Looking for the Best Secret Santa Gifts? Our Gift Guide Can Help!
It’s that time of year again – the time when the phrase “Secret Santa” starts to creep into our collective minds once more!
With so much up in the air for this upcoming holiday season, secret Santa gift ideas might be all the rage since large gatherings (probably) aren’t going to be in the cards.
Whether you know it as “secret Santa”, “white elephant” or another name, a classic gift exchange is a great way for everyone involved to give and receive. That said, it can sometimes be really tricky to find a gift for a secret Santa.
Secret Santa gift ideas for guys will usually differ from those for girls – and if you don’t know the receiver, a unisex gift change idea becomes important to find!
Luckily for you, our extended family has put on a secret Santa for the past decade so we have an idea of what works and doesn’t as a good secret Santa gift. So, if you’re on your own gift search, we’ve got some of the best secret Santa gifts on this list!
If you need gift inspiration for other people as well, have a look at some of these gift guides:
- Great gifts for couples, dancers, artists, and movie lovers
- Gift inspiration for families, moms, dads, and boyfriends
Great Secret Santa Gifts
In this list you can find secret Santa gift ideas in different price ranges. So whether your looking for an affordable secret Santa gift ideas for coworkers or a higher-end secret Santa gift for a family member, you should be able to find some inspiration!
Hanging Photo Display
Have you picked someone for secret Santa who loves displaying pictures in their home? Or maybe it’s a colleague who has photos of family on their desk?
In those cases, a hanging photo display like this one could be the perfect secret Santa gift. It doesn’t only make it easy to display photos – it also looks very trendy and is sure to be an accent décor piece on the wall.
Wine Tumblers with Lid
A few good secret Santa gifts include wine. Looking for a gift for someone that likes wine? These insulated wine tumblers with lid would be a great choice!
We love the colors of this set but there are also similar tumblers with lids available in other colors if you think these ones wouldn’t work for your person/secret Santa setting.
Indoor Herb Garden
If you’re looking for a gift for someone who likes plants and maybe cooking, then consider getting them an indoor herb garden. It’s definitely one of the more creative secret Santa gift ideas out there!
Having fresh herbs available can actually make a difference when it comes to cooking. Also, caring for plants and watching them grow can be quite fun as well.
We think this is a great gift for people who are interested in gardening but don’t have the backyard to do it!
Weekly Planner
Have someone who likes to stay organized but needs to write things down to not forget about them?
Then a weekly planner with enough space for every day and a corner for notes might be the perfect secret Santa gift.
We like that this calendar doesn’t have the dates written on it. This way, the gift receiver can start using it whenever they want and even skipping a week is no problem. This is a really good gender neutral or unisex gift idea since anyone can be organized!
Electronics Charging Station
In this day and age, lots of households have quite a few phones, smartwatches, and/or tablets that all need to be charged.
An electronics charging station can help you get rid of the mess of cords and make it possible to charge multiple devices in a small amount of space!
Depending on the setting, industry, and kind of workplace, this might also be a good office gift exchange idea since some workplaces have really “tech-oriented” people!
Adult Coloring Book
Over the last few years, adult coloring books have gained a lot of popularity. And we completely understand why.
Coloring can be a very relaxing activity. With all the stress that many people have in their life, a little stress reduction can be very welcome!
Scratch Off Poster
Is your secret Santa draw someone who likes watching movies? Then a scratch off movie bucket list poster might be the perfect gift for them.
This poster makes it easy to keep track of movies that someone has already watched. At the same time, it can also help when it comes to deciding which movie to watch next.
We often have trouble deciding on a movie, so this would be a great gift for us!
Smart Reusable Notebook
Is the gift receiver someone who takes a lot of notes? Then they might be happy to receive this smart reusable notebook as a secret Santa gift!
It’s not only a great way to save some paper, but the Rocketbook app also makes it easy to upload your notes to cloud services like Google Drive, Evernote, Slack, and more.
