Secret Santa Ideas

Secret Santa Gift Ideas

I have to get a Secret Santa gift for a girl at work for under $10. (Secret Santa) Here is my prob.: She is 33 years old and hates getting commercial gifts. People that know her suggested I make her something, she would much rather I give her something from the heart, than something I can buy in a store. Some said I should bake some cookies; the problem is I HATE baking, and I am not "crafty". I do, however, LOVE attempting art projects with my 7 year old nephew, but that won't cut it. Any ideas?

Sandi from Montreal, Canada

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RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

One Christmas I received the best gift. It was a small round mirror and a glass nativity set. I still use it. (12/17/2006)

By diane from wisconsin

RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

We took a wicker basket and put a string of clear lights in it then some cinnamon scented pine cones and kind of pulled the lights apart so they were mixed around in with the cones and plug it in. It is really pretty and the scent of the pine cones is great. (12/17/2006)

By imaqt1962

RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

You can take a string of light(35) put them in a clear jar with some potpourri kinda re arrange it a little then I put a piece of lace on the top, tied a ribbon around it, leaving enough cord hanging out so it could be plugged in, simple, inexpensive yet nice. Also how about a gift basket with various things in it? There have been a few post on here with good ideas to make one. I love things like these because they come from the heart (12/17/2006)

By imaqt1962

RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

Sandi, I once "made" candles. I took Dollar Store pillar candles and holding the wick, dipped them into melted paraffin wax that I melted in a coffee can that was placed in a pot of hot water. Then I rolled the candle into spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves (bought at the Dollar Store too!). Then, re-dip the candle again, roll again. You can repeat the process over as much as you want. It makes the candle lumpy with spices and smells really good too. (12/17/2006)

By Persnickety Paula

RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

How about buying a nice soup-mug and popping a mix of soup sachets inside (add a spoon if you like) and package it up with clear wrap and curling ribbon. Attach a gift tag wishing her a 'souper' holiday season. Or, along the same lines, a nice coffee mug with a selection of coffee mix sachets (they can be bought in mixed multi-packs and you can remove them from the box and put them into the mug). Add a few nice biscuits and package up together. I have done the coffee mugs for friends at work, very easy to put together and much appreciated. Or maybe you could pick up a nice foot-soak (or look up a recipe and make some) and add a pair of bed socks! Good luck & Merry Christmas! (12/18/2006)

By jojo

RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

How about making her a necklace/bracelet? All of the major craft stores sell really nice looking beads in all different shapes/sizes/colors. They sell the clasps too. You could even have your nephew help with stringing them. Check local Sunday paper for coupons for 40% off too. (12/18/2006)

By Jill

RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

There are many easy and nice craft projects-look in magazines or craft store. A gift basket made of dollar store bath products, etc-maybe a mug and some cocoa or tea, a basket with a video rental gift card and popcorn and snacks, an ice-cream sundae basket with a couple of sundae dishes, ice-cream scoop and some toppings and nuts and maybe a Baskin-Robbins GC for the ice cream, or any food gift that you like to cook would probably be welcome. It doesn't need to be baked. Do you make great casseroles, soup, preserves? How about a homemade gift certificate for a service you can provide, like car wash or detailing, a planted pot of seasonal flowers, etc. (12/18/2006)

By Linda

RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

Buy a "how to knit" craft scarf set and give that to her. Available at your local sewing store. (12/18/2006)

By cookwie

RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

How about a donation in her name to a charity or organization that she is interested in? (12/18/2006)

By Jenny

RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

How about assembling a cookie recipe in layers in a clear glass canning jar? For the lid, you could decorate it with fabric or paint. Then she can bake the cookies. (12/20/2006)

By dbates

RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

Does she have any family pictures on her desk? if so, you can buy a nice frame or make a copy of her picture in black and white (looks very classy) and place in a nice frame! (12/07/2007)

By Dolores

RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

You could always shop at dollarama and make a gift basket. Put in a coffee mug, some cookies, a few candies, buy the basket there and wrap it in cellophane. Hope that helps. (11/27/2008)

RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

If you knit or crochet you could make a scarf to match her coat. Only takes a couple of balls of yarn and there are some fun ones out there. You could also try to get a photo of her with a digital camera, print it in 4x6 or 5x7, mat it put it in a frame you make or decorate yourself. (it's something she could put on her desk) (11/27/2008)

By Andrea

RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

You can put together her a nice bath basket with some bubbles, face soap, body wash, a towel... you get the point. Hope she likes it. (12/03/2008)

By lily

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Secret Santa Gift Ideas

I need help with my mom's secret Santa present. I have to make it, and spend at the most $10. Any ideas?

