Looking for the perfect present for your Secret Santa giftee this Christmas?
We’ve got the lowdown on the best Secret Santa ideas this year, with options for every budget and recipient. From beauty gifts and cosy winter accessories to unusual gifts you won’t find on the high street, we’ve got plenty of options from a wide range of brands.
We also share our top tips for saving money on gifting this holiday season, as well as a whole host of fantastic cashback deals.
Keep reading if you want to find the ideal Secret Santa Christmas gift.
What makes a good Secret Santa gift?
Picking the perfect Secret Santa gift is all about knowing your audience. These gifts can be lighthearted and funny, thoughtful, or purely practical, it’s really down to the context of your gift exchange.
Whether you’re doing Secret Santa at home with your family, with your group of friends or at work, you can give a thoughtful gift without going over budget.
Office Secret Santa exchanges can sometimes be tricky, particularly if you draw someone’s name who you don’t know all that well.
This guide has a roundup of 50 brilliant gifts that’ll be perfect for a Secret Santa exchange this Christmas. If you’re looking for more general tips for choosing a good gift or saving money on your purchase, we’ll cover those topics later on.
A few top picks for Secret Santa 2023 gifts
If you know your recipient’s hobbies and interests well, this will make choosing the right Secret Santa gift a lot easier.
Here are a few of our top picks for a range of different giftees this year.
FOR A PET LOVER: Personalised Pet Keyring (from £18)
FOR A BOOKWORM: Personalised Leather Corner Bookmark (£10.50)
FOR A DIY-ER: Magnetic DIY Wristband (£9.99)
FOR AN ARTIST: POSCA Pen Pastel Set of Eight (£21.95)
FOR A BUDDING COOK: Great With Steak! BBQ Rubs Gift Set (£25)
FOR A FITNESS AND WELLNESS GURU: Yoga Wellness Cards (£10)
FOR A COLLEAGUE YOU HARDLY KNOW: Henry Desk Vacuum (£12.99)
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Our favourite Secret Santa ideas for 2023
Let’s face it, there are thousands of things on the internet that you could buy for your Secret Santa recipient.
But with so many options, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and sidetracked. If you want to stick to your budget, check out our list of ideas below, which we’ve categorised by the size of the spend.
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Gift ideas under £5
Looking for seriously cheap Secret Santa gifts? Check out these gift ideas, all under £5 each. With such a low budget, you’ll probably need to stick to finding a novelty gift, or perhaps something drinkable or edible like a coffee or chocolate gift.
Crazy Cat Lady Pen
Price:
£2.75
This charming ballpoint pen is the purr-fect gift for cat lovers, especially those with a quirky sense of humour.
Where to buy: Dean Morris Cards
Grow A Girlfriend
Price:
£1.99
A great, affordable, tongue-in-cheek gift for your single friends, promising companionship in just 72 hours. Place it in water and watch as it expands up to 600% its original size.
Where to buy: Guess What I Forgot
Rose Gold Positive Vibes Keyring
Price: £3.50
This rose gold keyring from Peacocks radiates positivity and good vibes. A thoughtful and stylish gift, it's perfect for spreading joy this Christmas.
Where to buy: Peacocks
M&S Disco Santa Socks
SOLD OUT
Price:
£4 £2.40
Put your best foot forward with these festive socks from M&S. With their fun dancing Santa pattern, these socks are great for anyone who loves a bit of Christmas cheese. With added stretch for cosiness, they're a delightful gift for the colder months.
Where to buy: Ocado
Friends Are Like Stars Plaque
Price:
£4
This beautiful home decoration from Sass & Belle will make a wonderful gift for a close friend. Whether you see them every weekend or once in a blue moon, remind them that you're thinking of them all year round.
Where to buy: Sass & Belle
A Little Pocket Penguin Hug
Price:
£2.99
This charming glass Pocket Penguin Hug is a petite 2.6cm by 2.3cm symbol of comfort and joy. Perfectly sized for a pocket or palm, this trinket comes with a gift box and card.
Where to buy: Amazon
Gift ideas under £10
With a budget of around £10, you’ll find plenty of options for personalised gifts. These are great for Secret Santa because they add a personal touch that’ll immediately elevate the item you’re buying into something much more meaningful.