We believe this would be a great gift if you’re playing secret Santa in an office setting or have someone that likes taking handwritten notes.
Funny Socks
If you need funny secret Santa gifts, funny socks are one of these classic, affordable gifts that never really gets old. There are so many different sock choices out there that you should be able to find something suitable for pretty much any person.
We like these cool bean socks – but once again, there are many different options out there. Just avoid buying anything that the gift receiver might find offensive.
Indoor S’mores Maker
Are you getting a gift for someone that enjoys sweets – and especially chocolate? Then the likelihood that they also like s’mores is pretty high!
We are huge fans of this indoor s’mores maker. It’s a great way to bring the family and/or friends together – and you get to eat delicious s’mores without the need for a campfire!
This is definitely one of those unique secret Santa gifts you’ll stumble across this holiday season.
Instax Camera
If higher-end gifts are fair game for your secret Santa and you’re looking to buy a gift for someone that means a lot to you, then consider getting an Instax camera.
With a camera like this you can take photos and print them out right away. They have the perfect size to fit in your wallet or a very small frame.
Instant cameras like this have had a revival over the last few years and they are still quite popular today. This makes them among the best secret Santa gift ideas for friends!
Passport Cover
Are you getting a gift for a person who travels a lot? In that case, a passport cover might be a thoughtful gift for secret Santa!
We never really saw the point of passport covers until a few years ago when Lisa’s passport started to look really bad around the corners. With a passport cover you know that your passport is much better protected.
This cover is great because it also has space for some cards and your boarding pass. It also comes in multiple different colors so you should be able to find one that the gift receiver likes!
Puzzle
With people spending so much time at home this year, puzzles have definitely become more popular again. It’s a great way to spend some time with your family – or on your own.
We are huge fans of puzzles and like seeing them come together. Luckily, there are lots of different puzzles out there to choose from!
So even if the gift receiver isn’t usually the biggest puzzle fan – if you get them a puzzle related to something they are really interested in, they might love it!
Coffee Sampler Set
Are you looking for a gift for someone that really likes coffee? Then get them a coffee sampler set! It can be lots of fun to try new coffee flavors and brands – but often people stick to what they know.
By receiving a sampler set as a gift, the receiver gets the chance to get to know new coffee from different parts of the world – and might just find a new favorite.
Bath Salts
It’s amazing to have a relaxing evening with a nice bath every now and then – especially during the colder winter months.
Nice smelling bath salts can make a huge difference for how much you enjoy a bath… at least for some people.
If you know that the person you got enjoys having a bath and/or going to the spa or sauna every once in a while, then a set of different bath salts is most likely a great secret Santa gift choice!
Movie Line Captions Game
Know someone who always quotes movie lines? Bruce is one of these people!
For anyone that likes playing games and is a big movie fan, this movie line captions game might be the perfect secret Santa gift.
And even if you’re not 100% sure if the person you got loves movies – if they enjoy having get-togethers with friends and/or family, there’s a good chance that they’ll appreciate a fun gift like this one!
Cocktail Shaker
If you’re getting a gift for someone who’s a cocktail fan, consider getting them a cocktail shaker set for their home!
In current times, visits to bars are either impossible or certainly not as easy and/or enjoyable as they used to be. That’s why a cocktail shaker that can be used at home is a great gift idea!
And if the person isn’t that familiar with how to make different cocktail recipes, they’ll appreciate the little recipe booklet that comes with it!
Portable Steamer
Know someone who travels a lot for work? Then a portable steamer like this one might be the perfect gift for them!
We know how annoying it can be to take out dress shirts from your suitcase only to find out that they are super wrinkled. It’s even worse when you don’t have access to an iron and need the shirt for an important meeting or event.
A portable steamer would have been such a nice item to have on occasions like that. If the person you got for secret Santa has/had similar occurrences, they might really appreciate a thoughtful gift like this one.
CraveBox Care Package
Looking for a gift for someone who always likes to have a snack on hand? Get them a gift box full of snacks! This is an easy gift idea that works for lots of people.
