25 of the Best Secret Santa Gifts for Christmas [2023]
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When it comes to Secret Santa gifts, they’re a firm favourite among many groups of people. Whether it’s your workplace, your college course or a group of friends or neighbours, many of us will be seeking good Secret Santa gifts this year.
It can be a challenge to find the right Secret Santa gift ideas to match your budget and the recipient’s interests, however. Which is exactly why this post is packed with Secret Santa ideas to suit everyone – no matter how much you want to spend or what sort of Secret Santa presents you’d like to give.
Take the guesswork out of your Christmas shopping this year by checking out this guide before you start shopping! Designed as the ultimate Secret Santa list, it contains ideas to suit everyone. Whether you want funny Secret Santa ideas, Secret Santa gifts for her, cheap Secret Santa gifts, Secret Santa ideas for work or Secret Santa gifts for guys.
Read on to find all the best Secret Santa gifts you could ever hope for. This is the complete Secret Santa wish list, so don’t say we didn’t warn you. You might just find that some of these Secret Santa gifts for men and women are items you’ll want to keep all to yourself…
Get every Secret Santa gift idea you’ll need, all wrapped up with the ultimate guide to Secret Santa gifts 2022.
Secret Santa gifts contents
25 of the Best Secret Santa Gifts [2022]
Secret Santa gifts under £5
Can you even get decent Secret Santa presents under £5? Of course! Even on a tight budget, it’s still perfectly possible to find tasty, useful, humourous and even (little) luxury Secret Santa gifts – all for under five pounds sterling.
A funny notebook
A notebook with an entertaining message is ideal for those seeking slightly inappropriate Secret Santa gifts. The captions are designed to raise eyebrows – and perhaps a laugh as well – in any working or home environment.
Your giftee can hide behind ‘I survived another meeting that should have been an email’, ‘Keep calm I have a spreadsheet for that’, ‘People I want to punch in the face’ and many more.
You can never have too many notebooks.
Click here to view Funny Notebooks
Chilli sauce
Looking for lovely, cool or funny Secret Santa gifts under £5? Then where better to start than with chilli sauce. As long as they like fiery food, you’re onto a winner. But don’t just grab one from the supermarket – the odds are that if they like tingling tastebuds, they’ll have had it already.
Check out Amazon’s range for a good, at-a-glance guide to what’s out there. There are some names on these hot little bottles that means they can double up as funny Secret Santa ideas too – Dr Trouble, God Slayer, Psycho Juice or even Mother’s Ruin gin and chilli sauce, anyone?
From a bottle for just a few pounds to a set of sauces guaranteed to get them sweating, a set or single bottle of chilli sauce/s is a must for foodies who lean towards the more fiery side of life.
Click here to view Chilli Sauce
A stubby holder
Australian-style stubby holders have never caught on over here as much as down under, and we’re asking why the heck not? What better way to keep a can of beer or soft drink cool, and they’re also ideal if you’re looking for funny Secret Santa presents as so many slogans are available.
It’s one of those Secret Santa gift ideas for guys and gals that they’ll wonder what on earth they did without come the summer barbecue season.
Whether you’re on the lookout for pretty, festive, funny or simply silly Secret Santa gifts, a stubby holder could tick those boxes and comes within a very pocket-friendly price range too.
Click here to view Stubby Holders
Hand cream
We’re not talking those hand cream gift sets here, containing virtually uselessly small tubes of over-perfumed cream that does little to nothing for the condition of your skin.
Buy them a really good hand cream that will see them through winter – no matter how much time they spend outside or how many times they wash their hands. It’s one of the best Secret Santa gifts for coworkers who keep themselves squeaky-clean.
Top picks include Burt’s Bees Lavender and Honey or Almond and Milk, Neutrogena Norwegian Formula or Hand and Nail, O’Keeffe’s Working Hands, Aveeno Skin Relief and Garnier Intensive 7 Days. All of which are going for a song.
Drinks coasters
Whether for the office or home, a single coaster or set of drinks mats is among the most practical and affordable Christmas Secret Santa gifts.
