itty-bitty cool gifts
November 30, 2015 10:19 AM Subscribe
I am making Christmas crackers, and need some tiny cool gifts that are not nail clippers! Ideally under ten dollars each. These will be for adults!
Think smaller than stocking stuffers, for a maximum three inch diameter tube. Puzzles, cocktailiana, food, games, nerdy stuff are good. Some easy DIY okay, though I don't have a ton of time.
Think smaller than stocking stuffers, for a maximum three inch diameter tube. Puzzles, cocktailiana, food, games, nerdy stuff are good. Some easy DIY okay, though I don't have a ton of time.
I've always wanted one of those tiny steel capsules that you can store, like, a rolled-up twenty or a cyanide pill inside. Attached to a keychain, of course.
posted by the_blizz at 10:25 AM on November 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by the_blizz at 10:25 AM on November 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
For the women, mini-nail polish bottles. OPI often do mini collection sets that have about 4 bottles per set and if you put one bottle per cracker that should be within budget. Full bottles of a drugstore brand would be well under your budget.
Mini fragrances. Penhaligon's do 4 in a set for £30 (sorry I can't access the US site but that should be under $40). They also have men's fragrances as well
posted by like_neon at 10:28 AM on November 30, 2015
Mini fragrances. Penhaligon's do 4 in a set for £30 (sorry I can't access the US site but that should be under $40). They also have men's fragrances as well
posted by like_neon at 10:28 AM on November 30, 2015
Cool/fun looking USBsticks. Everyone can use those nowadays.
Please don't assume that all women use nail polish or perfume.
posted by Too-Ticky at 10:37 AM on November 30, 2015 [12 favorites]
Please don't assume that all women use nail polish or perfume.
posted by Too-Ticky at 10:37 AM on November 30, 2015 [12 favorites]
You can get a tube of wire id charms and put a couple in each. Everybody charges something, no?
posted by tilde at 10:42 AM on November 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by tilde at 10:42 AM on November 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
Good suggestions in some threads about advent calendar gifts. One good thread in specific.
posted by jessamyn at 10:51 AM on November 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by jessamyn at 10:51 AM on November 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
Fun contact lens cases like this or this, if you have any contact lens wearers.
posted by lucy.jakobs at 10:56 AM on November 30, 2015
posted by lucy.jakobs at 10:56 AM on November 30, 2015
Mini hot sauce
Luxury hand cream
Fancy tea bags
Fun bandages
Good lip balm
Miracle Fruit tablets
Dice sets
Cable cord clips
Excellent tweezers
posted by Diagonalize at 10:57 AM on November 30, 2015 [4 favorites]
Luxury hand cream
Fancy tea bags
Fun bandages
Good lip balm
Miracle Fruit tablets
Dice sets
Cable cord clips
Excellent tweezers
posted by Diagonalize at 10:57 AM on November 30, 2015 [4 favorites]
if you're near a cost plus world market, they have an entire rack of stuff like this, and also small toys. also small chocolates.
posted by koroshiya at 11:00 AM on November 30, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by koroshiya at 11:00 AM on November 30, 2015 [5 favorites]
Just recently bought this tiny game for a fun mini gift: Gem
posted by miratime at 11:05 AM on November 30, 2015
posted by miratime at 11:05 AM on November 30, 2015
Compasses. I don't know why but I love crap like this. At $5.50 per dozen, they're perfect for your use.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 11:10 AM on November 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 11:10 AM on November 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
Think Geek's stocking stuffers section has some cool small items that would fit into crackers.
Space Capsule Tea Infuser, miracle berry fruit tabs, collapsible shot glass, annoy-a-tron, 5-in-1 geek pen, etc.
posted by lizbunny at 11:36 AM on November 30, 2015
Space Capsule Tea Infuser, miracle berry fruit tabs, collapsible shot glass, annoy-a-tron, 5-in-1 geek pen, etc.
posted by lizbunny at 11:36 AM on November 30, 2015
Fish-eye lenses for celphones are pretty fun.
