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During the holiday season, we love to find ways to celebrate the season with friends. However, when you have a large group of friends like we do, it can be overwhelming to think you have to get a gift for all of them. That’s where a Christmas gift exchange comes in. It’s the perfect way to host friends and gift them with something this holiday season.
Our favorite part about hosting a gift exchange is choosing a theme. It makes the gift exchange more intentional to the group you’re doing it with. We thought it would be fun to share some of the gift exchange ideas we’ve participated in and threw in a few fun ones based on gifts that are trendy this year. Keep scrolling to pick which theme you’d like to try with your friends this year.
More Holiday Party Ideas:
Gift Exchange Essentials
To start and facilitate the exchange, we find it super simple to use the Gift Exchange Dice (from Target) or download Printable Gift Exchange Cards.
Christmas Gift Exchange Cards
Santa Swap Dice
1. Labubu Exchange
Popmart’s Labubu Monsters are the hottest gift this year — for young kids and adults. We can only imagine how fun this would be!
For this exchange, have your friends purchase a Labubu or other PopMart toy within a certain price range. Decide how the gift exchange will go beforehand, and by the end of it, everyone will have a Popmart item to take home.
2. Jellycat Exchange
Jellycats were just as popular a toy amongst teenagers and adults alike. The adorable, food-inspired stuffed animals have fascinated multiple generations into collecting the items and connecting to their inner child.
To host a Jellycat gift exchange, everyone will purchase and bring one Jellycat (wrapped—of course). By the end of the night, they will go home with an adorable, plush addition to their home.
Cloud Jellycat
Cheese Fondue Jellycat
3. Bakeware Exchange
If your friends love to cook or bake, then a bakeware exchange is a perfect theme to try this holiday season. You can decide to choose the type of item you want to exchange (oven mats, baking pans, or aprons), or you could cap gift spending to a certain amount for your friends to choose an item they love.
Some bakeware items that make great gift exchange gifts are a baking stone dish, a pie dish, oven mist, baking spices, or baking utensils.
The Latte Pie Dish
Farmhouse White Pancake Warmer
4. Candle Exchange
Who doesn’t love a delicious-scented candle? We absolutely love the idea of a candle exchange during the holiday season. From gingerbread cookies to peppermint and pine notes, there are so many cozy scents to choose from.
Cinnamon Swirl Candle
Half Baked Gingerbread Smash Candle
5. Ornament Exchange
Every year, our mom would host an ornament exchange with all of our friends. It was one of our favorite traditions, because at the end of the party, everyone would go home with a new ornament to put on their tree. Plus, it’s even more fun when you pull them out over the years and remember the memory attached to it.
Everything Bagel Ornament
Espresso Glass Ornament
6. Coffee Mug Exchange
Whether your friends drink coffee or tea, there’s always a reason to add one more coffee mug to your collection. There are so many adorable designs and endless possibilities for what type of mug everyone will get. Plus, it’ll be a practical gift they can pull out for their coffee bar year after year.
Holiday in the City Mug
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Santa Mug
7. Cookie Jar Exchange
We are suckers for an adorable cookie jar, and think that a cookie jar gift exchange would be such a unique party to host for the Christmas season. Everything from adorable Santa-shaped jars, Gingerbread houses, and even a gorgeous Mackenzie Child’s cookie jar — there are so many great options.
Gingerbread Cookie Jar
Mackenzie-Childs Check Cookie Jar
8. Book or Cookbook Exchange
Depending on your friend group, you can decide what kind of book swap you’d like to try this year. If you choose to do a book swap, you could select a specific genre (holiday books, romance, mystery, biography, etc.). However, if you decide your friends would be more into a cookbook swap, everyone could bring a wrapped cookbook to give as a gift for the exchange.
Sweet Tooth Cookbook
Go-To Dinners Cookbook
9. Sweater Exchange
Whether it’s an ugly sweater or a stylish, cozy sweater you’re exchanging, your friends are going to absolutely love it. Decide which type of sweater and price range you’d like your friends to abide by, and then it’s time for the fun stop — the official swap.
10. Blanket Exchange
We don’t travel anywhere around the house without our blanket in the winter, so having a warm and cozy blanket for the holiday season sounds like an amazing gift exchange theme to us. If you want to keep the gift exchange with a smaller budget, shop at stores like Target or Home Goods. For a more luxe gift exchange, shop Anthropologie’s cozy fur blankets or Lola Blankets.
The Sophie Faux Fur Throw Blanket
Lola Blanket
11. Cookie Exchange
Cookie exchanges are the most fun during the holiday season. Rather than swapping gifts in a circle like you normally would, a cookie exchange is open to everyone to explore direct flavors and recipes.
Have everyone come with a batch of their favorite Christmas cookies, display them on your kitchen island or dining table, and have everyone fill their plates with the cookies they’d like to try. At the end of the night, if there are leftovers, everyone can take a plate home with them to enjoy for days afterwards.
12. Icon Glass Exchange
Icon glasses have grown in popularity over the past year. We love Anthropologie’s collection, because they have thought of every niche to sell to. Whether you choose a Christmas tree icon glass, a pickle ball icon glass, or a croissant icon glass, each one is so adorable. Your friends will absolutely LOVE this idea!
Dog Icon Juice Glass
Reindeer Festive Icon Glass
13. Pajama Exchange
A festive set of cozy pajamas during the holiday season always seems to make the time sweeter. A Christmas pajama gift exchange would be such a fun party to throw with your friends. There are so many adorable holiday PJs and sleep sets to choose from — we gathered a list of our favorites HERE.
Red Plaid Flannel Pajamas
Long Sleep Set in Brick
14. “As Seen on TV” Gift Exchange
Okay, how fun would an “As Seen on TV” gift exchange be? We can only imagine all the unique and crazy items everyone would buy. You could be as practical or sarcastic with this theme as you’d like. After all, it’s all about having fun and making memories with your friends.
Get As Seen on TV product ideas HERE.
15. Gift Card Exchange
Lastly, a gift card exchange is always a fun surprise. Have everyone bring their one gift card with a nominal amount of money. Make sure each card is wrapped before the gift exchange begins. It’s always fun to see what places everyone chooses — whether it’s a local coffee shop, restaurant, or retailer. There are endless gift card possibilities. Plus, it’s an easy item that everyone can easily pick up.