Just make sure that the person you’re considering it for doesn’t have a lot of allergies. It would be a shame for them to receive a snack box and then not be able to eat any of the snacks.
Journal
Know someone who likes to write? An elegant looking journal might be a great gift idea for them!
We like this tree of life journal made of vegan leather. But of course there are many other journals out there as well.
Essential Oil Diffuser
Is the gift receiver into essential oils and/or room fresheners? In that case, an essential oil diffuser might be a great gift!
This diffuser comes with different timers and color options, making it easy to set up how you want it.
If you know that someone already has an essential oil diffuser, you could always get them some new essential oils instead!
Homesick Candle
Did the person you’re getting a gift for move from a different state? Then why not get them a homesick candle!
It comes for various different states and areas (not just southern California) and we think it’s such a cute and thoughtful gift idea.
This can also be a great gift idea for someone that you don’t know that well but know where they are from originally. That way you don’t have to worry about hobbies, allergies etc.
Travel Mug
A travel mug for coffee and/or tea is one of these classic gifts – but for good reason. In this day and age where all of us should care more about our impact on the environment, a travel mug can be a great gift!
It makes it so easy to prepare your coffee/tea at home and take it on the road with you. And some coffee shops also allow customers to bring their own cups. We think that’s great and hope that more and more people will switch to reusable mugs soon!
Mason Jar Measuring Cups
Know someone who likes to bake and/or enjoys having nice-looking decor pieces in their kitchen? Then these mason jar measuring cups might be perfect for them!
They are not only useful for measuring out ingredients, they also look very nice and can be a nice accent piece in someone’s kitchen.
External Hard Drive
And last – but not least – we have another useful gift on this secret Santa gift idea list!
If you’re getting a gift for someone who loves taking photos and/or videos, they might really appreciate an external hard drive.
We know how much storage space photos and videos can take up so we have multiple USB sticks and external hard drives to store them on. It’s a gift that might not look amazing, but can definitely be very useful!
Things to Consider When Buying Secret Santa Gifts
There are a few things that you should think about when buying secret Santa gifts. We’ll talk about some of the considerations in no particular order below.
Receiver’s Interests
This point is pretty self explanatory but of course you should keep the receiver’s interests and what you know about them in mind. Depending on the setting of the gift exchange, you might know them only a little or really quite well.
If you don’t know the person well (of the secret Santa is more of an “auction” style where you aren’t assigned a specific person), it’s probably a good idea to stick to a “safe item” that would work for many different people.
In case you know the person better and are aware of their hobbies, interests, etc., then you can look for something along those lines!
Secret Santa Rules and Setting
When it comes to secret Santa or similar holiday gift exchanges, there are often certain rules in places.
For example, rules could be that gifts should be under $20 or $25 dollars, that gifts don’t contain any alcohol, etc. Make sure you know what the rules are in your case so you can follow them when it comes to finding a suitable gift.
At the same time, you also have to keep the setting in mind. If you’re having a secret Santa gift exchange at work, you’d probably get a different gift than when you’re having a secret gift exchange with your family or friends.
It’s also important to get a gift that’s not inappropriate or offensive – especially when having a gift exchange in a workplace setting. So keep that in mind!
Price and Quality
Slightly related to a point we have already mentioned above, the price will most likely dictate what kind of gift you’re going to buy. Usually, secret Santa gifts are on the affordable side since there are often rules around how much a gift should cost.
At the same time, you want to make sure that the affordable gift is of decent quality. This is especially important if you are considering an electronic item as a gift since there are often knock-off products with sometimes lower overall quality.
That’s why we always recommend reading the full product description and reviews before buying anything!
And there you have it – some of the best secret Santa gift ideas out there! In the end, there are loads of other good secret Santa gift ideas.
Just keep in mind your potential receiver, your setting, and the price range – and you’ll be sure to find a nice gift that someone will be happy to open!
As always, Stay Curious,
-B&L
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