Top 30 Gifts for Christmas gifts under 30
1A soft ribbed beanie in recycled yarn, picked by HELLO! as a stocking filler under £25 and an easy, safe gift for him (for christmas-gifts-for-him, section 5: s
£24.95Passenger
3Ernie Ball 10 ft Braided Guitar Cable in Black with Straight Jack to Angled Jack
MusicRadar loves these tangle-resistant braided cables; a sturdy, noise-shielded replacement that any guitarist or bassist will use at every gig.
£24.99Andertons
554% Dark chocolate flakes | Blend
Grazia picks Knoops' 54% dark hot chocolate flakes as a stocking filler; a cosy, easy treat for anyone who likes proper hot chocolate. For stocking-filler-ideas
£13.50Knoops
7Teapigs On The Go Bundle, Tea and Travel Cup
Tea temples, a taster pack, a travel tin and a leak proof travel cup.
£29.99Teapigs
HintDrop perk: 20% off
9Teapigs Great Taste Bundle, 6 Teas
Six award winning teas, 15 tea temples of each, from everyday brew to chamomile.
£28.49Teapigs
HintDrop perk: 20% off
11Venchi Assorted Chocoviar London Mini Book, 120g
A collectible London themed tin shaped like a little book, holding 120g of Chocoviar in pistachio, blood orange, raspberry and more.
£15Venchi
13Truelove Ultra Light Magnetic Dog Collar
A light, padded collar with a magnetic buckle that clicks shut with one hand. CORDURA outer and aluminium D ring, in four colours.
From £21.99That Dog
15Pairfum London Flower and Soy Wax Scented Candle
A soy and flower wax candle scented with essential oils, 30 to 40 hours of burn time, in a gift box.
£17.50Pairfum London
17Kaweco Collection Sport Fountain Pen, Smooth Sage
A pocket fountain pen from Kaweco, a design first made in 1911, in soft sage green. Takes standard ink cartridges.
£30.00Papersmiths
19Save the Puffin Bamboo Socks for Kids
Puffin socks in kids' sizes, soft and warm bamboo.
£16.00Bare Kind
21A hand and body wash and lotion in a cosy, sweet spiced winter scent.
£26.95Scottish Fine Soaps
2Four rubbers decorated as classic novel covers, a small and witty stocking filler for a keen reader.
£14.99Abrams & Chronicle Books
4D'Addario PW-GBMT-01 Multi-Tool for Guitar and Bass
A pocket-sized 10-in-1 tool with hex keys and screwdrivers that a guitarist can keep in the gig bag; Guitar World lists it as a stocking filler.
£16.99Andertons Music Co
8Teapigs New Blend Bundle, 4 Teas
The four newest caffeine free blends, from manuka honey to pumpkin spice chai.
£18.99Teapigs
HintDrop perk: 20% off
10Teapigs Adventurous Caffeine Free Bundle, 6 Teas
Six caffeine free blends with unusual ingredients, about 90 tea temples in all.
£22.99Teapigs
HintDrop perk: 20% off
12Truelove Bamboo Double Pin and Bristle Brush
Steel pins on one side and natural boar bristles on the other, on a bamboo handle: a full groom from one brush.
From £12.99That Dog
14Truelove Fleece Dog Drying Coat
A soft polar fleece drying coat for after baths, swims and wet walks, which saves the sofa too.
From £20.99That Dog
16Pairfum London Sleep & Pillow Spray 100ml
A 100ml pillow and linen spray made with essential oils, with calming scents such as linen and lavender for winding down at night.
£20.00Pairfum London
18Papersmiths Pocket Notebook, Sapphire Blue
An A6 ruled notebook with fountain pen friendly paper, sewn by a family run bindery in Buckinghamshire.
£14.00Papersmiths
20Wild Heather Pamper Essentials
Body wash, body cream and more, scented with wild Scottish heather.
£19.95Scottish Fine Soaps
22Summer Crochet Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle
For the puzzler who likes a proper wooden jigsaw
From £10.50Wentworth Wooden Puzzles
How white elephant works, in two minutes
Everyone brings one wrapped gift at the same budget. Players draw numbers. Number one opens a present and shows it to the room. Everyone after that has a choice on their turn: unwrap a new gift, or steal one that has already been opened. Whoever loses a gift to a steal then opens another gift or steals something else.