You can buy funny ones, or those made from materials like rattan, slate, cork or bamboo. Some come as a set of four or more, or they can be bought individually.
There are some super pretty designs to suit any home, workplace or individual – as well as a few humorous ones too.
Click here to view Drinks Coasters
Secret Santa gifts under £10
15 very good Secret Santa gifts under £10 are to be found in this part of the Secret Santa gift guide. Whether you want practical, luxury or funny Secret Santa presents, you’ll find them all right here.
Jade roller
The latest accessory making waves in the beauty world is a jade roller. These are used to massage the facial skin, helping to see off toxins while making you feel refreshed and look rejuvenated.
It can also be used to help reduce tension on the shoulders, or to stimulate circulation in the legs. If you know a frequent traveller, this could be a most welcome gift indeed.
Many are made from natural jade (as pictured) or from rose quartz, which is perfect for princesses with an addiction to pink. One of the best Secret Santa ideas for her, even if she already has pretty much everything.
Click here to view Jade Rollers
A veggie cookbook
Whether he or she is a committed carnivore, a vegan or a flexitarian, we all know we should eat less meat. It’s a resolution that makes it onto many a New Year list of to-dos, as it’s great for us, the planet and the bank balance too.
Buy them a veggie cookbook and they’re bound to be amazed by the sheer variety of meat-free meals on offer. Even if they only plan to stick to meatless Mondays, it’s such a good move to make, and recipe books make great Secret Santa present ideas for keen cooks.
Whether they’s prefer BOSH, Higgidy (of the pies), the Hairy Bikers, Joe Wicks, The Curry Guy, East or The Veggie Chinese Takeaway Cookbook, anyone looking to reduce their intake of animal products really is spoiled for choice.
Click here to view Veggie Cookbooks
A fine china mug
Forget those naff festive mugs that can only be used for a month of the year max. One of the best Secret Santa gift ideas for her or him is a jolly decent mug that they can use during all four seasons. Or even use it as a pretty pen holder.
Ask anyone – when did they last treat themselves to a mug? Never is a pretty likely response. Hands up who’s ever had a favourite mug, that tea or whatever your poison is simply tastes so much better from?
Life’s too short to use sad, cheap mugs you got free from the fuel station or bought as a set in the supermarket when you moved into your first flat. Treat them to a classy V&A, William Morris or Maxwell & Williams mug and they may just love you forever.
Flavoured coffee syrups
Speaking of coffee time – there’s precious little more you could do to liven up coffee time at the office than by adding a slug of a delicious flavoured syrup to that morning pick-me-up. (Unless your workplace actually allows alcohol, that is. Bit early in the day, though, maybe?)
A little set of syrups makes a sweet gift, and is one of those Secret Santa present ideas that could actually introduce them to something entirely new. That they could then love for a lifetime.
If they already have a favourite, a bigger bottle of hazelnut, vanilla or caramel syrup should put a smile on their face.
Click here to view Coffee Syrups
A wine stopper
Assuming they do drink wine – or at least serve it to guests – wine stoppers make cute Secret Santa gifts and will always come in useful.
There are so many kinds available, from aerators to three packs and those featuring a silver dachshund, hearts or even a pair of silicone bobble or top hats.
Some are even designed for keeping fizz fresh, which is ideal for drinkers of prosecco or champagne who can’t (or shouldn’t) always finish a bottle.
Click here to see Wine Stoppers
Silk scrunchies
Once you’ve used silk scrunchies for taming your tresses there’s no going back, believe us. They’re great for all hair types, and have never in our experience caused the type of snags, knots and breakages so commonly found when using cheap hair ties.
Look out for mulberry silk, as that way you can be sure of getting the real thing. Satin is not the same at all, as being a man made material it can cause static and therefore snagging or even frizz.
A neutral pack like the one pictured above should go with every outfit, and make sure there’s always a spare to tie back that hair. As an affordable Secret Santa gift, this is a luxurious choice.
