Organizing a Gift Exchange is easy, fun, and free! The instructions are here to see how it's done.
✨ Organizing an Elfster Gift Exchange is a piece of (fruit)cake! ✨
It’s easy, fun, and free! Our helpful elves have put together simple instructions to show you how it’s done. Elfster is a FREE Gift Exchange website that takes the hassle out of holiday planning. Our Secret Santa Exchanges add extra cheer to Christmas, holidays, and birthdays so you can spend less time organizing and more time celebrating! 🎄🎁
✨ Elf Tip: With an Elfster Draw Now Exchange, participants’ names are drawn immediately by the organizer, making it quick and easy to get started! You can even add participants without needing their emails, making this perfect for groups like classrooms or offices.
Note: Since participants won’t have accounts, they won’t be able to create Wishlists or view their draw themselves. The organizer will handle everything, including managing the draws! Ideal for when you want to keep things simple and fun! 🪄
✨WARNING- If you undraw names for any reason, you will have to enter emails before redrawing!
Get started today by creating a Gift Exchange and let the gift-giving magic begin! 🎅🎉
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If you don’t have an Elfster account, you’ll be prompted for some basic information.
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If you are already logged into your Elfster account, you'll be able to start creating the Gift Exchange right away.
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You can invite any number of people, including an odd number!
✨ Elf Tip: To easily create a repeat Elfster Gift Exchange with the same people, select This group has used Elfster before and then choose a previous Exchange from the drop-down menu under Choose an Exchange.
How to Create an Elfster Gift Exchange
Select either This group is new to Elfster or This group has used Elfster before
If you have done an Elfster Gift Exchange in the past, you will see the screen Let the good times roll (again!)
If you have never set up an Elfster Gift Exchange you'll go straight to Let's Get this Party Started
Select Your Role: Are you joining in on the fun or just organizing it? Either way, you’re the star of this show!
Add Your Elfster Friends: You can easily add your Elfster Friends to the exchange—no elf left behind!
The More, the merrier: Next, enter the names of any other friends you’d like to join the holiday fun.
Enter the Gifting Details:
Name Your Exchange: Give your gift exchange a name and set the date—it’s time to get this party started! 🎉
Sending Gifts by Mail? (optional): Choose whether you’d like to collect addresses for mailing purposes—just in case those gifts need to travel!
Set the Budget and Add a Note: Set a budget for your exchange and add any special rules or notes to keep things festive and fun.
Personalize with a Picture: On the next page, pick a picture for your exchange or upload your own—make it as merry and bright as you’d like!
Inviting Guests: If you’re starting with an existing exchange, you’ll see the list of previous guests available to invite or edit. Starting fresh? No problem—you’ll be able to invite new guests from scratch!
And there you have it! Your Elfster gift exchange is all set to spread holiday cheer! 🎄✨
📝 Gift Exchanges through the mail will require participants to enter their mailing addresses so the person who draws them will know where to send their gift. 📝
Inviting Everyone to the Elfster Gift Exchange
Inviting everyone is easy! There are several ways to invite:
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Enter names and email addresses.
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Invite your Elfster friends.
- Share the link via Text or Social Media
Bonus of these two options: We keep track of the invitations and send your participants a reminder 📥 if they forget to RSVP.
Copy the invitation link to share on social media or send a text invite or share the link through any app on your phone if you're using the website on your phone or if you're using our iOS or Android app.
📝 Organizers are automatically included in each Elfster Gift Exchange. If you want to just organize and not be included in the draw check the No, I'm just organizing the fun box under “Are you participating?” when you create the Gift Exchange. You can also change your RSVP any time before names are drawn under the Participants header on the Gift Exchange homepage. 📝
👍 One Final Note:
There's no limit to the number of Elfster Gift Exchanges you can host at once, but we do recommend updating the Gift Exchange picture so that each one is easily recognizable