The 20 best Dirty Santa gifts people are SURE to steal!
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‘Tis the holiday season for Dirty Santa gifts!
This is the game where friendships are put aside and hilarious competition begins. Don’t worry, everyone should resume proper Christmas party etiquette as soon as the Dirty Santa gift exchange party ends, provided everyone gets what they want!
The best 20 Dirty Santa gifts you could buy this year!
What is Dirty Santa?
Dirty Santa does not refer to…(ahem) “adult gifts.” Dirty Santa is a family game where guests bring wrapped gifts, usually worth around the $10-15 price point. Guests draw numbers. When it's their turn, guests either steal an opened present from another player (hence the “dirty Santa” moniker) OR choose from the pile of unopened gifts under the tree. The game is also called Yankee Swap in some parts of the world.
What's the difference between a White Elephant Gift Exchange and a Dirty Santa Gift Exchange?
Sometimes people use the names interchangeably. Dirty Santa is similar to a White Elephant exchange party, however, the White Elephant party game is usually made up of gag gifts. Whereas, Dirty Santa gifts are generally unique or desirable gifts that people will love.
How do you play this bad Santa game? Here are the simple Dirty Santa rules.
-All players are given a number randomly. So, if there are 10 players, put numbers 1-10 in a hat to be drawn by each player.
-The player who pulled #1 goes first.
-Player #1 selects a Dirty Santa gift from the pile, opens it, and shows it to everyone.
-Player #2 can choose to steal #1's opened gift OR pick a new gift from the pile of Dirty Santa gifts. This continues with each subsequent player.
-A gift can be stolen more than once, but no more than 3 times. If your gift is stolen, you can't steal it right back. You have to steal another gift or choose one from the other wrapped presents.
-When every gift has been chosen, typically the person who drew #1 is allowed one more turn to steal any gift, as long as it hasn’t been stolen more than 3 times. If they choose not to steal, but rather keep the gift they have, the game is over. If they want to steal a gift, they swap theirs with another player and the game is over.
What are good Dirty Santa game tips?
Bring a gift you want to keep for yourself. This way, if you don’t like the gifts you’re seeing, you can choose yours when it’s your turn! Beware if it’s a good Dirty Santa gift, people may try to steal it from you!
Anticipate who is coming to the party. If it’s a co-ed gathering, you want to buy gifts that are good for anyone. There’s nothing worse than a man unwrapping nail stickers and polish remover as his gift. Poor fella.
Don’t buy a gift with the price in mind first. That’s a sure-fire way to buy JUNK! Don’t walk through the store saying, “what can I buy for $15?” Think of things you WANT but haven’t bought yet! Or think of homemade items you love receiving or eating! For example, someone made a tub of homemade peppermint ice cream this year, and it was DELISH!!
This little ornament summarizes 2020 perfectly! Doesn’t it??
What is a good Dirty Santa present?
If you’re like me, you see good Dirty Santa gifts all throughout the year. But when you get the invite to the Dirty Santa party, your mind goes blank. Don’t know what to bring to the Christmas gift exchange?? Here’s a handy list of 20 perfect Dirty Santa gift ideas to help you out! These could be perfect gift ideas for your co-workers, friends, or family members. Many of these are on Amazon, so click, order, and be done with your party shopping!
*Prices were verified at the time of posting; subject to change.
1 - Live Infinitely 32 oz. Infuser Water Bottles, $14.90
We love it because this makes BORING water drinking so much more fun! Why not give your friends hydration this Christmas?
And if fruity water is not your thing, try this $18.99 gallon-sized motivational water bottle with timed markers instead!
2 - Cocktail Grow Kit, $12.99
This quirky gift is totally functional, on top of it being fun! Give this gift at Christmas, but watch it continue to bring joy into the spring! Who wouldn’t love the chance to grow fresh herbs with little effort? Everything you need for your beginners herb garden is here. You’ll be drinking your fresh mint juleps in no time.
