The office prankster. It’s a title that an elite few in every 
office obtain. But how do you become one of them? And, most importantly, how do you reach that status while keeping your technical consulting contract intact? We’ll give you tips on how to become the office clown without endagering your employment in today’s post.
Keeping Your Contract
The three biggest things to remember when initiating office pranks is to: not cross boundaries, not cause disruptions, and to not use this as an opportunity to get back at a less than amiable coworker.
Additionally, you need to think carefully about the consequences of your prank, especially when it is at the expense of your boss. Tread especially carefully there; the sought-after ‘office clown’ title isn’t worth losing your contract over.
Start Pranking
So now that you know the fight-club rules of office pranking, you can get started. We’ve got a list of office pranks to get your imagination off and running.
1) Cover The Office: Saran Wrap Edition
One time in college, my friend wrapped his roommates’ stuff in plastic saran wrap. Everything was covered – bed, dresser, you name it. It was an impressive sight and is an idea you can certainly use in the office.
Take tin foil or saran wrap and cover everything in a coworker’s cubicle or office. Don’t leave anything unwrapped. The desk, the chair, the computer, the office supplies. Get everything. Who knew that stuff had uses outside of leftovers?
2) Cover the Office: Post-It Note Edition
You can also do this with Post-It notes. You’d need a lot of these little guys, as well as a lengthy amount of time and patience. Post-It Note the entire office – the walls, the desk, the office supplies, and even the floor. It’s an instant color change, without paint, to a cubicle or office.
3) Turn Everything Upside Down
Wait until you’re one of the only, if not the only, IT consultant left in the office. Pick a coworker and then turn everything in their office upside down. Papers, wall hangings, furniture. They won’t know what hit them the next morning.
4) The Cardboard Replica
If you’re artistically inclined, you can make cardboard replicas of office supplies. That’s right. Take cereal boxes and turn them into phones, staplers and even computers. Use the bigger boxes for desks and chairs. Remove all of the real furniture from an office/cubicle and put these replicas in.
5) The Cube
Take a wall from someone else’s cubicle and make it the fourth wall of another coworker’s. This gives a whole new meaning to working in a cube-icle.
6) Balloon/Peanut Pit
Saran wrap the fourth side of someone’s cubicle. Once it’s sealed off, fill it with balloons. Or packing peanuts (though I have to say, you’re a spiteful one if you do that). They’ll have to cut through the saran wrap and remove all the peanuts or balloons before they can sit down.
7) Jell-O
Take a mouse or coffee cup, put in jell-o and let it set. Place it on someone’s desk while removing his or her working mouse or normal coffee cup. Watch what happens. It’s priceless.
8) The Phone
Have a coworker who is always on the phone? Take their phone and rubber band it completely. Crisscross those bands for extra protection. This ensures they won’t be able to pick up, dial, or check their voicemail for a couple of minutes. And the commentary as they try to get the bands off? Sure to be entertaining.
9) The Mouse
Take a small Post-It note or piece of tape and place it on the bottom of a coworker’s mouse. Watch them try to get it to work by zooming it around, clicking, and slamming it. They’re a technical consultant too, no? Give them a hard time afterwards for being so technically inclined but not thinking of something so simple.
10) The Office Sick Day
If you working in a small office, get your coworkers together. Individually, call your boss and give him/her a reason that you won’t be in today – a day that happens to be the first day of work for a new employee. This means, it will seem like your boss and the new employee will be the only ones in on that day. Awkward.
Don’t worry. You’re not really leaving the new person alone with your boss all day. All of you then need to gather outside of your office and walk in together.
Hopefully, you’re only doing this one if your boss has a tremendous sense of humor. If they don’t, I wouldn’t quite advise this one. Though … could they really fire a WHOLE office?
11) For the Golfer
Got a coworker who’s really into golf? Take turf and put it on their desk and chairs. They might not have any room to work, but at least they’ll be in their own little golf oasis.
12) The Voice Activated Printer
You’ll need to get the boss in on this one. Send a company-wide e-mail stating that you’ve got a new printer that works on voice-command. Even give them directions on how to use it. Sit back and laugh as you watch people start talking to the printer. How long do you think it will take them to realize?
13) Keyboard Mappings
Did someone just get up and leave their computer unguarded? Change their keyword settings to Wingdings. It’ll take them a while to undo that one.
14) The Vacant Machine
Going off of that last prank, capitalize on the vacant machine. When your coworker leaves their computer unlocked while at the bathroom, take the opportunity to send a company-wide e-mail about the pizza party in his office at 2. Or the free stuff he’s trying to give away. Don’t forget the cell phone number of course.
15) Toothpaste Filled Oreos
Sometimes, I don’t think we’ve gotten past Kindergarten where Oreos were the best.thing.ever. Take a pack of Oreos, scrape out the filling, and replace it with toothpaste. Watch your coworkers’ expressions as they realize what you’ve done.
16) Reverse Prank
Did someone just pull the Oreo prank on you? Pull the Holy Grail of pranks – the reverse prank. Once someone pranks you, prank him or her back with his or her own prank. Explain to him/her that your colleague who went home at lunch is sick due to a fluoride allergy.
If you pull a couple of these, you’ll surely be known as the office prankster. Don’t forget to mix it up and always remember to keep the boundary between a prank and being inappropriate.
What are some of the office pranks you’ve pulled? Which have worked the best for you? What are the ones that everyone can see through? Let us know in the comments section below or join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn!
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Thanks to adriangarcia, disterics, and williac for the use of their photographs.
Other thanks go to entrepeneur.com, huffingtonpost.com, and khlconsulting.com for prank ideas!
