Secret Santa Gift Ideas

It’s that time of year when people start talking about all things Christmas. There are the Christmas parties, end of year office functions and Secret Santa gift exchanges, catching up with old friends, carolling, spending time with family … but I have to admit that I struggle to get into the holiday spirit when Christmas time rolls around. In fact, sometimes I’ve been called a downright grinch. There’s one thing that makes me less grinchy, and that’s NZ Secret Santa on Twitter. I look forward to it so much and it’s probably the thing I like the most about the festive season. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s pretty epic – basically our national postal service runs a Secret Santa gift swap on Twitter (kind of like the one you might do at work, but way cooler).

I love chatting to other people playing and making new friends, but my favourite thing about NZ Secret Santa is delivery day – when gifts get delivered and people tweet about them. Last year I actually cried multiple times seeing how happy people were with their gifts and how much thought their Santas had put into them. I’m particularly proud of the gift I put together for my person last year, I put loads of thought into it and her reaction filled me with that Christmas joy I was missing! Needless to say, I’ve signed up again this year and I can not wait to start sleuthing to find a great gift (if you haven’t signed up and want to join in, you can sign up here until 22 November).

Whether you’re signed up for NZ Secret Santa on Twitter, or you do a gift swap in your office, or with your family at Christmas, I know it’s not always easy to know what to get someone for a Secret Santa gift (especially if it’s someone you know next to nothing about) so I’m here to give you a hand.

FIVE TIPS FOR GIVING A GREAT SECRET SANTA GIFT:

1. Think about what you already know about your person? If you’re doing an office Secret Santa you might already know the person you’re buying for, or if you’re doing NZ Secret Santa then maybe you’ve seen them around online – hopefully this will make it easier to put together a great gift.

2. Make sure you do a bit of sleuthing and find out as much about your giftee as you can to see what kind of things they might like. Check their social media – that’s often a really good way of finding out more about someone.

3. Be careful with gifts like clothing and food. It’s easy to get sizing wrong with clothes, and they could have food allergies and intolerances you’re not aware of. You definitely don’t want to make your giftee sick!

4. Get creative with your gift and think outside the box about something your person might find really cool or useful. If you’re a crafty person you could make something super special and personalised.

5. Get your gift sorted early, last minuting it usually means you’ll end up giving a gift that you haven’t had time to plan and make super special.

If you’re stuck for ideas I’ve come up with a couple that might help you put together a great gift – they’re all inexpensive (I’ve kept it under $50) and are something a bit more interesting than a box of chocolates.

RELAXING GIFTS:

If your giftee seems busy, stressed or has been going through a tough time lately, get them something nice to help them take a bit of time out to unwind. I’ve given a couple of self care Secret Santa gifts and they were much appreciated. Think bath/shower treats, body lotion, face masks, lip balms, hand creams, candles… you get the idea.

Pusheen Sleep Mask, $19.99 | Frosted Berries Hand Cream, $13.50 | Just To Clarify Jelly Face Mask, $14.90 | Twilight Sparkle Jar, $17.50 | Frosted Plum Body Butter, $38.95 | Chunky Knit Throw, $20.00 | Deck The Halls Gift, $38.50 | Linden Leaves Crystal Crush Bath Bombs, $14.99 | Sleepy Body Lotion, from $18.50 | Burt’s Bees Coconut & Pear Gift Set Bauble, $12.49 | Ecoya Dark Chocolate, Meringue & Raspberry Pocket Madison Candle, $19.95 | Shhhhhh, I’m Hibernating Eye Mask, $15.88

GAMES NIGHT:

I’m a big fan of games that can be played with friends and family – it’s a great way to connect and do something together (and great for when you’re on summer holidays and bored). Go for a classic like Jenga or Monopoly, or maybe some of the new games, depending on what you think your giftee might like. Phase 10 is definitely a favourite amongst my family and we always make sure we take it with us when we travel. There’s also puzzles for someone who loves a bit of quiet time – I recently did a Wasjig puzzle and I love that they’re a twist on a regular jigsaw.

Punderdome, $29.99 | Cards Against Humanity, $49.99 | Bananagrams Anagram Game, $27.99 | Balderdash, $39.99 | Wasgij Puzzle, $24.99 | Phase 10 Card Game, $14.99 | Jenga, $34.99 | Monopoly Classic Board Game, $29.00

DRINK UP:

Does your giftee like hot drinks or cold drinks? If they’re like me and like to drink a lot of water, maybe a drink bottle could be a good idea. If they like hot drinks like tea, coffee or hot chocolate, why not get them a mug you think they’d like? Bonus points if you also get them something to go in the mug (one year I got given a mug, some hot chocolate, marshmallows and biscuits to dunk). If they’re on the go, maybe a travel cup could be a good idea! I know it’s over the $50 limit I set for myself, but I couldn’t help but share this cute Pusheen tea set – the tea brews in the top part and you pour it into the cup! I’ve got one and I think it’s super cute – you can find them for under $50 but this was the cutest one so I couldn’t leave it out.

Camelbak Chute 750ml Drink Bottle, $32.99 | Oasis Canteen Insulated Stainless Steel 750ml Drink Bottle, $34.99 | Hedwig 3D Mug, $24.99 | Maxwell & Williams Aurora Mug, $16.99 | Christopher Vine Mini Mob Mug, $10.99 | Robert Gordon Moon Mug, $17.99 | Jasmine Coffee Mug, $21.99 | Pusheen Tea For One Teapot, $59.99 | Ariel Travel Mug, $19.99

Remember that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to give a great gift – I think that putting together something your giftee will like is more about the thought that you put into it. In fact, you don’t have to buy anything at all, if you’re a crafty person then get creative and make something super special and personalised! Get sleuthing, find out as much as you can about your person and what kind of things they like – getting to know the person you’re putting together a gift for (whether it’s Secret Santa or anyone else in your life) is the best way to make sure you’ve got a thoughtful gift they’re really going to appreciate.

Are you doing any Secret Santa gift exchanges this year? If you’re in New Zealand and want to join in NZ Secret Santa on Twitter, you can sign up here until 22 November.

Let me know if you have any other great gift suggestions!