Floral Pocket Mirror
Price: £10 £8
This handy little pocket mirror with a sweet floral design will make a thoughtful yet practical gift. Measuring 7.6cm across, it's the perfect size for carrying around in a handbag, purse, or make-up pouch.
Where to buy: Etsy
Ring For Tea Bell
Price: £5.99
Perfect for brew enthusiasts, this green metal bell playfully beckons for a cuppa. This tongue-in-cheek Secret Santa gift will add a royal touch to all future office tea breaks.
Where to buy: FindMeAGift
MR SPLATMAN Stress-Relief Toy
Price: £5.25
This fun stress relief toy is ideal for particularly busy colleagues or anyone in your life prone to worry or anxiety. It’s great for all ages and you can choose from six available colours.
Where to buy: Amazon
Personalised Keyring
Price:
£8.99
Treat them to a personalised photo keyring like this one from Etsy. Perfect for cherishing memories, this is thoughtful gift that combines sentimentality with everyday functionality.
Where to buy: Etsy
Sweet Bee Hug Mug
Price:
£8.99
This 450ml Sweet Bee Hug Mug will make a charming present for someone who loves bees and nature. Perfect for warming drinks and hearts, it's a buzz-worthy Secret Santa gift for any tea or coffee lover.
Where to buy: Etsy
Fetch My Keys (Key Finder)
Price:
£8
This is a brilliant perfect Secret Santa gift for the forgetful or those always on the go. The Fetch My Keys key finder responds to your whistle, making your keys beep and flash.
Where to buy: Prezzybox
Personalised Wooden Coaster Set
Price:
£9.25
Buying a Secret Santa gift for your favourite couple? Celebrate love with this beautifully crafted couples coaster set. Personalisation and gift-wrapping options are available.
Where to buy: Etsy
Kyto Pink Glass Candlestick
Price:
£6.50
For a lover of dinner parties, the Kyto glass candlestick holder is an effortlessly sophisticated choice. There's a range of matching items on the Oliver Bonas website too.
Where to buy: Oliver Bonas
Grow Your Own Christmas Tree
Price:
£7
For the eco-conscious person in your life, why not treat them to a Grow Your Own Christmas Tree kit from BEEcycle? You'll be giving the gift of watching a plant grow from seed to centrepiece, and that's quite beautiful.
Where to buy: Not On The High Street
Gift ideas under £15
Once your budget reaches the £10+ mark, you’ll probably find you have more options to choose from. Whether you go for a luxurious self-care set, or you’re after funny Secret Santa gifts, check out the products below.
Marbrasse Wooden Desk Organiser
Price:
£11.99
With 18 compartments and a sleek, varnished finish, this desk organiser is a stylish yet functional gift. This will be the perfect present for a colleague who always has a cluttered workspace.
Where to buy: Amazon
Christmas Pudding Door Stop
Price:
£11
If your gift recipient is truly crackers about Christmas, they'll love this Christmas pudding door stop. At 27cm tall and filled with 1kg of sand, it's both decorative and functional.
Where to buy: The Range
Arm Chair Caddy
Price:
£10
Enhance their lounging sessions with the Arm Chair Caddy from MenKind. Designed to hold cups, phones, and remotes, it seamlessly fits various armchairs and sofas. A perfect Secret Santa gift for the ultimate couch potato.
Where to buy: MenKind
Rubik's Cube
Price:
£11.20
A Rubik's Cube is a timeless puzzle, making it a fabulous Secret Santa gift for anyone who likes a challenge. Suitable for people of all ages, this present idea is bound to provide endless Christmas entertainment.
Where to buy: John Lewis
Checkerboard Recycled Shopping Bag
Price:
£12
This pink and orange checkerboard shopping bag from Kind Bag is both fashionable and functional. Made from six recycled plastic bottles, Kind Bag's accessories make thoughtful gifts for environmentally-aware shoppers.
Where to buy: Kind Bag
Gift ideas under £20
If your budget is up to £20, you’ll find a wide range of gifting options for every type of person.
Grow Your Own Birth Flower
Price: £16.95
No matter if their birthday is near Christmas or not, the Grow Your Own Birth Flower kit makes a meaningful gift. Ideal for green-thumbed individuals or those looking to get their hands dirty.
Where to buy: Not On The High Street
Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream 75ml
Price: £21
The Brazilian Bum Bum Cream is a luxurious all-over body cream that absorbs quickly to help visibly tighten the appearance of skin. Its moreish pistachio and salted caramel scent is utterly irresistible.
