Could This BE Any More Thoughtful? Make A Friends Crap Bag

If you’ve ever shouted “PIVOT!” while moving furniture or clapped four times during the Friends theme tune, you’re in the right place.

---

🕒 Time to read: 8 minutes

---

Since its debut in 1994, Friends has become more than just a sitcom, it’s a lifestyle. It’s always on our screens, and in my house, it’s practically a second language. My other half is a self declared Friends superfan (and annoyingly, he’s not wrong). He’s that person who can quote every episode word for word. Handy for pub quizzes. Less handy when you’re just trying to watch in peace.

So, when it came to finding him the perfect gift, I knew it had to be something personal, playful, and packed with Friends references. Enter: the Crap Bag.

Inspired by the hilarious moment when Phoebe changes her name to “Princess Consuela Banana-Hammock” and Mike retaliates by becoming “Crap Bag,” I created a themed goodie bag full of wrapped surprises. Each gift came with a clue, wrapped in lavender paper (Monica’s apartment door vibes, obviously) and labelled with a yellow peephole frame.

The whole thing cost just under £100, but you can totally scale it to suit your budget. One of the gifts was a bit of a splurge at £70, but the rest were affordable and fun. Here’s what I included, and the clues that went with them.

---

Clue 1: The One with Mrs Ross and Mr Rachel

Gift: A mini casino slot machine money box

Las Vegas is the backdrop for one of the most chaotic and hilarious storylines in Friends history. I chose a casino themed money box to represent the wild trip where Ross and Rachel accidentally get married. It’s a cheeky nod to the glitz, the gamble, and the glitter of Vegas.

Episode Reference:

Season 5, Episodes 23 & 24 – The One in Vegas: Part 1 & 2

The gang heads to Vegas to visit Joey on the set of his new movie. After a series of mishaps (including Ross and Rachel drawing on each other’s faces), the two end up drunkenly tying the knot at a 24 hour wedding chapel. As they stumble out, Ross says, “Hello, Mrs Ross,” and Rachel fires back, “Well hello, Mr Rachel!” It’s one of the most quoted lines from the series.

Fun Fact:

The chapel used in the episode is based on a real Las Vegas venue, A Little White Wedding Chapel, famous for celebrity weddings, including Britney Spears’ 55 hour marriage!

---

Clue 2: The One with the Joey Special

Gift: Two jelly sweet pizzas

Joey’s love for food is legendary, and his “Joey Special” (two pizzas) is practically a character in its own right. I wanted something edible and fun, and these jelly pizzas were a sweet twist on his favourite meal.

Episode Reference:

Season 4, Episode 24 & Season 6, Episode 20

Joey, feeling homesick in London, calls Phoebe and says he misses “The Joey Special,” and later, Chandler forgets to tell Joey about an audition, so he brings home two pizzas as a peace offering. Joey forgives him instantly, because pizza fixes everything.

Fun Fact:

In 2021, UK supermarket Iceland launched a real life “Joey Special,” a double decker pizza inspired by Joey’s iconic two pizza order. Available in flavours like Double Decker Pepperoni and BBQ Chicken & Bacon, it was a delicious nod to the Friends fanbase.

---

Clue 3: The One where Later is Not Good Enough

Gift: A magic 8 ball

Ross is often portrayed as a highly strung, overthinking character, and this moment captures his emotional outbursts perfectly. The magic 8 ball is a fun, quirky way to remember Ross’s adult level drama.

Episode Reference:

Season 5, Episode 4 – The One Where Phoebe Hates PBS

Ross is trying to decide whether to stay friends with Rachel after Emily demands he cut ties. He turns to a magic 8 ball for guidance. When it says “ask again later,” Ross yells, “Later is not good enough!” It’s peak Ross.

Fun Fact:

In the uncut DVD version, Monica actually gives the magic 8 ball back to Ross after it incorrectly predicts that Chandler won’t be getting lucky that night. Spoiler: he does. It’s a great little callback for eagle eyed fans.

---

Clue 4: The One with the Claws

Gift: A “You’re My Lobster” keyring

This phrase has become a symbol of true love thanks to Phoebe’s adorable theory. I chose a lobster themed keyring because it’s romantic, meaningful, and instantly recognisable to any Friends fan.

