Secret Santa has a way of producing the same three presents every year: a novelty mug, a box of supermarket chocolates and something vaguely rude from a joke shop. None of them are terrible, but they all say "I bought this on the way in". With a £10 limit you can do much better, and it does not take much longer.
Start with what you actually know
Most people know more about the person they have drawn than they think. Before you buy anything, spend two minutes listing what you have noticed:
- What do they drink at their desk? Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, a particular fizzy drink?
- What do they talk about on Monday mornings? Football, walking, gardening, a show, their dog?
- What is on or around their desk? Plants, a book, hand cream, a water bottle?
- Do they cycle, run, play golf or go to the gym?
- Do they always seem cold?
Any one of those gives you a direction. "Always cold" alone points at thermal socks or a microwave warmer. "Talks about golf" points at the Bamboo Golf Tees and Golf Ball Markers set or the Greatest Golfers Top Trumps.
If you really know nothing
Sometimes you draw the person from another department you have spoken to twice. In that case, a few categories are very hard to get wrong:
Good chocolate
Not the supermarket tin, but something a notch up. A Hotel Chocolat Selector costs under £5, so you could put two different flavours together, or go for the Everything Chocolate Box at around £10. Unless you know they avoid chocolate, it is a safe bet.
Hand cream and lip balm
Office air in winter is dry, and nearly everybody uses hand cream or lip balm. The Body Shop hand balms and Cranberry Crush Hand Cream, or a Carmex lip balm, are inexpensive and genuinely used. Choose a neutral or lightly scented option if you do not know their taste.
A small game
A pack of Top Trumps on a theme they might like, a set of New York Playing Cards or the IQ Busters metal puzzles. These make good desk distractions and get passed around the team.
Something warm
Heat Holders socks or the Fuzzy Knitted Cosy Bed Socks. Socks get a bad press as a present, but good thermal socks are a different thing entirely, and you rarely hear complaints about them in January.
Building a small bundle
A single £10 item is fine. Two or three smaller things that go together can feel more personal. Some combinations that work:
- The desk survival kit: a hand cream, a lip balm and a Hotel Chocolat Selector.
- The tea break: a Lakeland Borgo de Medici biscotti and a hot chocolate pouch or a few chocolates.
- The walker: a Holland & Barrett trail mix, a protein flapjack and an Ember Biltong pack.
- The gardener: two packets of D.T. Brown seeds and a small bar of chocolate.
Wrap them together in one parcel, or put them in a paper bag with tissue. Presentation does a lot to make a £10 present feel considered.
Things to avoid at work
- Anything rude or suggestive. What is funny at the pub is not always funny in front of the whole team, and it can put the recipient in an awkward spot.
- Comments on appearance or habits. Diet books, anti ageing creams and "for the person who is always late" gifts can land badly.
- Alcohol, unless you know them well. Some people do not drink, for all sorts of reasons. If you know they enjoy a gin or whisky, a miniature is lovely. If you do not know, skip it.
- Strongly scented products for people you do not know. Fragrance is personal, and some people react to it.
- Going over the limit. It makes other people's presents look stingy. The limit is there to keep it fair.
How to make £10 look like more
The difference between a present that feels thoughtful and one that feels rushed is often in the last five minutes. Write their name on the tag properly rather than leaving it blank. Add a short handwritten note that explains why you chose it, even if it is just "you always say the office is freezing". Take the price sticker off. If you are bundling small things, put them in a paper bag with tissue rather than a plastic carrier. None of this costs anything, and all of it changes how the present is received. People rarely remember the exact gift, but they do remember that someone paid attention.
Secret Santa outside the office
Family and friend Secret Santas are easier, because you know the person better. The same principles still apply: pick something they use, aim a notch above what they would buy themselves, and avoid presents that are really jokes at their expense. Our person based guides are a good starting point here, for example Mum under £10 or grandparents under £10.
A note on timing
Office Secret Santa swaps often happen at the Christmas party or the last working day, which can be earlier than you expect. If you are ordering online, buy early in December so you are not paying for express delivery on a £10 present. Our article on UK Christmas delivery deadlines has more on timing.
Where to find more ideas
Most of our guides work well as Secret Santa lists, because they are already filtered by budget. Try stocking fillers for her under £10 and for him under £10. Or use the gift finder, choose "Secret Santa / colleague" as the recipient and "Under £10" as the budget, and it will build a shortlist for you.