David from Lenoir, NC

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RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

Here are a couple ideas:

1. You could get crafty by buying candles from the dollar store and decorating them with dried flowers and other items. All you need is glue gun and some good imagination.

2. You could go to a used book store and pick up some cool picture books and take the pages out and put them in frames.

3. You could check thrift stores and goodwill for nice glass vases and just some flowers and put it in the vase.

4. Ebay is a great place to find gift under normal cost. So is Craigslist! Plus this is a good green way to celebrate Christmas. (12/06/2008)

By AJ

RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

For the gentleman who has to make a Secret Santa present for under $10. Last year I bought Christmas themed printer paper from the dollar store. I also bought some clear report covers. Then I copied lyrics from Christmas carols and various Christmas stories, recipes and legends (such as "Twas the Night Before Christmas") and printed them up on the printer paper. I then compiled all the carols, recipes, stories, etc. in the folders with a decorative cover sheet. I gave a few of these last year and the people who received them really enjoyed them. (12/07/2008)

By TxSavr

RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

You should give your mom love in a box it is really cool. What you do is take a box and put in what you think is love. It could be little slips of paper saying what you love about your mom or something that sounds nice when you shake it. Then you write a poem saying not to open it because it is love, and put it on top. All of my relatives really loved it. (12/07/2008)

By Kat

RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

I have the best idea. you know when you have a lot of plastic bags from the grocery store and you don't want to just throw them away, they come in handy for a lot of good stuff; but where to put them? Make a doll out of an old pillow case or fabric stuffing the "head" or top with some of the bags, then tie it off with some string where the neck should be and the rest of the fabric you dangle for the skirt of her dress.

Pull a Cinch through the bottom hem to tighten the dress up so there is just a small hole big enough to stuff a bag into and just stuff your plastic bags in her dress and hang her on a door. you can just pull one bag out at a time to use! (12/09/2008)

By breazy

RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

I've decided to make a small wooden candle holder with a plaque above it. Of course, the candle can't burn. You can find non burning candles at Lowes. (12/10/2008)

By David

RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

Oh my god! I never thought of that idea about the bath basket. Honestly if someone gave that to me as a gift I would enjoy it. I love baths. Plus in two days I have to come up with a $10 gift for a girl at my work (12/18/2008)

By Shannen

RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

How about a voucher booklet? You could have things like household jobs such as sweeping a certain area, or gardening, even things like a pamper session such as giving her a manicure. Busy mums love this stuff! (12/30/2008)

By Cathy from Townsville, QLD

Secret Santa Gift Ideas

For a more personal secret santa idea, the thrift store could be a great place to check out. You'll find that the thrift store could have nifty and funky gifts for a low low price. Also you'll find that the gift will be original and one of a kind. (01/17/2009)

By Maverick

RE: Secret Santa Gift Ideas

I just wanted to let you know there are simple things you can do that will mean a lot. I am a sucker for baskets, they are cheap but thoughtful. Does she like coffee? Or cooking? You can make one of these. 1. Just pick a recipe, print it out then give her the ingredients she needs for it like.

Seven Layer Cookies

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 can Eagle Brand milk
• 6 oz. chocolate chips
• 6 oz. butterscotch chips
• 6 oz. coconut
• 6 oz. nuts, chopped

Melt butter in bottom of 9x13 inch cake pan. Press graham cracker crumbs into pan. Pour can of Eagle Brand milk over graham cracker crumbs. Sprinkle chocolate chips and butterscotch chips and nuts over mixture. Sprinkle coconut on top. Bake at 350 degrees until coconut browns, (approximately 15 minutes).

2. You can do the same thing with coffee.

Canadian Coffee:

• 1/4 cup Maple syrup; pure
• 1/2 cup Rye whiskey
• 3 cups Coffee; hot, black, double strength

Topping:

• 3/4 cup Whipping cream
• 4 tsp. Maple syrup; pure

For the topping: Whip cream with maple syrup just up until soft mounds; set aside.

Divide maple syrup and whiskey among 4 warmed heatproof glass mugs or goblets. Pour in coffee to 1 inch of top; spoon topping over coffee.