Where to buy: LOOKFANTASTIC
Microwavable Slippers
SOLD OUT
Price:
£19.99
Infused with calming lavender and filled with millet seed, these slippers offer warmth and relaxation after a long day. A dreamy gift for anyone who loves a touch of luxury and pampering at home.
Where to buy: FindMeAGift
Wave Fountain Pen
Price: £16 £13.60
Crafted from matte copper with a playful wavy clip, this refillable pen offers a smooth and weighty feel. Perfect for those who appreciate the art of handwritten notes and seek a touch of elegance in their stationery.
Where to buy: Papier
Desktop Punch Bag
Price: £16
Does your Secret Santa recipient need to unleash a bit of stress? This fully inflatable mini punching bag, complete with an air pump, offers bounce-back action for those tense moments.
Where to buy: MenKind
Jolly Gingerbread Fred Teddy
Price:
£19
This adorable gingerbread man teddy from Jellycat is a delightful companion with textured fleece fur, embroidered buttons and a red tartan bow. He'll make a heartwarming gift for someone who loves cute, festive characters.
Where to buy: Jellycat
Mulled Wine Tea Towel
Price: £15 £10.50
Add a festive touch to your giftee's kitchen with the Mulled Wine Tea Towel from Emma Bridgewater. Featuring an easy-to-follow mulled wine recipe, this charming tea towel is both practical and decorative. Ideal for those who love holiday-themed home accessories and enjoy a warm winter drink.
Where to buy: Emma Bridgewater
Our quick tips for a successful Secret Santa
Use an online tool to draw names
Using an online tool like Draw Names is a quick and easy way to kickstart the Secret Santa process. These tools will prevent you from picking your own name by accident and they also help keep things anonymous as you can get your giftee’s name sent straight to your email.
Submit a wish list
Help your fellow gifters out by submitting a wish list to give them some inspiration. If everyone in the group can do this, you’ll all find it easier to buy presents and can each rest assured you should get gifted something you actually like. You can use Draw Names for wish lists too.
Keep it a secret!
Don’t spoil the fun by blabbing about who you’ve got. If you’re really stuck for ideas, ask someone who’s not taking part to help you out. So, if you’re doing a gift exchange with your group of friends, you could ask a family member for help. If you’re exchanging with family, why not ask a colleague for inspiration?
Save money on your Secret Santa gifting
Whether you snap up a bargain in a retailer’s Black Friday sale, or browse the internet for discount codes, there are always ways you can make savings on your festive gifts.
Stick to your budget
The higher your budget, the more pressure you might feel to choose something good. On the other hand, if your budget is lower, you’ll be more limited on what you can actually get for your money.
If your group hasn’t decided on a budget, it’s worth having a conversation about it so that you don’t overspend. Bear in mind that although you might be tempted to go over budget, this is obviously not the most money-savvy thing to do.
Earn cashback when you buy Secret Santa gifts online
Did you know you can earn cashback on your online shopping from hundreds of different retailers when you sign up to TopCashback?
Every time you make a purchase with one of the brands on our site, that brand pays us a commission for sending you over to them. We then give you 100% of that commission as cashback, which will be credited to your TopCashback account for you to redeem.
Your cashback can quickly add up, especially if you’re doing a lot of online shopping at this time of year. Cash out your earnings directly to your bank account, or opt for a gift card using the Reward Wallet to spend online and earn further cashback.
We have a mix of premium brands and high-street names on TopCashback, many of which have been mentioned in this guide, including Not On The High Street, Emma Bridgewater and The Body Shop.
We also have a handy browser extension, which will remind you to activate your cashback offers while you’re browsing on any of our retailers’ sites.
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Secret Santa: a Claus for celebration…
No matter what your budget is or who you’re buying for, hopefully this guide has got your mind firing with Secret Santa gift ideas.
From quirky joke gifts to beauty gift sets that have a touch of luxury, Secret Santa is the perfect opportunity to think outside of the box.
And if you want to make things more affordable, don’t forget to look for discount codes and shop through TopCashback whenever you’re ordering products online.
If you're looking for more gifting inspiration, we've also covered the best men's advent calendars, stationery advent calendars, and even cheese calendars.
Have you managed to get a bargain on a Secret Santa gift this year? Let us know in the comments what you bought.