House rules vary, so say yours before you start. The common ones are a limit on how many times one gift can be stolen (three is typical, after which it is locked to its owner), no stealing straight back from the person who just stole from you, and a last chance for number one to swap with anyone at the end. It is also called Yankee swap or dirty Santa. Same game, different name.
Gifts people will fight over
The gifts that get stolen first are the ones you can understand at a glance and imagine using tonight. A Lodge cast iron skillet is the classic: nearly everyone cooks, it lasts decades, and a good one for the price is a genuine steal. It is the gift that makes people glance at their own cupboards and wish they had brought it.
An insulated whiskey glass with a wood grain sleeve looks far more expensive than it is and suits anyone who drinks, or anyone who likes a good looking thing on a desk. For people who would rather unwrap something edible, a Milk Bar cookie tin gives the winner an instant treat to share, which is a quiet way of making friends in a room full of colleagues.
Safe, useful gifts nobody resents
If you do not know the group, go for things almost every adult would use. A hardcover Moleskine notebook is neat and will never offend. A brass Craighill pen is a small object that feels much more expensive than it is, and it is the kind of gift that sits on a desk for years rather than in a drawer by January.
A magnesium body butter suits anyone with sore shoulders or a long commute, and works for any gender, which matters in an office draw. A large bag of Lindt truffles is the sensible choice when you want to spend very little and be sure it will be eaten. None of these will start a fight, and that is exactly why they are good for a first time group.
Fun and a little different
When the group is close and likes a laugh, pick something with a story. A 1000 piece Galison puzzle with a swirl of colour gives the winner a quiet weekend and looks lovely on the box. It is a gift that draws a steal from the person who watched it being opened and thought, I want that.
A set of cardboard animal build kits, with narwhals, anglerfish and red pandas, suits anyone with a creative streak or children at home. A de stress set with a pillow mist and bath soak is the gentle gift for the colleague who looks like they need an early night.
What to spend, and what to skip
Set the budget in the invitation and keep it as a single number. Twenty five dollars is the most common office limit, and many groups go to thirty for friends and family. Choose a number the least well off person in the group is comfortable with, and tell people it is a ceiling, not a target.
Skip gag gifts that are only funny once, anything alcoholic unless you know the group, and anything that needs a battery or a subscription. A gift is better when the thief can use it that evening. Wrap in plain paper, so nobody can guess what is inside from the shape.
Running the party and the draw
Write numbers on slips, and let each person draw one in secret. Keep the stealing time boxed: ten minutes per ten players is plenty. If your group has remote people, ask them to ship a gift to the host in advance, and let the host unwrap on their behalf on camera.
If your group prefers a classic Secret Santa where each person buys for one named person, our free generator does the draw with exclusions and keeps each match private. After the party, HintDrop is where people can save the gift ideas they really loved, so a year from now there is a list to start from.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good white elephant gift?
Something useful, good looking and easy to explain in a sentence, such as a cast iron skillet, a nice cookie tin, a great puzzle or a well made notebook. Gifts that people can picture using that evening get stolen most.
How much should a white elephant gift cost?
Most office groups pick twenty or twenty five dollars, and friends or family often go to thirty. Pick one number the least well off person is happy with and call it a ceiling. A well chosen gift at twenty five feels better than a gimmick at fifty.
How many times can a white elephant gift be stolen?
Three is the most common house rule. After the third steal the gift is locked to its owner, which stops the best gift bouncing around all night. Agree this before the first gift is opened.
What is the difference between white elephant and Secret Santa?
In Secret Santa each person buys for one named person. In white elephant everyone brings one anonymous gift and players choose or steal on the night. White elephant is more playful and needs no draw beforehand, only a way to order the turns.
What should you not bring to a white elephant?
Skip gag gifts that are only funny for a minute, anything alcoholic without checking the group, and anything that needs batteries or a subscription. Gift cards and generic candles tend to be the gifts nobody steals.
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