Click here to view Silk Scrunchies
Chocolate truffles
You cannot go wrong with a large or small box of chocolates – and who doesn’t love a luxurious truffle or two (or ten)?
Between them, Monty Bojangles and Lindt offer plenty of choice, but there are also more unusual options from Chocolate Lab, Holdsworth, Love Cocoa, Mathez and many more.
If you want something a little different, how about Walker’s pink gin Truffles or Lessiter’s hand finished Swiss truffles? Among the best Secret Santa gift ideas for coworkers, because who can resist a melt-in-the-mouth chocolate treat?
Click here to view Chocolate Truffles
A weekly planner
If they’re the sort of person who likes to put pen to paper, a weekly planner should go down a storm. So many folk out there really cannot resist a nice bit of stationery, trust us (we know that all too well in the Gifting office).
You can pick a paper planner with tear-off sheets, or a notebook-style design. Either way they’ll have no excuse for missing that meeting, which is bound to be uber important.
Planners make great Secret Santa gifts for friends who want to get organised in the New Year.
Click here to view Weekly Planners
Reusable coffee mug
If they’re the sort of person that wafts into the office every day, the scent of hot coffee or chai trailing in their wake, a resuable coffee mug is a must-have.
Many of us swear to make those throwaway items a thing of the past, but it’s just too easy to forget all about that until you the next time swing by Starbucks.
There are so many cool designs to choose from, and they make both practical and cool Secret Santa gifts. As well as getting those New Year’s resolutions off to a flying start.
Click here to view Coffee Mugs
Bath bombs
No once can resist a bath bomb – can they? If someone you know loves a long soak in the tub, a ball of ballistic bubbles will make the whole experience so much more spa-like. Not to mention fragrant.
Before using, bath bombs can also be used to scent any space you like – from a slightly musty wardrobe to their sock drawer – or, of course, the en-suite. Dirty Secret Santa gifts? Nah, these will leave them feeling as fresh as a new pin. Or something.
There are sets to suit all budgets and tastes, including those shaped like doughnuts or cakes. There are sets including other smellies like soap too – we love the ones from Bournemouth-based Bomb Cosmetics, for instance.
Grow your own herbs kit
Any keen chef knows that fresh herbs can make all the difference to your cooking – and once you have the right kit, it can be very easy to grow your own. Giving you a constant supply.
Even if they don’t have any outdoor space, a sunny windowsill will suffice. Once established, there will be cut and come again style pots packed with lively flavour. It’s one of the finest Secret Santa ideas for friends who are cooks or gardeners.
Again this is one New Year’s resolution you can help them to actually keep long after Christmas has passed. It’s also far better for the planet than buying cellophane packs from the supermarket.
A bobble hat
Few things look cheerier during really cold weather than a stylish hat bob, bob, bobbin’ along the street.
Available from just a few quid, a new bobble hat will complement their winter outerwear and is one of those Secret Santa gifts for women or men that suits all age groups.
From a chunky or cable knit hat in a neutral shade of grey, taupe, cream or black to a colourful striped winter hat to brighten up the dullest January day, a bobble hat is sure to go down a storm.
Click here to view Bobble Hats
A shaped chopping board
Who knew there were so many shapes and styles of chopping board? As creative Secret Santa ideas for cooks go, surely this is one of the best.
There are Christmas trees, pineapples, hens, fish, hearts… though the latter is probably one to avoid unless you have something significant to say.
One even features the famous Mickey or Minnie Mouse ears.
Click here to view Chopping Boards
Card game
Card games are great for adults and kids alike. They don’t take up much storage space when not in use – which is often a concern – and they’re quick to learn so everyone can join in.
If they aren’t yet familiar with the likes of Dobble, Uno or Monopoly Deal then it may be time to introduce them.
Funnier titles make great Secret Santa gift ideas for friends, as they’ll take titles like Fart, These Cards Will Get You Drunk and Poetry for Neanderthals all in good humour, just as intended.
Hot chocolate bombs
You’ve probably used a bath bomb or two and heard of hot chocolate spoons, but how about the hot chocolate bomb? No bad Santa gifts in sight here, just sugar, cocoa and all things nice.
