Celebrity Neil Patrick Harris's White Elephant Rules Change the Gifting Game By Olivia Bahou Olivia Bahou Facebook Olivia Solomon is a New York-based writer and editor who covers all things fashion, lifestyle, celebrity, and pop culture. She was previously the Assistant Digital Editor for InStyle, and her work has appeared in many national publications. InStyle's editorial guidelines Updated on November 3, 2017 @ 10:00AM Pin Share Tweet Email What’s the secret to a successful holiday party? According to Neil Patrick Harris, it needs a killer punch and a great gift exchange. In the video at top, NPH tells InStyle his best (and naughtiest) holiday party hosting tips, including his unique rules for a white elephant exchange. “We use two decks of cards, and you have matching cards in the two decks, a red deck and a blue deck,” he says in the video. “When it’s time to do the gift exchange, you shuffle up the other deck and you just draw a card. So whoever has the seven of spades will come up and they’ll grab a gift.” Martin Schoeller/Art + Commerce “So every gift is always in play, but only once per round. I highly recommend these rules. They’ve been very effective, and they cause the least amount of upset and the most amount of exciting game play. You’re welcome,” he jokes. These Pictures of Celebrities Being Adorable Dads Will Make You Squeal Watch the video at top for more of his hosting tips, including his (hilariously) lude holiday cookies. For more from Neil Patrick Harris, pick up the December issue of InStyle, available on newsstands and for digital download on Nov. 10.