Best Secret Santa present ideas

Written on 22nd November 2018

Ideas for the best Secret Santa presents for all budgets

Our gift generator tool shows you ideas for different ages and hobbies and only suggests items that (subject to change…) are under £20. For most of your Christmas presents, that is perfect as you shouldn’t need to spend a lot on presents otherwise the festive season can become terrifyingly expensive. However, there are a few exceptions where that price range isn’t appropriate. One scenario where this will probably apply is for Secret Santa presents. Every year offices, friends and families across the country (and world) do the traditional Secret Santa allocation and I’m pretty sure that in most of these, there is someone who picks a name out of a hat and has absolutely no idea what to buy. That might be because they simply don’t know the person that well so have no idea what they will like, or because the limit might be low enough to question what you can possibly get for that figure that shows some imagination. Yes you could get a nice little box of simple chocolates, but it’s not particularly fun is it? Also, you could get something that is so boring it is verging on offensive and frankly you would probably wish they had saved the money and not bothered. Like in 2016 when the Secret Santa present I got was pot pourri… Moving on… we have some present ideas below perfect for Secret Santa that show you don’t need to be best mates with someone to get them something they will like. We’ve separated the ideas into different price categories so depending on what spend limit you have, you won’t be stuck for choice. Fingers crossed this helps you to find the best presents for your colleagues this Christmas and will help you win the unofficial and unspoken title of ‘Best Secret Santa’ that we all know everyone is competing for.  

£5 or less

Let’s be frank - £5 is a tough budget to have. While inflation keeps going up, there are still many people who have been given a £5 spend limit every year for the past decade. It is great to keep it low and it is a fun challenge, but it is also really really hard. We did A LOT of searching to come up with these ideas and for some you will may need a bit of explanation in the card to either show the humour or avoid unintentional implications.  

1. Travel sleep mask - £4 - for the person who overslept that one time, and no one will ever let them forget it
2. Pack Of Five Message Beanstalk Seeds - £3 - for the gardener. You even have a little bit of money leftover to splash out on a tiny pot
3. Kidz Labs Pocket Volcano - £3.75 - this is an absolute bargain and could be suitable for so many people - the curious, the pranksters etc
4. John Lewis & Partners Who Is It? Travel Game - £4 - for the person who spends most of their lunchbreaks or evenings on their phone - a good way to get them to switch off!
5. John Lewis & Partners Harmonica - £4 - you may regret this one but a good present for someone who loves music but can’t play an actual instrument...
6. John Lewis & Partners Baby Lion Terry Back Dribble Bibs - £3 - for the new parent or person who once had to go buy a new top because they got half their lunch on their shirt

£5-10

A bit more wiggle room but still limited for choice. There are some options here that allow you to be a bit quirky - personally, I’m looking at this present finder list and thinking they would make good stocking fillers or even back-ups for those people who get you presents you didn’t anticipate and you need to quickly reciprocate.  

1. Lego coloured pencils with toppers - £7 - there is always someone who loves lego. Or is that just me?
2. Silentnight Soft Like Down Pair of Pillows - £7.33 - who doesn’t like a good night’s sleep on a lovely soft pillow? Plus - extra points for size of present.
3. Shuffle Monopoly Deal Card Game - £6.99 - you can probably play this 10 times in the time it would take to play one standard game of Monopoly. Lots of fun, travel size and most people like Monopoly so will like this
4. I Love Cats Pin Badge - £9 - for the cat lover. Small and cute enough not to imply you think they a cat obsessive
5. Confound Shark Mug - £10 - an indie brand and cool print to jazz up the tea and coffee breaks
6. Grow Your Own Beer Mini Plant Kit - £7.50 - suitable for most people even if they’re not beer drinkers, just for the novelty!

 

£10-15

A few extra pounds and suddenly you can stretch that money a bit further. Don’t go overboard on trying to make it look like a substantial present as it is still tough, but you definitely have more options. These gift ideas can also allow you to push the comedy side of the present, which if you’re buying for a colleague who you didn’t even know you worked with until you plucked their name out of the hat, could really save you.    

1. NOW TV Stick with 2 Months Sky Cinema and 1 Day Sport Pass - £14.99 - for the movie buff. For the budget, this looks like incredibly good value for money and is sure to be appreciated
2. Gold Standard Pre Workout Shake - Lemonade - £14.99 - for the gym bunny or person who has set a new year’s resolution to run a marathon. Find a fitting Beyonce Lemonade reference or lyric to go inside the card
3. Personalised Dog Mug For Dog Mum - £14.99 - for the dog lover. We don’t think this has to be for a woman too, and it could even be funnier if the recipient is male!
4. My Daily Agenda | Notepad - £10.50 - for the person who can be a bit scatterbrained
5. Quiz Quoz: The Trivia Board Game for Everyone - £15 - it says it is everyone so there you go
6. 5 Large Vintage Victorian Pick & Mix Sweet Shop Candy Buffet Kit Party Pack - £14.99 - for the person with a sweet tooth. And who you hope will share

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