Secret Santa may just be the most daunting tradition of the festive season. While it’s great to receive a present in return, brainstorming good Secret Santa gifts for people you don’t really know can be a nightmare. Buying Christmas gifts for friends and family is hard enough, but Secret Santa often leaves people buying gifts that the receiver would never use in a million years.
Luckily, there are plenty of perfect Secret Santa gifts in the UK for coworkers, acquaintances, and other people you don’t know from a bar of soap. Unique, creative, and thoughtful, the best Secret Santa gifts would make anyone smile. And the best part? Loads of them cost less than £10! Keep reading below for our list of the top Secret Santa gifts under (and over!) £10.
1. Best Secret Santa Gifts for Under £10
Novelty Desk Plaque
A funny Secret Santa idea
A funny Secret Santa gift goes a long way. Your work friends and colleagues will be chuckling over the funny messages on these novelty desk plaques long after the holiday season has passed! You can choose a more generic message for an acquaintance you don’t know that well or something a little cheekier for your closer friends at work. These also make wonderful Secret Santa gifts for your boss!
If your colleague is known for being a stickler for the rules, these grammar police pencils make brilliant gifts for Secret Santa at work. Otherwise, they might also love a personalised letter writing set, complete with their initials.
Novelty Playing Cards
A great Secret Santa when you don’t know the person
Novelty playing cards are an ideal Secret Santa gift for coworkers, especially when you don’t really know the person whose name you’ve drawn. Everyone can use playing cards from time to time! There are also endless novelty aspects to choose from, including oversized cards and cards with animals or celebrities on them.
Alternatively, other card games or even a rubix cube make for great gifts for those who like to have fun and challenge their brains.
Fancy Organic Soap
A Secret Santa gift they’ll be obsessed with
Looking for a Secret Santa gift that’s a little bit fancy (but still super affordable)? Two words: organic soap. These delightful little bars smell lovely, look beautiful, and will actually go to use! Organic soap bars make particularly good gifts for women, but will suit anyone who’s interested in pampering themselves. Plus, they’re made organically, making them the ideal Secret Santa gift for her if she’s environmentally conscious.
Bath crystals also make great gifts for anyone who enjoys a pampering session. If you’d like to stick with a gift that is organic and great for the body and the environment, you could also look at an organic lip care kit.
Mindfulness Cards
A creative Secret Santa idea they’ll love
Wonderful though it may be, the holiday season in the UK is often stressful and tiring. Mindfulness cards will remind your Secret Santa partner to find the peace amongst all the chaos and take a minute to just breathe and be present. Whether they’re spiritual, stressed, or just someone who’s difficult to buy for, mindfulness cards are one of the most unexpected Secret Santa gifts you can get for under £10.
A self-care journal is another gift that will encourage them to practice self-care. Alternatively, a gratitude journal will also help them to look after themselves over the busy festive period.
Personalised Bauble
A custom Secret Santa gift they’ll love
Baubles are a sweet Christmas tradition that your festive coworkers will appreciate. A personalised bauble, on the other hand, is one of the best Secret Santa gifts even for those who aren’t super festive. It’s always nice to see your name on something pretty! This is also a great idea as a Secret Santa present for coworkers and others you don’t actually know that well.
For another custom Christmas decoration, you could consider a personalised bon bon. Alternatively, a macrame candy cane makes for another creative and unique Secret Santa gift.
Desk Sweet Jar
The perfect gift for the office sweet tooth
The sweet tooth in your life–or in your office–will love their own stash of sweets to leave on their desk and nibble at throughout the work day. There’s nothing like a jar of colourful sugar to brighten up a Monday morning! The only person who won’t like this gift is the dentist.
For other Secret Santa ideas for work colleagues in the UK, you could also try jars of different kinds of sweets to suit their preferences, like a chocolate jar or even a jar of lollipops.
Personalised Wine Glass
A fun Secret Santa gift that won’t break the bank
Having your very own wine glass will come in handy all through the year, but particularly during the festive season. Perfect for gatherings with friends, hosting holiday parties, and even cosy nights in watching The Holiday, a personalised wine glass will make those dark winter reds taste even better.