Movie passes
posted by pseudostrabismus at 11:36 AM on November 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
Movie passes
posted by pseudostrabismus at 11:36 AM on November 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
Uncommon Goods and SUCK UK are good places to look for cool, tiny gifts. I have this bottle opener and love it.
posted by neushoorn at 11:41 AM on November 30, 2015
posted by neushoorn at 11:41 AM on November 30, 2015
KAZOOOS!!!!!
posted by tilde at 12:11 PM on November 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by tilde at 12:11 PM on November 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
I keep making this suggestion: synthetic gemstones and cubic zirconium are pretty cheap and kind of cool to carry around.
I've bought them from Pehnec before and been fairly pleased with the results. there's something really satisfying (in the evil super villain kind of way) about holding a handful of jewels.
You can get 40 1cm round synthetic rubies for less than $50.
posted by sciencegeek at 12:51 PM on November 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
I've bought them from Pehnec before and been fairly pleased with the results. there's something really satisfying (in the evil super villain kind of way) about holding a handful of jewels.
You can get 40 1cm round synthetic rubies for less than $50.
posted by sciencegeek at 12:51 PM on November 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
the target $1/$3 section also has lots of random stuff that might be good for this.
posted by koroshiya at 12:59 PM on November 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by koroshiya at 12:59 PM on November 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
Lee Valley Tools often has useful little stocking stuffers (this year, including the keyring vials the_blizz mentioned).
posted by clew at 2:12 PM on November 30, 2015
posted by clew at 2:12 PM on November 30, 2015
Response by poster: Lots of great suggestions here! I'm not saying what I'm getting (in case of MeFite readers) but I've found some perfect things through all your suggestions and links. I'll try to remember to post again after Christmas day and let you know what I got!
posted by oneirodynia at 3:59 PM on November 30, 2015
posted by oneirodynia at 3:59 PM on November 30, 2015
Tons of tiny things in carnival/fair type of stores, like these novelties offered by CarnivalSource.com
Also - check out Archie McPhee for hilarious small novelties!
posted by barnone at 4:03 PM on November 30, 2015
Also - check out Archie McPhee for hilarious small novelties!
posted by barnone at 4:03 PM on November 30, 2015
To build on koroshiya's answer a bit: there's a 'dollar spot' type section in Michael's (a crafts store - may not be near you) that has fun pens, stationery, and miscellaneous stuff. If you don't have a Michael's near you you can try hitting up a crafts store for fun, cheap items.
I <3 Ruthless Bunny's suggestion and link to the pastel plastic compasses - I would be thrilled to receive a freebie like this.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 5:08 PM on November 30, 2015
I <3 Ruthless Bunny's suggestion and link to the pastel plastic compasses - I would be thrilled to receive a freebie like this.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 5:08 PM on November 30, 2015
Yeah, home improvement stores have a lot of stocking stufferish items this time of year too.
-Mini-flashlights in every imaginable form factor - my favorites are the weeble-wobble ones (Home Depot had those for like $5 a few years ago, for some reason they're showing as $15 now).
-Little measuring tapes, keychain compasses, etc.
-Silly putty
-Sugru.
-Wind-up toys.
-Hexbug little robots (they have robot fish that really swim, which are super cool).
posted by LobsterMitten at 5:29 PM on November 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
-Mini-flashlights in every imaginable form factor - my favorites are the weeble-wobble ones (Home Depot had those for like $5 a few years ago, for some reason they're showing as $15 now).
-Little measuring tapes, keychain compasses, etc.
-Silly putty
-Sugru.
-Wind-up toys.
-Hexbug little robots (they have robot fish that really swim, which are super cool).
posted by LobsterMitten at 5:29 PM on November 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
I see a lot of live music and I really love EarLove's $10 earplugs.
posted by Juliet Banana at 6:48 PM on November 30, 2015
posted by Juliet Banana at 6:48 PM on November 30, 2015
colorful headphones (the kind that plug into your ears)
posted by watrlily at 7:15 PM on November 30, 2015
posted by watrlily at 7:15 PM on November 30, 2015
Eyeglass repair kits, sugru, magnets, chocolate coins, lip balm, teeny sharpie markers, votive candles, tiny liquor bottles, little pocket knives/tools, folding scissors, sewing kit, altoids tin, gum.
posted by mulkey at 9:48 PM on December 3, 2015
posted by mulkey at 9:48 PM on December 3, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by slateyness at 10:23 AM on November 30, 2015 [1 favorite]