White Elephant gift exchanges are a fun holiday activity - everyone brings a low-cost, unique gift and the games begin! While there are official rules, there's no wrong way to play the game. 

As legend has it, the term "white elephant" originates in the Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand). When a king was displeased with one of his subjects, he would give them a rare albino elephant, an expensive gift to maintain that could drive a person into bankruptcy. Due to the sacred nature of these white elephants (more of a dark pink color) they were not allowed to be applied to manual labor, making them expensive and useless - thus the white elephant gift exchange was born.

With the holidays on the way (where did October go?!) we put together our favorite white elephant gift ideas available in our store!

 

Gnome Be Gone Cowboy with Lasso by Fred Conlon

 

Here's a fun gift - each item is handcrafted out of recycled materials.Uh oh! Someone was messing with your garden again! Fret not! The Gnome Be Gone Cowboy with Lasso by Sugarpost is here with everything he needs to help! This charming monster comes equipped with his own lasso so he can help wrangle up any pesky gnomes that might be digging in your garden!

 

Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park Bat Canned Critter

 

 

While exploring the 3,000 acres of land at the Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park in Whitehall, Montana you saw a lot of amazing things. However, nothing can compare to the adorable little residents found in the Lewis and Clark Caverns. The Townsend's Big-Eared Bat is one of best parts about visiting the Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park and a part of you wished you could bring one home. Well, now you can with the Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park Bat Canned Critter!

 

Who Pooped in the Park? Yellowstone National Park by Gary D. Robson

The first book in the ‘Who Pooped’ series, this fun and child-friendly adventure gives a way of identifying animals within the greater Yellowstone area via the scats and tracks of those creatures. Perfect for the nature loving family, this book will introduce your kiddo to the wonderful world of … poop!

 

Navy Black Bear Flag Montana T-Shirt

 

During a search and rescue we need all the help we can get including help from the locals. . . even the bears. The Navy Black Bear Flag Montana T-Shirt is a great reminder of all the hard work the search and rescue teams do. The t-shirt has fun little details throughout the design from the search and rescue patch to the American flag in the background.

The Navy Black Bear Flag Montana T-Shirt will be a great shirt for anyone on your Montana gift wish list. The Montana t-shirt will be a great to have when you need some bear in your life.

 

Pembroke Welsh Corgi Ornament by Old World Christmas

Who doesn't love corgis? The Pembroke Welsh Corgi Ornament by Old World Christmas captures the specifics of this breed in all their glistening glory - from the fuzzy ears to the distinct markings, these precious pooches look just like the real deal! Add a little puppy-love to your Christmas tree!

 

Moose Droppings Chocolate Covered Almonds by Huckleberry Haven

Moose Droppings Chocolate Covered Almonds make great gag gifts or on-the-go treats for chocolate lovers. Open a bag of these fun little droppings and enjoy them bite after bite, they will be a winner on your list of chocolate snack foods! 

 

 

 

 

By Zach Altman