We at InventHelp love a good prank, especially when it comes wrapped up with a bow!

Maybe you have an older brother who played too many tricks on you as a kid, or an uncle who’s made you the butt of family jokes every Christmas. If so, GotchaBoxes just might be your ticket to payback.

GotchaBoxes, sold by online satire fake-news outlet The Onion, are decoy gift boxes made to look like strange and useless gadgets. The exterior of the boxes are splashed with flashy, tongue-in-cheek ad copy. When the gift recipient opens the box, she or he (if manners are intact) must awkwardly pretend to fawn over the gift. You, of course, smile sweetly and ask how they like it.

Consider the Peaceful Progression Smoke Alarm, featuring sounds of the rain forest. “Awake to your next fire calm and refreshed!,” boasts the cheerful box. Of course, this idea is not only illogical, it’s downright dangerous. Or the USB Toaster, which allows your computer to toast a single slice of bread. “Don’t be tethered to the kitchen! Take your toast…to go!”

Inventor Arik Nordby, a graphic designer from Minnesota, got the idea in 2004 after a birthday party for a friend’s young son. The boy was visibly dismayed when a toy came wrapped in a box for a coffee pot. Nordby saw huge prankster potential in the invention, and eventually The Onion came on board. The Onion sells the boxes for $7.99 apiece, or $19.99 for a set of four.

Since you don’t want to be a total Grinch, you can put a real present inside of the gag box. Unless, of course, your prank target has been a bad boy or girl this year!

Related InventHelp posts:

1. Eel Power – Japanese Inventor Uses Eel to Light Holiday Tree
2. InventHelp Holiday Tip #3 – Ideas for Procrastinators
3. InventHelp Holiday Gift Tip #2: Best Invention for Heath Nuts
4. InventHelp Holiday Gift Guide Tip #1 – Best Gadget for a Jet-Setter
5. InventHelp Warns: Gift Cards are Risky Business