I know I would love gifts like this. They are thoughtful and cheap! (11/30/2009)

By jenniffermaddy

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Secret Santa Ideas

I am looking for ideas to use at work when people sign up to be a secret Santa. I have seen poems with ideas for each day of the exchange.

BeccaL from Polk, NE

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RE: Secret Santa Ideas

I found this link that gives a poem for each sense so you can gift a gift of smell (candles), gift of taste (candy), gift of touch (I gave earrings), etc. Here is the link

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/christmas/msg1216492728700.html?5 It is in the center of the post. I also pasted it here in case you have problems.

A whiffin', sniffin' gift,
Especially for you.
It's from "Secret Santa"
Bet you can't guess who!

Winkin', blinkin, just don't nod.
This gift is for your eyes.
It's from Secret Santa too,
By now, that's no surprise.

Jingle, jangle, what do I hear?
It's not a reindeer sleigh--
It must be Secret Santa,
Hurrying on his way.

Yummy, yummy, tummy tingling.
A tasty, tempting treat.
Won't you be surprised
When we finally meet!

This final gift--for the sense of touch--
Might be a bit surprising.
I'm sure you know just who I am,
Without realizing.

~author unknown~ (11/22/2006)

By Jenn

RE: Secret Santa Ideas

Here are a few ideas used in the distant past:

• snack bag of marshmallows labeled "snowman poop"
• wrap a "huge" box, fill with crumpled up newspaper, and at the bottom wrap up one of those small poppers (you turn it inside out and place it on a flat surface and it "pops" into the air) popper costs about 10 cents and it's more fun for the rest of the office to sit there and watch the recipient go through the entire box!
• here's a great one: very small stocking (kind that sell for less than $1) with 2 AA batteries in it and a sign that says, "Gift Not Included." (11/29/2006)

By Christopher

RE: Secret Santa Ideas

One year I sent my recipient on a scavenger hunt each day to find her secret Santa gift. I made up each clue based on well known areas and left the gifts there. Also one year one of my colleagues made a picture of herself and cut it up like puzzle pieces. Each day she gave her person a small gift and one piece of the puzzle. By the end of the time she was able to find out who the person was based on the puzzle pieces. (12/10/2006)

By jb

RE: Secret Santa Ideas

Small bathroom luxuries work well, like a bath bomb or a nice smelling soap if you don't have much money. (11/06/2007)

RE: Secret Santa Ideas

To the poster who wanted to know what to call their basket for their neighbors, I've heard of this being called "you've been elfed". (11/19/2007)

By Erica

RE: Secret Santa Ideas

This website has something called The Grinch game which is like secret Santa. http://www.goblinville.com/pages/xmas-grinched.htm

I have seen a variation in my neighborhood the past few years with a picture of Santa and it is called "You've been Kringled!" (11/22/2007)

By Lyndsay

RE: Secret Santa Ideas

Usually a trip to CVS or Walgreen's will do the trick. They have a lot of cute little candies and cheap Christmas stuff. Also a local dollar store will have random things that can be fun. Other things include candy, a Santa hat, or raw cookie dough. Those are all fun. Also you can go to AC Moore or a Michael's or whatever craft store is by you and get all kinds of things like, make your own deer antlers and crafty Christmas stuff. And if you want, they have paint shirts cheap, and you can write on them with fabric markers and give that to them. (12/10/2007)

By Elle

RE: Secret Santa Ideas

Last year we made snowman poop, marshmallows and sprinkles in a cute little bag. Google, snowman poop to find the poem that goes with it. You can also find the reindeer droppings and maxipad slippers. They were a blast and cheap! (12/11/2008)

By Desi

RE: Secret Santa Ideas

Last year I used a can opener that cuts below the rim, I opened it from the bottom and you can't tell is been open. I then put my gift inside and she had to use a can opener to get gift. I also gave her an empty box and put a note that said I got her the gift that she always she tells her husband she wants. Nothing. (12/12/2008)

By Sandy

RE: Secret Santa Ideas

Go to WalMart chocolates are a good one and any Christmas little do dad will work! (12/12/2008)

By unknown

RE: Secret Santa Ideas

For the people that needed clues for revealing themselves as the secret Santa: At the end, you can just take the last gift to the "victims" (as I like to call them) and present it to them and saying that you're their secret Santa, etc. That's how we do it. (12/20/2008)