Other gifts you might like to consider for wine-lovers are a wine hamper or an insulated wine bottle, perfect for keeping wine cool in the warmer weather.
Festive Face Mask
Because we all need one
Face masks are a way of life and a great tool for looking after your health, so why not add some festive cheer to this new practice? Especially if your friend or colleague is still wearing generic surgical masks, it’d be great to introduce them to creative and fun masks during the holiday season. There are a bunch of patterns to choose from, from the ultra-festive to the hilarious.
Festive clothing and accessories in general make perfect Secret Santa gifts. You could also look at some festive aprons and festive socks to please your Secret Santa partner.
Colourful New Year Diary
They can plan ahead with this thoughtful gift
Diaries for the New Year always make great gifts for Christmas. Help your Secret Santa partner to ring in the New Year with a burst of colour on a brand new diary, easily one of the most valuable Secret Santa gifts under£10. And if they’re Type A or super organised, they’ll love this gift even more! The beauty of giving a diary before Christmas is that they’ll have plenty of time before New Year’s Eve to start pencilling in important dates and planning ahead.
If you’re looking for other good Secret Santa gifts to help them start planning for the New Year, you could consider a weekly planner. For those with specific exercise goals, you might like to try a fitness planner.
Luxury Biscuits
The type of gift they can indulge in
The festive season is the time to indulge! A tin of luxury biscuits is a great unisex Secret Santa gift that will impress everyone from friends or family to work colleagues. This is a particularly good gift for someone with a sweet tooth, a foodie, or a person who you know has been waiting all year to gorge on some festive treats.
In addition to biscuits, you could also gift some other sweet treats for Secret Santa. Shortbread is a Christmas tradition, as are chocolate truffles, and both make a simple yet beloved gift.
Gin Cocktail Mixers
A good Secret Santa gift for the party season
Help your Secret Santa partner kick off the party season in the UK with a set of Gin cocktail mixers. The ideal accompaniment to nights spent entertaining friends or experimenting in the kitchen, these sets often come in a range of flavours to suit every taste.
Of course, a bottle of Gin itself makes for one of the best Secret Santa gifts, especially ahead of the party season. You could also try a cocktail book to help your Secret Santa partner get creative with their mixing!
Yoga Deck
The ideal present for the health nut
If you need a present for your most health-conscious friend or colleague, a yoga deck is a fun and creative way to help them stay on top of their fitness and wellbeing in the new year. The cards in the deck each display a different yoga pose, which encourages a varied exercise session every time. Yoga is also a great way to unwind, so this makes a good Secret Santa gift for anyone who’s been feeling a little anxious.
For presents for those who love to keep fit, you could also look at some fitness dice or a personalised yoga mat.
2. Best Secret Santa Gifts for (a little) Over £10
Shower Steamer
The pampering gift that brings the spa home
When the weather is too cold to go out to the spa, you can bring the spa home with a pampering shower steamer. Drop these in the shower to create a tranquil spa vibe right in your bathroom, complete with relaxing steam that melts all your worries away. This gift is a must for the person who loves–or deserves–a pampering session.
For another bath and shower Secret Santa gift for her, consider looking at a luxurious bath accessory, like a bath caddy. A microfibre towel is also a great gift for those looking to improve their hair-care routine.
Elf on the Shelf
The trendiest gift around
The Elf on the Shelf trend gets bigger every year and is the perfect Secret Santa gift for those with kids (or the young at heart!). The idea is to move the elf into a different position every night, reminding everyone in the house that the little imp is always watching and ready to report back to Santa Claus. It’s a bit of fun and a great modern Christmas tradition!
If your Secret Santa partner takes Christmas a little more seriously, you could opt for a more sentimental or religious decoration, like a nativity set. Meanwhile, for those who hate the holidays, a Grinch mug is perfect.
