Secret Santa ideas?

[Secretsantaofficefairy]

I thought we could start a thread giving each other secret Santa gift ideas …

here is my dilemma: this year in my office secret Santa I have to buy for a lovely, quite glamorous 28 year old junior colleague. She’s very wealthy, has impeccable taste, and I’m her manager. Limit is £10 - I have no idea?! Can anyone help?

£10 worth of scratch cards.
£10 Amazon voucher.
mini pamper set; small bottle of wine (if she doesn’t drink she can use it up in cooking), small box of chocs (if she doesn’t do chocolate she can always regift) small bath bomb, £1 quick read (she can give both to a charity shop if it’s not her thing!).

What about a small Moleskine notebook?

amzn.eu/d/cz8jrxu

Wax Melts and a burner. You can get a burner off Amazon and Wax Melts off Etsy for like £6 for 16. If you use the right seller you could get 4 different scents for that price which makes it slightly personalised as you can pick ones you think she might like

Wax melts typically are better for the environment and for you (they tend to be soy wax) and last longer.

I've got an early 20s male to buy for, likes singing and guitar, £15 budget.

When buying gifts for people who I don't know that well, or who I'm worried about getting something that matches their taste, I think "consumables". Not necessarily in the food or drink line, but something that they will use, and consume, and it's gone. So you don't have the pressure of "will they use this keyring for the next ten years" or "will they wear this scarf", "will this item sit in their kitchen on the counter sticking out like a sore thumb".

A set of fancy mixed flavour teas - nothing too wacky but could be something different to try. Or hot chocolate mixes.
Unusual but nice quality confectionary. Can try, if she doesn't like it it gets shared around.
Some form of high quality stationary - like really nice post-it kinds of notes or a memo pad, or swanky paper clips.
Foldable shopping/tote bags with a nice design, you can never have too many.

I agree with @givemushypeasachance - consumables all the way. I usually do box of chocolates or bottled of wine. I could do a specific drink e.g gin if I knew that this person loves gin.
I got panettones a few times and was very grateful .

Trying to think what my 26 year old would like. Penguin fabric covered classic, a soap from posh/independant shop/House plant/earrings/soft socks/mug/posh pasta (or other fancy food from deli)

Oh and coffee shop gift card, especially if you’ve got a local independent one.

Have a nose on Etsy, you might see something nice. If she's wealthy then something hand made or unique is likely to be something she doesn't have already.

would ig stretch to something outrageous, like b&m fluffy polyester christmas pjs?

something from touristic fromthd souvenir shop?

You can search for Secret Santa £10 on Etsy. They also have gift cards

Gift card got the nearest coffee shop. Anyhh th ing is else is pretty much tat.

Patchology lip service
Patchology face mask
Seoulista hand or foot mask
Nice mug from Oliver Bonas
Pink champagne truffles
Trinket dish
Lush snow fairy
Local coffee shop voucher

All things adult DD likes in her stocking.

Tk maxx for a lovely notebook, or dunelm have a lot of styles of hot water bottle for that price. Or if she's really enjoyed a food or sweets someone has shared after a holiday (who doesn't love a stroopwaffle) you can get most things here if you do a search.

Early 20s man who likes guitar could you get a personalised plectrum or a giant pack of them or there a lot of novelty themed ones on etsy

I knew there would be a thread on here with Secret Santa ideas. I'm looking for ideas for someone in their 40s who is on a diet and doesn't drink (so no booze or chocolate). The budget is £15 - I quite like the idea of scratchcards if I can't think of anything else. I'll definitely search Etsy for Secret Santa ideas. She has a French bulldog, if that inspires anyone.

@snowgirl1 French Bulldog Desk Calendar 2026-2027: Standing Flip Desktop Calendar With Thick Paper (15.25cm X 22cm - Similar to A5) - Etsy UK
or French Bulldog Tea Mug With Speckled Glaze - Etsy UK and some nice tea or coffee

If she has 'everything' how about a virtual charity gift
https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/charity-e-cards/category/charity-e-cards?N=3671866332&Ns=sku.activePrice|0&
Other charities are available of course.

I do Secret Santa with a group of friends, limit £10, which I think is about right. No-one should feel pressured to spend a lot of money, it should be a fun thing. We're all women of similar age so we don't have designated people to buy for, just put all our gifts on the table (we meet for a meal) and draw one out.

This year I've bought a calendar for my gift. I don't remember every year, but other years I've bought an embroidered silk bookmark, a photo frame, a jar of chutney, a scarf.

Gifts I've received that I've liked and use were a keyring (I put keyrings on my USB drives to distinguish them) a music CD by an artist who was popular at the time, a throw rug (which I'm surprised was under £10, but not my business to query).

Other things I remember other people getting were a pot plant and some fan merchandise for something the giver was into at the time.

One year about half the group (not me) gave gift selections of smellies, which was a bit boring because half the fun is opening the parcels and seeing what everyone has.

Im 40’s, on a diet and rarely drink 🤣.
Things I would love within budget;

A new wooden spoon, some key spices/pasta/noodles etc and a printed recipe (diet friendly of course).

Pyjamas (Sainsbury’s have beautiful ones for £16 full price).

A £10 book token and a £5 voucher for a local coffee shop.

Nip & fab face masks.

Candle.

If she exercises, gym socks.

Pick holders are cheap and loved by guitar players, you get little leather keyring ones and fill it with picks (also cheap).

Another sometimes cheap option could be a nice guitar strap but it might be more hit and miss if you dont know his style (some like plain, some like jazzy, some like branded to match their guitar etc...).

Not scratch cards just a waste of money and the person is likely to have nothing to show for it. An Amaryllis for most women young to old from about £4 in Lidl to more expensive.

primark do some lovely furry hot water bottles for between £5 and £8 I would have loved one. I have got hot water bottles for Christmas presents and they seem to have been well received

Lots of great ideas on this thread I wouldn’t have thought of for OP. Does anyone have any £10 Secret Santa suggestions for a 45 year old gent (maths teacher, doesn’t drink, Muslim, plays football)? Thank you!

I agree with you about the scratch cards but not the Amaryllis as no houseplant has ever survived in my home. I would give it to my mum.

Something in the stationery line?
An attraction I visited in the summer was selling in its gift shop very nice handbag or pocket sized notebooks in fake leather cover with attached matching pen for well under £10. As well as the notepad it has mini post it notes and sticky tabs to mark pages in the notepad. I wish I had thought to buy an extra one, but I wasn't thinking about Secret Santa in July.