10 White Elephant Gifts You Can Buy At Dollar Tree

White elephant gift exchanges are a classic holiday activity for offices and small groups, but what to get for the exchange can be a bit of a headache. Although a classic white elephant exchange traditionally involves absurd gifts of questionable usefulness, modern exchanges typically feature simple, inexpensive items that someone would conceivably use or enjoy.

You may not think of Dollar Tree as a place to buy many holiday presents, but it can actually be a perfect spot for modern white elephant gifts. And because it's Dollar Tree, you won't be going bankrupt over these pleasant housewares and snacks either — though you should bear in mind that some gift exchanges have minimum and/or maximum purchase prices to make sure everyone gets a similarly decent gift.

If Dollar Tree's offerings fit those parameters (and they likely will), then you can look forward to seasonal offerings like wintry mugs, rocks glasses, and a surprisingly affordable and freezable beer mug. There's also home decor like scented candles and plenty of candies and other snacks, including coal gummies and chocolate stirring spoons to melt into a tasty beverage or just enjoy on their own.

These Christmas and winter-themed mugs come in an assortment of four styles featuring either a Christmas wreath, Santa Claus, gingerbread figures, or candy canes and peppermints. All of them are white mugs with the design printed on top, except for the candy cane mug, which is a striking red color. And all varieties are both microwave and dishwasher safe for easy use and cleaning.

Stanley-brand tumblers have been incredibly popular since achieving virality several years ago, but their retail price of $45 can be off-putting for budget-focused buyers. This Dollar Tree dupe has nearly identical styling, the same capacity, and is available in black, blue, purple, red, and green. And just like the real Stanley products, be sure the recipient cleans the lid of their tumbler often for the safest sip possible.

Hope this gift goes to the beer drinker in your life or anyone who enjoys a tall, chilled beverage. This 28-ounce mug has a sturdy base and handle for confident use, but even better than that, customer reviews indicate it freezes well. This step can be the key to a perfectly served beer or smoothie, and at just $1.50 each, you won't find a better price on a new one.

The holidays are a big time for festive soap dispensers, and your local Dollar Tree is one of the places that should have a good variety to pick from. These include soap pumps shaped like evergreen trees and vintage trucks carrying said trees, as well as snowmen with hats and snowflakes on round red circles. Get two so the recipient can have a complementary lotion pump as well.

These chocolate spoons are the perfect partner for hot cocoa, coffee, and other warm drinks that could use a chocolatey twist. The stirring spoons gradually melt into the beverage and add a silky-smooth chocolate taste. And for seasonal drinks, they're great in everything from the common Swiss Miss packets to the absolute best hot chocolate, Abuelita Mexican-style hot chocolate.

Peppermint is one of the most prominent flavor profiles for winter holiday snacking thanks to its surprising versatility in food pairings. In this bag, pieces of popcorn are drizzled in light and dark frosting and dusted with crushed peppermint candies. The single serving size makes for a quick and satisfying snack sure to be sought after in a white elephant exchange.

Give someone on the naughty list a big box of coal that they might actually enjoy. This seasonal variety of Sour Patch Kids, of course, contains no actual coal, but the black raspberry-flavored pieces are dyed black to visually resemble the customary "gift" for bad kids. The pieces aren't all black, though, for they also have the powdery white dust typical of Sour Patch Kids — citric acid, which is what makes sour candy sour.

Every winter, cranberry is in, although it's usually expressed in sauces and other components of food rather than a scented candle. The slight irreverence of this gift, packaged in an attractive jar made of embossed purple glass, makes it a wonderful white elephant choice. At just $3 each, it's unusually affordable for a scented candle as well.

Similar to the Christmas-themed coffee mugs, these individually sold rocks glasses come in an assortment of festive seasonal designs. Stores may have glassware printed with either snowmen, gingerbread men, or candy canes. Each design is simple yet timeless and still allows a clear view of the drink inside. The glasses themselves should be dishwasher safe, though hand-washing will best preserve the printed designs.

At first glance, these might just seem like simple ball ornaments reflecting popular brands of candy. But each of these 2.5-inch branded ornaments is filled with a small single serving of either Warheads, Smarties, or Sour Punch Twists. They're charming little decorations for any tree or garland setup, but also a potential pick-me-up at any point of the day.