The PR Creative Digital Editable White Elephant Invitation is a Canva template that includes a 1080x1920 phone version for texting and a 5x7 printable, both in an elegant navy and gold design. All text is editable with a free Canva account. It comes with a free 18-page party planner printable and a free party planner web app for tracking guests, gifts and the party budget.
Printing, addressing and mailing invitations for a casual gift exchange is a lot of work, and most of your guests live on their phones anyway. Texting your White Elephant invitation is faster, cheaper and easier to follow up on. Here's how to do it so the invite looks polished on a phone screen, plus what to write in the message and how to keep track of who's coming.
Why text a White Elephant invitation?
- It's instant. Guests get it in seconds, and you can send it the same day you design it.
- RSVPs come back faster. People reply to texts much sooner than to mailed cards.
- Group chats keep everyone in the loop. Reminders, gift limit questions and "what are you bringing?" banter all happen in one place.
- It's free. No postage, no printing, no running out of envelopes.
Get the image size right
This is where many evites go wrong. A standard 5x7 invitation is designed for paper. On a phone it shows up small, with the text too tiny to read without zooming.
For texting, use a tall, phone-shaped image: 1080 x 1920 pixels (a 9:16 ratio, the same shape as a phone screen and an Instagram Story). The invite fills the screen when guests tap it, and the details stay readable.
Save it as a PNG or JPG, not a PDF. Images open right inside the message thread, while PDFs make guests download a file.
Step by step: from template to group text
- Edit your invitation. Add the date, time, address, gift limit and RSVP details. In Canva you can do this on your phone or computer.
- Download the phone version as a PNG or JPG.
- Send a test to yourself first. Check that the text is readable and nothing important is cut off.
- Choose group text or individual messages. A group text is great for close friends. Individual texts are better for mixed groups, like neighbors or friends who don't know each other, so you don't start a 30-person reply-all.
- Send the image with a short message (examples below).
- Send a reminder a week before, and again the day before.
What to write in the text message
The image carries the details. The message just needs to be friendly and point to the RSVP.
"You're invited! 🎁 White Elephant gift exchange at our place on Dec 12th. All the details are in the invite. Let me know if you can make it by Dec 1st!"
"Save the date! Our annual White Elephant is back. Bring a wrapped gift under $25 and your best stealing strategy. RSVP by Dec 1st 😉"
"Friendly reminder: White Elephant is this Saturday at 6:30! Don't forget your wrapped gift (under $25). See you there 🎄"
Tracking RSVPs and gifts without an app
You don't need a paid evite service to stay organized. Keep a simple guest list and mark replies as they come in, so you know how many gifts, chairs and plates to plan for. For a White Elephant, the guest count matters even more, because one gift per guest keeps the game fair.
A party planner helps here. You can track the guest list, menu, budget, shopping list and even a gift tracker in one spot, instead of scrolling back through texts.
Want to print a few, too?
Even if you text most invitations, it's nice to print a handful, such as for a grandparent who doesn't text or a neighbor's mailbox. That's why it helps to have both a 5x7 printable and a phone version of the same design.
An evite-ready White Elephant template
If you'd rather not build an invitation from scratch, the Editable White Elephant Invitation, Canva Gift Exchange Invite and Evite comes ready for texting. It includes a 1080x1920 phone version and a 5x7 printable in an elegant navy and gold design, with gold-wrapped gifts, pine branches, string lights and a gold elephant. You edit the text in Canva with a free account, download it, and send.
It also comes with two free bonuses that help with the RSVP-tracking problem above: an 18-page Ultimate Party Planner printable and a party planner web app with a guest list, gift tracker, menu planner, budget and shopping list. The web app needs no account, no login and no subscription.
The bottom line
Texting your White Elephant invitation saves time and gets faster replies, as long as the invite is sized for a phone. Use a 1080x1920 image, keep the message short, set an RSVP date, and track replies in one place. Then all that's left is the gift-stealing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size should a text message invitation be?
1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16), saved as a PNG or JPG, so it fills the phone screen and stays readable.
Can I text a 5x7 invitation instead?
You can, but it will look small on a phone screen. A phone-sized version is easier to read.
Do I need a paid evite service to send a White Elephant invitation?
No. You can text an image invitation for free and track RSVPs with a simple guest list or party planner.
Does this template include a phone version?
Yes. It includes a 1080x1920 phone version for texting plus a 5x7 printable, both editable in Canva.