Ideas for Drawing Names for Christmas

Drawing names for Christmas is a good way to save money on gifts.

Drawing names at Christmas is an excellent idea for extended families or groups of co-workers. Rather than attempting to buy lots of smaller gifts for many people, drawing a name allows you to buy one nice gift for just one person, and know that you will receive one nice gift in return. Drawing names should be done in early December, or can be done in person at Thanksgiving if most of the participants are together.

Who's In?

Find out who wants to participate. Don't enter anyone into the gift exchange unless they have said they want to be a part of it, and will do so willingly. Some family members or co-workers may prefer to buy a small gift for everyone anyway, or keep up prior traditions of homemade gifts, and they should not be forced to be a part of it if they do not want to.

Have a Captain

Elect one family member to be in charge of the name drawing. If the participants have the chance to be together, names can be written on a simple slip of paper, folded and pulled from a hat or bowl. The person who organizes the names must be careful that everyone is included and that no one is missed, and that each name is only written one time. Be sure to include last names if there are duplicate names, and include suffixes such as "junior" if there is the potential for any confusion. After everyone has drawn a name, they should quietly approach the organizer and show her the slip of paper so that she can write down who has whom, in case someone forgets later. If the family or group cannot be together until Christmas, the organizer should draw the names on behalf of the participants, and email the results to each individual.

Price Range

Establish a price point for the gifts. Establishing a price point is important, so that hurt feelings do not result. The set amount, such as $50 or $100, should be a minimum as well as a maximum, although it is OK if the price varies just a little bit from the set point.

Rules

Create a few simple rules and inform all the participants. For example, you may want to make a rule that the giver may not contact the recipient for gift ideas, in order to keep the results of the draw a surprise. You may also want to establish a policy on whether giving gift cards or gift certificates is permissible. You may also want to establish a theme such as "homemade Christmas" or "classic Christmas." You should also state whether joke or gag gifts are permissible.

References

• "Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen"; Georgeanne Brennan; 2009
• "The Ultimate Guide to Great Gift Ideas"; Jamie Shaffer; 2009
• "Best of Christmas Ideas (Better Homes & Gardens Crafts)"; Better Homes & Gardens; 2009