recurring rounds, Wichtlify Pro expands the standard process to include Smart Draw, emergency assistant, auto-reminder, admin broadcasts as well as insights and event status.
This allows you to reduce manual effort, react more quickly to changes and keep the group stable despite high dynamics.
FAQ
What should a White Elephant invitation clarify?
State the budget, explain what kind of gifts are allowed, and say whether the group will swap gifts, roll dice, or keep the original draw.
Ready for the next step?
Start directly on your preferred platform and lead the group to the result without any detours.