Episode Reference:

Season 2, Episode 14 – The One with the Prom Video

Phoebe explains that lobsters mate for life, and Ross is Rachel’s lobster. When the gang watches the prom video and sees Ross ready to step in as Rachel’s date, she kisses him, and Phoebe squeals, “See? He’s her lobster!”

Fun Fact:

“You’re my lobster” became so iconic it’s now printed on everything from mugs to wedding cards.

---

Clue 5: The One with Chuck or Dick

Gift: Farm animal erasers (chick and duck inspired)

Joey and Chandler’s chick and duck were more than pets, they were part of the family. These cute little erasers are a fun, light hearted nod to their feathery flatmates.

Episode Reference:

Season 3, Episode 23 – The One with Ross’s Thing

Joey and Chandler adopt a chick, then a duck, and hilarity ensues. Later, they joke about what their offspring would be called. Joey suggests “Chuck,” and Chandler deadpans, “Or Dick.” It’s a blink and you miss it moment, but unforgettable for superfans.

Fun Fact:

The animals weren’t originally meant to stick around. The chick and duck were introduced as a one off joke, but the audience loved them so much that the writers decided to keep them as recurring characters. They ended up appearing in over 20 episodes!

---

Clue 6: The One with all the Chocolate you Want

Gift: A Toblerone

Joey’s obsession with food strikes again! I picked a Toblerone because it’s the exact chocolate bar he drools over when Emily arrives straight from the airport to surprise Ross. It’s also a great snack to enjoy while binge watching the show.

Episode Reference:

Season 4, Episode 17 – The One with the Free Porn

Emily is on the phone, and Joey can’t stop staring at her duty free Toblerone. He finally interrupts her call to ask if he can have it. She snaps, “Yes, Joey, you can have all the chocolate you want. Just take it!”

Fun Fact:

That scene was partly improvised, Matt LeBlanc was just having fun with the prop!

---

Clue 7: The One where it’s All Relative

Gift: A homemade Friends trivia quiz

This quiz is legendary. I recreated it so my other half could test his knowledge, and maybe win back an imaginary apartment. It’s a fun, interactive gift that any Friends fan will love.

Episode Reference:

Season 4, Episode 12 – The One with the Embryos

Ross hosts a trivia game to decide who knows who better: Monica and Rachel or Joey and Chandler. The stakes? Their apartment. The category “It’s All Relative” is one of the rounds. Spoiler: Monica and Rachel lose.

Fun Fact:

“Transponster” isn’t a real word, but it kind of is now. Thanks to Rachel’s hilarious guess, the term has made its way into pop culture and even Urban Dictionary, where it’s defined as “an office job not clearly defined as one role or responsibility.”

---

Clue 8: The One at the Coffee House

Gift: Central Perk LEGO set

Central Perk is more than a coffee shop, it’s the heart of the show. This LEGO set is a collector’s dream, packed with tiny details and mini figures of the gang. It’s a splurge, but worth every penny for a true fan.

Episode Reference:

Season 10, Episode 18 – The Last One: Part 2

In the final scene, Rachel suggests they get one last coffee. Chandler replies, “Where?”, a line that’s both funny and poignant. Why? Because the Central Perk set had already been dismantled to build the airport set. A bittersweet goodbye to the place where it all happened.

Fun Fact:

The orange couch in Central Perk was found in the Warner Bros. studio basement. It wasn’t custom made, it was just sitting there, waiting to become iconic.

Bonus Fun Fact:

James Michael Tyler, who played Gunther, was originally just an extra. He got the role because he knew how to operate an espresso machine, something none of the main cast could do!

---

👉 Here’s your chance to create the ultimate themed crap bag! Grab the FREE printables to get started:

• Peep Hole Clue Gift Tag – Add a mystery twist to your bag!
• Peep Hole Gift Bag Label – Because every crap bag deserves a proper label.
• Peep Hole Trivia Quiz Questions: It’s All Relative Edition – Test your guests’ Friends knowledge!

---

Let’s Keep the Party Going!

If you loved this post, you’ll definitely want to check out my other Friends themed guide packed with ideas, from themed snacks to iconic quotes, and yes, cups and ice are included.