For those with a sweet tooth, they’re the perfect festive treat. Packs typically contain three or more bombs ready to be stirred into hot milk.
These little flavour explosions come in all kinds of delicious variations – how do salted caramel, chocolate orange, fudge brownie, peppermint or pure Belgian chocolate grab you?
Click here to view Hot Chocolate Bombs
Secret Santa gifts under £20
When you’re feeling a little more generous, Secret Santa gifts under £20 gives you a little more scope. Either opt for a higher end version of the items detailed above, or stretch to one of these really good Secret Santa presents they’ll love.
Lounge Wear
You can never have enough lounge wear – it was one of the big hits of 2021 and shows no signs of waning in popularity for a long while. With more of us working from home than ever, the smarter items in our wardrobes are gradually being abandoned in favour of comfy clothes that are even appropriate for the school run or popping to the shops.
Forget onesies – so last decade, darling – and instead go for much more stylish separates that can be mixed and matched. They make great Secret Santa ideas for family or friends.
Cosy, fleecy pyjamas, velour tracksuits, a full-length hooded poncho or a wearable blanket – the options have never been so many, nor quite so snuggly.
Click here to view Lounge Wear
A jigsaw puzzle
Puzzles are officially cool once more, thanks in no small part to the recent lockdowns that we’ve all ensured – or dare we say enjoyed?
There are lots of pretty adult jigsaw puzzles to pick from. Hot air balloons, a map of London, 80s sweets… yep, whatever they’re into there’s a puzzle to get their grey matter ticking.
As most have 1,000 pieces, it should keep them busy for an afternoon or more during the Christmas break too. This is a great idea for the office Secret Santa, when you don’t really know what they’re into.
Click here to view Jigsaw Puzzles
WoodWick scented candle
Though you may be more familiar with other scented candle brands, WoodWick have really nailed the art. Their candles don’t only smell divine, they also crackle as they burn. Creating that fireside ambience without the fuss or expense of installing a wood burning stove.
Another of WoodWick’s USPs is the fact that they offer a Trilogy range of seriously stylish 3 tone ombre candles. We love these at the Gifting office and would welcome one at any time of year. Just saying.
From Vanilla Bean, Fruits of Summer or Chilli Pepper Gelato to Seaside Neroli or At The Beach, these candles stand out from the crowd. They look sleek and upmarket, smell glorious and even provide background sound. What more could they wish for?
Click here to view WoodWick Candles
A cocktail shaker set
If they’re more of a Tom Cruise than a Tom Kerridge in the kitchen, why not buy a cocktail set so they can get shaken (not stirred) by a whole new world of mixed drinks?
What better way to use up those leftover Christmas spirits and liqueurs than in making an entirely new concoction from them, we say.
It’s perhaps not the best of Secret Santa presents for her or him if they’re doing Dry January, though. Then again, there are plenty of lovely mocktail recipes out there too.
Click here to view Cocktail Shakers
Amarula liqueur
Speaking of Christmas drinks, Bailey’s is of course a festive classic. But have they been introduced to Amarula, the wild fruit cream alternative?
The great thing is that there are several versions of this award-winning drink, including a vegan version and vanilla spice. The former would of course be among those great Secret Santa gifts for people who consume no animal products at all.
If you’ve missed out on Amarula so far, then frankly you’re missing out. You only need to glance at its Amazon ratings to see that. It’s ‘The World’s Best Cream’ apparently. And here at Gifting we do love it.
Click here to view Amarula Cream
Secret Santa gifts | Final thoughts
Whether you wanted unique, interesting or downright funny Secret Santa gifts for her or him, we hope this guide has helped you with that Secret Santa for men or Secret Santa for her conundrum. No matter how much you want to spend, there are some great friends, neighbours, family and office Secret Santa ideas out there. Have a very merry Christmas!
While you’re here, don’t miss our post on Stocking Fillers, which includes ideas for him, her, them and the kids – all sorted by recipient for ease of reference.
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