3 - Cute Doggie Cord Organizer, $5.99
You know what’s NOT cute? All the cords from floating around in our cars, purses, backpacks, drawers, etc. You know what IS cute? These doggie cord organizers! Wouldn't you steal these from your friends on Dirty Santa game day?
4 - Sriracha Keychain Combo Pack, $14.99
Why not spice up the Dirty Santa game? Everyone could use a little siracha in their lives. Get this keychain and the person who gets this gift will never have a dull lunch again. **Note: these bottles are sold empty and must be filled by buyer after purchase.
5 - Shower Note Pads, $7.99
Ever have a brilliant idea…in the shower? I do ALL THE TIME! I want to buy this just to see if it really does work in the shower! I think this Dirty Santa gift idea will peak everyone’s curiosity. There are other shower products available on this site: Shower Word Search and a Maze Notebook. However, I’m busy in the shower with soap and all. Aren’t you? Who has time for a Word Search?
6 - Chia Pet Bob Ross with Seed Pack, $20.99
If you can stare at this Chia Pet bust of Bob Ross and not feel happy, you have no heart. His green permed fro is the kind of hilarity every Dirty Santa game needs. But make no mistake…this is not a gag gift. This is pure joy in a box.
7 - Shower Beer Holder, $15.00
How many of you drink beer in the shower?? Apparently, that number is higher than I would have ever imagined. Maybe it’s a time-saver? Maybe people are doing so much scrubbing and cleaning that they work up a hearty thirst? Far be it from me to judge the validity of your need for a beer in the shower, I’m just saying this is one Dirty Santa idea I have NEVER used.
8 - Stainless Steel Drinking Straws, $9.99
We love these because there are a variety of shapes and sizes, but also because of the silicone tips that come with this pack!
9 - Mug, $14.99
Sure, our kitchen cabinets are overflowing with mugs. But your friend could make a little space for this adorable Christmas cup in her kitchen…or maybe at work!
10 - Leather Leaf Earrings, $13.99
This set comes with 9 different colored pairs of earrings. You could even keep a pair just for yourself!
11 - Novelty Socks, $10.99
Functional Dirty Santa gifts are some of the best ones. Who doesn’t wear socks in the winter, right?
12 - T-shirt, $14.99-18.99
Make a statement AND wear clothes. You’re killing ALL the birds with this gift. This shirt is unisex and available in a variety of colors.
13 - Pot Clips, $9.99
Whenever I’m cooking, I am plagued by the desire to NOT make a bigger mess than needed. Don’t use too many utensils. Keep the counters clean. This pot clip could help, right? Your friends may appreciate the assistance this gift will provide.
14 - Fingerless gloves, $8.75
Anything to help keep your friends cozy and warm seems like a win in my Dirty Santa gift book. People normally have gloves, but these handy fingerless gloves are a little more convenient…especially when it comes to managing your phone and camera in the winter.
15 - Wine Wipes, $12.69
Drink your wine, but keep those pearly whites with these convenient wine wipes. They come in a dozen individually wrapped packages. So, these make great travel buddies, too!
16 - Cable Bites, $7.29
These aren’t just cute. They help prevent those annoying frayed power cords on our devices. Choose from a variety of animals. The Nemo is my fave.
17 - 80s & 90s Trivia Game, $15.33
Because this generation needs to know about the sweet awkwardness of the 80’s and 90’s…this Dirty Santa gift is a no brainer.
18 - Luxardo Gourmet Cocktail Cherries, $19.49
This is on the higher end of the price point for a Dirty Santa gift, but this is one holiday gift idea that that is sure to cause a stir during your Dirty Santa gift exchange. If you’ve never had these maraschino cherries before, you haven’t lived. Are cocktails are your thing? Buy an extra jar for yourself this Christmas.
19 - 2021 Bubble Wrap Calendar, $24.95
Mondays at the office won’t be boring anymore! Give the gift of popping through 2021 with this stress-reliever/calendar!
20 - Alcohol Bottle Charm, $8.15
You can’t drink these…unfortunately. But they are cute little key charms for the spirits lover in your life.
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The best 20 Dirty Santa gifts you could buy this year!