What on earth can I get my coworkers?

November 26, 2023 7:29 PM

I work with six women and need to come up with holiday gifts for them, asap. But alas, there are complications.

I work with six women of various tastes and backgrounds, and I need to come up with a gift to give each one of them. Ive tried to implement a Secret Santa in previous years but no one followed the rules. So I need to come up with six gifts, under $25 each. And here's the problem. I only see these people once a month and I have to carry all the gifts with me on multiple forms of mass transit. So these gifts have to be small and portable. I can't carry six bottles of wine in my backpack!

Also it cant be candy or any kind of snack since we got lots of holiday baskets from clients. So by the time I see them, everyone will be candy and brownie'd out.

Our office buys us any office supplies we need so no notebooks, pens, stuff like that.

In the past years I've given everyone: a nice scarf, a cup and hot cocoa combo, fancy soaps, little coin purses... That's all I can remember.

I am seriously out of ideas! Help!

posted by silverstatue to Shopping (35 answers total)

I think everyone likes fancy French hand lotion.
posted by rainy day girl at 7:42 PM on November 26, 2023 [3 favorites]

I am never, ever sad about getting a nice candle that I wouldn't buy for myself.
posted by Pax at 7:48 PM on November 26, 2023 [3 favorites]

Is there any reason you can’t place a $20 gift card in a fancy card? My boss did that last year and the entire team later chatted about how much we all appreciated it.
posted by lepus at 7:54 PM on November 26, 2023 [17 favorites]

I’d avoid scented products unless you know they use them and what scents they like.

There are often small office supply items, or the extra fancy fanciful/cute versions of standard office supplies that offices don’t buy - the particularly nice pens or fun paper clips or something.

Gift cards are highly portable. As are books, if any of them are readers. Or a special ornament that they can use each year and think of you fondly each time they pull it out.
posted by eviemath at 7:57 PM on November 26, 2023 [6 favorites]

+1 on avoiding anything scented like candles or lotions. Lots of folks either have a strong aversion to anything scented (raises hand) or have very particular preference. I vote gift cards, maybe to Barnes & Noble? If they're not into reading a lot they still have some fun notebooks/journals, calendars, pens, etc. Personally I love gifts cards because it really is a treat to use it for something fun for myself :)
posted by Molasses808 at 8:04 PM on November 26, 2023 [8 favorites]

Tote bags? (Baggu has some lil ones for ~$12)
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 8:04 PM on November 26, 2023 [15 favorites]

I would be happy to get a pair of Darn Tough socks.
posted by Redstart at 8:04 PM on November 26, 2023 [15 favorites]

no ornaments unless you're 100% sure they all celebrate christmas
posted by brujita at 8:04 PM on November 26, 2023 [2 favorites]

Little ornament with a pocket of some kind with $20 inside. You can also repeat this idea every year with a different ornament, potentially home made.

Or, an air plant.
posted by blnkfrnk at 8:06 PM on November 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

Movie tickets! Scratchers! Groovy mood rings! Fancy flaky Maldon salt. Bamboo spoon rests.
posted by samthemander at 8:07 PM on November 26, 2023 [5 favorites]

Small picture frames.
posted by FencingGal at 8:09 PM on November 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

A programmable smart bulb like a Philips hue (there are many cheaper off brands that work great) with a little note that says something cheesy like "you make my work day brighter 😊."

It's cool, practical, won't aggravate anyone's allergies or religious sensibilities, and if they don't want it it's extremely regiftable.
posted by phunniemee at 8:21 PM on November 26, 2023 [15 favorites]

Some really nice olive oil. Slip the bottles into socks so they don't clank around in transit.
posted by kate4914 at 8:27 PM on November 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

If you're headed into winter, it never hurts to have a backup lip balms around, and you could do a nice upgrade at your price, like a couple from Kiehl's (basic, overnight treatment currently under $25 on sale). Or if you've got an Ulta handy, swing by and see what in lip care looks nice.
posted by EvaDestruction at 8:35 PM on November 26, 2023 [2 favorites]

Second a bag, the patterned fold up grocery kind, like the baggu ones mentioned. Small, light, cute, useful!
posted by Adifferentbear at 10:04 PM on November 26, 2023 [3 favorites]

Matchboxes can work well - you can order fancier ones - but you can also get a regular one an put in just the QR code which the leads to something like a gift token - even the QR code can have its own Christmas look. QR stuff is the type of site where you can do this for free.
posted by rongorongo at 12:55 AM on November 27, 2023

Tiny scissors: https://www.litesmith.com/micro-scissors-with-cover/
posted by foxfirefey at 1:20 AM on November 27, 2023 [1 favorite]

I'm a fan of KnockKnockStuff fun sticky notes and note pads - they come with varying levels of snark from WTF to pretty sincere. Work provides you with boring stationery; these add some unexpected fun at work or home. See paper tantrum and awesome citation

