This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Bucknell chapter.
Every winter in high school my friends and I always looked forward to our Secret Santa exchange. It was so fun looking for gifts to give to my friends and trying (and often failing) to keep the secret along the way. However, we all seemed to fall into the same gift-exchange trap: unoriginal gifts that we found at the last possible minute. Now, after a few years away from the Secret Santa craze, I’ve found five easy and creative gifts your friends will love!
- For all those crafters out there, work what you know! A quick trip to the dollar store will give you a TON of gift options. One easy secret Santa gift: buy a plain mug and use some arts and craft supplies to personalize it! Puffy paint it with fun designs or their name, maybe add a little red and green for some Christmas spirit! Once it is dry, add hot chocolate packages and candy canes. For the final touch, tie it up with ribbon. This gift is adorable and yummy!
- For your fashionista friend head down to Dwellings and pick up a colorful scarf. You can never have too many scarves and this accessory will not break your bank. Whether it is trendy or more practical for those snowy days, scarves are the perfect gift that will keep on giving during the winter months!
- Winter means not only a whole new wardrobe but also a wide range of forgotten nail polish colors. When the weather gets colder it’s time to break out those dark purples and deep reds. Go out and buy a few nail polishes in a variety of colors and write a clever note for your friend, “For your mistletoes!” This gift is clever and will definitely be used by your friends throughout the colder season!
- If you want to get into the holiday spirit, let your inner baker shine through! Bake your friend’s favorite cookie or holiday treat. A tried and true standby is the classic and delicious chocolate chip cookie. For more original presentation, put the cookies in an old Pringles can. Cover it in wrapping paper and tie it with a ribbon! This is a gift that you know will be gone in only a matter of minutes!
- You know it’s close to Christmas when your house starts to smell like pine needles and gingerbread. Unfortunately most dorm rooms do not have this lovely smell to them. If you want to get your friend truly excited about the upcoming holidays, give them a delicious smelling candle. Yankee Candle has several winter themed options including, Christmas Cookie, Christmas Eve, Cinnamon Stick, Gingerbread, and Holiday Garland just to name a few. These are relatively inexpensive gift options that will fill your friend’s room with holiday spirit.
What are your favorite secret Santa gifts that you have given or received? Let us know and comment below!