Doing a Secret Santa exchange with friends can be fun, but unlike the real Santa Claus, figuring out what gifts to give isn’t always easy.
After picking whose Secret Santa you’ll be, setting a budget and sticking to that budget is often challenging, especially if it’s fairly low. And you don’t want to just buy a pair of fuzzy socks and lip-gloss again.
But the good news is, finding cute and quirky gifts without overspending is totally possible, and there are so many options to choose from that your person will love. Here are just a few suggestions:
1. A cute power cord for their phone ($10, Etsy)
Keeping track of your charger is such a struggle, and after awhile, it wears out, not to mention looking old and dirty, too. After you find out what kind of phone your person has, buying them a power cord in a cool color or pattern will give them another option for when their Apple charger just isn’t cutting it, or to give them a way to stand out from the crowd and easily identify which charger belongs to them.
You can find a variety of colors and patterns to choose from here.
2. A small travel makeup bag ($7, Forever 21)
Meant for those day trips or sleepovers with friends, this cute little pouch holds the perfect amount of makeup for an overnight trip, and for under $10, you can slip in a container of nail polish or a lip-gloss inside for a sweet second surprise!
If your friend likes floral patterns, here is a pouch that’s perfect for her.
3. A cozy hat ($5-$10, Forever 21)
The weather’s getting cold, which means it’s time for warm, fuzzy hats to keep you warm when you’re walking to class. They’re basically like pillows on your head, and you can never have enough of them. And what’s more, they come in a million different styles: cable knit vs. marled knit, with or without a pom-pom at the top and just about any color you can think of. Your friend will thank you the next time it gets super chilly.
You can find a few options to choose from here.
4. A poster of their favorite band, TV show, celebrity, etc. (Amazon, prices vary)
It’s never too late to decorate a dorm room, and a poster is cool, unique and shows that you know something that your friend is interested in. Posters are always a great gift: they’re usually pretty cheap, they’re easy to hang up and they last forever. So Channing Tatum won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
5. A Nutella recipe book ($8, Barnes and Noble)
Because honestly, who doesn’t love Nutella or a book about how to cook it into 30 irresistible treats? Your friend will thank you in advance (and maybe you’ll get to sample some of the recipes they make with it).
You can buy it here.