Small gifts for work colleagues

[Gemi33]

Hi All

I like to include a small gift with the Christmas card for each of the people in my team (there are 12 of them) - but really struggling to find something this year. Last year I got each of them a Christmas decoration that was personalised with their name. I'm not against a decoration of some kind this year, I think it's quite nice to get something to hang on your tree but just can't find anything so far (decoration or otherwise). It needs to be quite inexpensive as it's only a token really and there are 12 of them - any ideas?

xx

Id say chocolate

Haven’t RTFT but Occitane is doing a little cracker with two hand creams for £5.

Could you order them all a Starbucks/Costa/Nero one morning and have it delivered or picked up? They’ll have their festive menus and I think people would be appreciative.

Little plant
Costa voucher
Panatonne

@Potatolatkes

Little plant Costa voucher Panatonne

I think plants should go in the same category as randomly buying someone a pet... it's not a gift it's an ongoing obligation to keep something alive.

If buying something edible, make sure it’s palm oil-free and has recyclable packaging.

Otherwise, a paper packet of wildflower seeds (can be scattered on verges for non-gardening colleagues).

Or better yet, nothing! 🌍

Do you have time/inclination to make something? Last year I did little bags of homemade Baileys Chocolate Fudge and Peppermint Fudge for teachers at DD’s primary school. I made 2 batches of each and put half a dozen pieces in each bag (made about 20 bags).

Put them in sellophane bags from Hobbycraft (£3 for 20) and tied with red and green ribbon. Probably cost me less than £20 to make the lot (already had the Baileys!).

Recipes:

www.janespatisserie.com/2017/12/18/baileys-fudge/

www.janespatisserie.com/2015/12/07/peppermint-fudge/

Someone mentioned the hotel chocolat mini cracker.
I just had a look and they’ve got a full sized one £5 each and are in the 3for 2
Might get some of these myself

[quote DentalWorries]Last year Anthropologie did 20% off for Black Friday. I bought these mugs for £8 each for my team, filled them with Lindor balls and wrapped them in cellophane and added a piece of dried orange and a handwritten tag. They all use them every day.

www.anthropologie.com/en-gb/shop/tiled-margot-monogram-mug?inventoryCountry=GB&countryCode=GB&currency=GBP&utm_content=Smart%20-%20Catch%20All&utm_medium=paid_search&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_kxconfid=vx65edeg7&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIy8q4m_v28wIVKO_tCh2xbADBEAQYASABEgLBkPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds[/quote]
These are fab

Little tins of fudge for £3

Consumables. I have 8 in my department. I'm probably going to buy minature hotel chocolate bottles (you can buy them in packs of 3 I think?), and put them on their desks nicely wrapped in cellophane and ribbon, with a handful of Lindor chocolates in it too. And a card.

I don't know if all your team are all female wearers of nail varnish, but I've bought nail varnish baubles before. I had some posh one and some from next, but worth shopping around. So the varnish is inside the bauble as a gift.

Last year a colleague got me a card to say that a packet of seeds for a family in a third world country had been purchased as my gift. It was one of my favourite gifts, it was from oxfam.

We usually gift a mince pie and chocolate to serve at coffee time. It goes down well with a little note of appreciation.

In a similar position, I’ve bought curry kits from the spicers before: “I’d like to take you all out for a curry, but my budget doesn’t stretch that far, so cook yourself one at home”. Less than a fiver each.

My boss bought us all a chocolate orange. We are civil servants and no budget, so it was a nice appreciated gesture

What about Tony's xmas tree chocolate bar?

www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/tonys-chocolonely-dark-chocolate-candy-cane-180g?

Buy little tins and put chocolates in them. You can get the labels printed the right size from vistaprint and then they can be personalised with a message. Eg ‘with freedom, books, flowers and the moon - could not be happy?’ Oscar Wilde - Oh and chocolate of course! Happy Christmas from xxxx

I made Christmas decoration fairies to all look like my team last year! I love the project but it’s quite time consuming!

I often buy packets of the mini green and blacks chocolate’s because then you can split them and they look nice and just put that in the card - so it’s more of a gesture than a present.

I have got personalised love hearts made for my team before. (A bit like wedding favours).

One year I made a starter exercise in a meeting where everyone had to say their favourite chocolate bar. I have a good memory so I remembered them (16 people!!). And they got their favourite. You have to do this in advance so it doesn’t look suspicious.

Edible things are always good.

we usually gift a mince pie
Do you mean you take in a box of mince pies? That's not quite the same as gifting something.

Hotel Chocolat small box of chocs?
£5 gift voucher?

Small box of lip balm, hand cream etc?

Terry chocolate Orange! Currently £1 in Morrison’s lol

The only things I wouldn’t bin/donate from the ideas above are the edible ideas. Every one is so different so you’re never going to find something that everyone will love. At least food can be eaten or given to someone else.

One year I bought the M&S advent calendar and the team took turns opening a window.

I like the choc orange idea. Or a few choc coins and a candy stick in a card.

Something like this?

Or an advent calendar each?