Christmas Recipe Book
A Secret Santa for domestic gods and culinary enthusiasts
A Christmas-themed recipe book is a unique Secret Santa gift for anyone who likes to get creative in the kitchen. There are endless sub-categories to choose from, whether your Secret Santa partner likes traditional Christmas food, Christmas cooking on a budget, or even Christmas cocktails.
A book of winter recipes is also sure to impress a culinary enthusiast. Or you could buy them something that will actually help them to create something amazing in the kitchen, like a luxe cookie cutter.
Travel Scratch Map
Impress the travel-lovers with this Secret Santa gift
If you know anyone with the travel bug, then they need a travel scratch map. Coming in a range of creative designs, a travel map allows you to keep track of where in the world you’ve visited. It’s also great for inspiring new travel bucket lists and motivating wannabe travellers to add to their piggy banks.
Other handy gifts you might like to consider getting a travel-lover might be a custom luggage tag for their next vacation or even a travel mug.
Chocolate Pizza
The most mouth-watering Secret Santa present
A chocolate pizza takes two of the world’s greatest foods and combines them. The result is a dream, not just for chocoholics, but for any foodie with a taste for sugar. Chocolate pizzas also look wonderful and make a great Secret Santa gift for your boss.
Personalised branded chocolate is another delicious Secret Santa gift. Or for something even more creative, you could check out a sweet tree made of the world’s most popular branded chocolates.
Traditional Christmas Pudding
An age-old Secret Santa gift that never fails
Pudding is a beloved Christmas tradition for a reason. If you’d like to keep things simple, or you know your Secret Santa partner appreciates the long-established festive customs, you can’t go wrong with a pudding. The traditional flavours have pleased crowds for centuries, but these days you can even choose interesting flavours, such as whisky cream, to suit individual tastes!
If you like the idea of an edible Secret Santa gift for your coworkers and friends, there’s plenty more to choose from. Christmas fudge is always sure to impress, as is a Christmas nut selection.
Unisex Bamboo Socks
A good unisex gift for winter
Any gift that’s going to help them keep warm and comfortable over winter will go down well. Bamboo socks are like heaven on your feet and come in a variety of patterns for everybody. These make an ideal unisex Secret Santa gift that the receiver will get wear of throughout the Christmas season and beyond.
Bamboo pyjamas make for another super comfortable gift, as do unisex moccasins. Both are perfect for cold and cosy winter nights.
Christmas Earrings
The present your festive friends will love
For those friends and colleagues who are super festive and live for Christmas, festive earrings are a perfect Secret Santa gift. Coming in a sea of Christmassy colours and designs, these arty, quirky pieces will warm the heart. One look and they’ll be obsessed!
Other than festive earrings, you could also opt for a Christmas necklace or even a festive bracelet for your Secret Santa partner.
Personalised Santa Sack
Pass on the Christmas spirit with this unique gift
When you’re stuck for Secret Santa ideas for work, the best thing to do is get into the Christmas spirit. A handmade Santa sack will help to bring the festive vibe to any home, and a personalised sack is even better. This is hands-down the best way to collect presents, no matter how old you are!
An advent calendar is another fantastic way to help your Secret Santa partner get into the Christmas spirit. Alternatively, you could go for a personalised stocking with their name on it.
Microwavable Slippers
The perfect present for chilly winter nights
The perfect remedy for those chilly winter nights, microwavable slippers are like little pockets of warmth with the power to change lives. There’s only one problem with microwaveable slippers: these shoes are so comfortable that your Secret Santa partner may never want to leave the house again!
Memory foam slippers are similarly super comfortable and make for an ideal alternative. If you like the idea of a microwavable gift for winter, you could consider a wheat bag, perfect for snuggling up with.
Beer Lovers’ Kit
The Secret Santa gift any boy will love
A beer-themed gift is ideal for your male Secret Santa partner. Most beer lovers’ kits contain all the essentials they’ll need to enjoy the drinking experience, including glasses, coasters, and openers.
If you’re looking for other good beer-themed Secret Santa gifts, you could also opt for some beer glasses on their own or, if you really want to impress, a beer keg!
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