Gag Gifts Under $20
A good gag gift is cheap, quick and makes someone laugh out loud before they figure out who sent it. These are our favorites: classic, a little weird, and easy on the wallet. Share Some Fun!
How we make money: Clown O Grams sells the letter at #1. We don't get paid for the other picks on this page. If we add affiliate links later, we'll say so right here. We pick items on our own, and prices change, so check the retailer before you buy.
A Clown O Gram letter ($7.99)
Yes, this is our own product, and yes, we put it first. A real letter shows up in their actual mailbox with a giant clown on it, plus your message (up to 120 characters). Sign it or stay anonymous. US postage included, so it's a gag gift you never have to wrap or ship.
Best for: long-distance friends, coworkers, anyone who deserves to be clowned. Tighter budget? The Mini Classic is $5.99.
Send a Clown O GramA classic whoopee cushion
The oldest joke in the book still works, mostly because nobody checks the chair anymore. Cheap, reusable, and somehow funnier at a serious meeting.
Best for: Coworkers, siblings, anyone who sits down too confidently
A rubber chicken
No setup, no explanation, no defense. Hand it over with a straight face and walk away. The squeaker versions are louder than they have any right to be.
Best for: The friend who has everything
Archie McPhee Yodelling Pickle
A plastic pickle that yodels when you press a button. That's it. That's the gift. It will be in their desk drawer for a decade.
Best for: Office desks, white-elephant swaps
Archie McPhee Canned Unicorn Meat
A tin labeled as unicorn meat, sparkles and all. Looks great on a pantry shelf, confuses houseguests forever.
Best for: Fantasy fans, pantry pranksters
Archie McPhee Squirrel Underpants
Tiny underpants for the squirrels in your yard. Yes, really. Whether a squirrel ever wears them is between the recipient and the squirrel.
Best for: Bird-feeder people, backyard philosophers
A Prank-O fake gift box
Wrap a real gift inside a box for a ridiculous fake product. The double take when they read the box is the whole show.
Best for: Birthdays, Secret Santa, anyone who shakes their presents
A toilet golf putting set
A tiny putting green that hangs off the toilet. It turns the most private room in the house into a sports venue. The Arena would approve.
Best for: Golf dads, the bathroom-reading crowd
Accoutrements bacon bandages
Adhesive bandages printed to look like strips of bacon. Every scraped knee becomes breakfast.
Best for: Clumsy friends, kids, bacon loyalists
Wind-up chattering teeth
Wind them up, set them on a desk and leave. The clatter does the rest. A classic for a reason.
Best for: Retro-joke fans, that one uncle
Want more laughs? Read Odd News, our funny true stories, each linked to the outlets that reported them.