And thirding Baggu bags. I love love mine and have it in my purse at all times.
posted by evilmomlady at 3:43 AM on November 27, 2023 [2 favorites]

Moisturizing sheet masks, fancy lip balm, and cuticle oil pens (you can buy them filled or get empties on Amazon and fill with jojoba oil) went over well at my office a couple years ago.
posted by misskaz at 4:10 AM on November 27, 2023 [1 favorite]

$20 gift card to a book shop. Even if they are not themselves readers, solid odds they will be able to use it to buy something for someone else.
posted by thivaia at 6:01 AM on November 27, 2023 [5 favorites]

Personally, I think bespoke gifts are for people you really know and love, not co-workers you only see once a month. I think a gift card is the least stressful option, so just do that. The above suggestion for a book store is good, you might also consider what's near-ish work that has broad appeal - a cinema? a delectable bakery? a sandwich shop? etc. If you write a card for each person and put some thought into it, it will still feel personalized despite being a gift card.
posted by coffeecat at 6:16 AM on November 27, 2023 [8 favorites]

You could add a single rose or something to a gift card to make it feel a bit more special.

(Seconding the please no ornament/Christmas gifts unless you know they all definitely actively celebrate it)
posted by trig at 6:47 AM on November 27, 2023

Gift cards to me make sense if you're their boss/ outside the team in some way. But if you're lateral coworkers where there's an expectation everyone is going to get everyone else something I think gift cards sort of up the ante as setting the floor for what people will feel like they have to spend in future. I think just lotion, olive oils, candles is fine in the right sort of generic way.
posted by mosswinter at 7:20 AM on November 27, 2023 [2 favorites]

I asked this question a decade ago (!!!!) although at a lower price point -- might be a few ideas for you there.
posted by jabes at 7:21 AM on November 27, 2023

Here are a few things that I have gotten for work people that were well received: Mug Warmer, Small Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker, my favorite cozy socks, Burt's Bees products, and rechargeable hand warmers. Links are Amazon but all can be found other places as well.
posted by maxg94 at 7:48 AM on November 27, 2023

I'm a person who presents as fairly feminine, but am not nearly as cis as I look. Every time I've received a "woman" gift, I hate it. I don't have any interest in candles, cosmetics, purses, etc. and find the assumption a bit icky. I'd be much happier with a gift card to a bookstore or olive oil or some other gender-neutral gift.
posted by Mournful Bagel Song at 9:45 AM on November 27, 2023 [13 favorites]

Cold where you are? Cozy house socks or what Barnes and Noble/Paper Source call "reading socks." Or convertible mittens.
posted by BibiRose at 10:21 AM on November 27, 2023

Side note that non-Christmas seasonal holidays also have ornaments. Like, I’m not Christian and don’t celebrate Christmas. I do have ornaments that I put up around this time if year. But also, agree that gift cards are the better option.
posted by eviemath at 10:50 AM on November 27, 2023 [1 favorite]

Dreidels
posted by one for the books at 11:47 AM on November 27, 2023 [1 favorite]

How about a multi-tool? or an engraved wooden pen?
posted by Sophont at 12:42 PM on November 27, 2023 [2 favorites]

For people with glasses, I cannot overstate how much I love my weighted glasses holder for my bedside table. I laughed when my aunt bought it for me. Now it is one of my favorite things.
posted by pneumaticvehicle at 12:57 PM on November 27, 2023 [1 favorite]

Mulling spices for cider or wine — it’s festive, non-religious, can be enjoyed with or without alcohol, and often comes in a gift-worthy package. You can put together a gift set with mugs and a nice steeping tool, or just give the spices.

A cute bag that folds up small enough to live in a purse. Baggu is a common brand for this. These are terrific because they’re cute and useful. You never know when a little bag will come in handy.

Something nice for use at the office: novelty office supplies (cute notepads, fun pens), fidget toy, good travel mug, tea sampler.
posted by theotherdurassister at 1:20 PM on November 27, 2023 [1 favorite]

Add me to the chorus of people saying gift cards are the way to go here. Bespoke gifts are for friends and family where there is a deeper relationship; I've never resented being given a gift card from coworkers that want to express their appreciation with a gift, while there are certainly thing-gifts I've received from coworkers that were more of a 'you really shouldn't have' sort of thing. It's an acknowledgement that you don't necessarily have the kind of relationship that would allow you to know exactly what would delight them (or what gifts they would not be able to use at all--there are plenty of pitfalls you might not expect there as well) while still being a useful and thoughtful gift.
posted by Aleyn at 1:47 PM on November 27, 2023 [2 favorites]

Lately I've been giving this $9 utensil set. Compact, handy, pretty!
posted by olopua at 2:46 PM on November 27, 2023

> I'd be much happier with a gift card to a bookstore or olive oil or some other gender-neutral gift.

Seconding that. Getting a highly gendered gift makes me feel like I'm doing gender wrong. How about small but good quality flashlights? Everyone needs another flashlight.
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:24 AM on November 28, 2023 [1 favorite]