Funny Secret Santa Gifts for Work Colleagues
Another year, another office Christmas party. Secret Santa is a great option for workplaces as they only require people to buy one present and it keeps costs low. The problem is when you get someone from finance you’ve spoken to twice. The budget is £10, the swap is in a fortnight, and you’d like them to laugh when they open it rather than say a polite thank you with an awkward smile.
Funny is a safe bet for a Secret Santa gift. In a CV-Library survey, 47% of Brits said a Secret Santa gift for a colleague should be funny, and 75.6% said up to £10 is enough to spend. Only 1.5% thought a rude present was acceptable, so there is a line.
Below are funny Secret Santa gifts for work colleagues and friends that I've given, received or would happily buy again, most of them around a tenner. At the end you'll find how to make any of them feel personal.
Secret Santa Generator
First things first, here is a Secret Santa generator for you. Just pop in the names and emails of the participants and the draw will be made for you.
Funny Secret Santa gifts
Personalised magnets or stickers
On Redbubble you can search for pretty much anything a colleague has ever mentioned liking and find a design to match. Fridge magnets and stickers are the easiest way to stay under £10. Phone cases and mugs are fun too, but they usually push past the budget.
I once searched for a gift for a friend doing a PhD and found a mug that said "PhD tears". He still uses it, and he thanked me for it in his thesis acknowledgements. For another friend who loves Formula 1, I got two fridge magnets: Daniel Ricciardo doing a shoey and Max Verstappen lifting a trophy. They cost next to nothing and got a bigger reaction than anything else I bought that year.
Socks with your face on them
Upload a photo and plenty of sites will print it on a pair of socks. Printing your face is a funny option if you’re close to them or you can also print their pet if they have one. Either way they'll be the talk of the office the morning they turn up wearing them.
A small funny book
Pocket-sized joke books are cheap, fun little gifts that can tie into an inside joke. Plus, some of them are actually informative. A book like 52 Ways To Inform Coworkers They're Stupid can work for the colleague who usually handles everyone’s problems. Or 1001 One-Liners and Short Jokes is good for your friend whose jokes rarely land.
A Christmas tree decoration
You could personalise a Christmas bauble or hanging decoration with a silly photo of you together (or just them!). The more ridiculous the photo, the better! It’s a relatively inexpensive gift, but it feels personal because it reminds them of a funny memory you share. I once received one from a friend, and I still hang it on my Christmas tree every year. It’s become a little tradition, and I love getting it out each Christmas.
A notebook that says what they're thinking
This one is good for a coworker because they’ll find it funny on the day but then also use it throughout the year. You can customise your own with a sentence they say a lot or something they’re known for. You can also get already made ones like Things I Can't Say Out Loud In Meetings, Other People's Problems That For Some Reason I Have To Solve or Things People Think I've Got Time For Today.
A deck of cards covered in ridiculous photos
You can create a personalised pack of playing cards featuring ridiculous photos of your friend on every card. It will come out at every games night and become a running joke. This is perfect for someone who loves a bit of banter and doesn't take themselves too seriously!
A ridiculous desk sign
Similarly to the notebook, this is something your colleague will see every time they come into the office. You can personalise it or buy ready-made ones with sentences like “Chaos Coordinator”, “The Horrors Persist But So Do I” or “Please Hesitate to Reach Out to Me”.
The best funny gifts are personal
Every idea above works for almost anyone. The gifts people remember, though, are the ones that show you've noticed something about them. A gift that references their personality and interests will always be meaningful.
Start with what you already know. Does a colleague eat a Twix at exactly 4pm every day? Get them a multipack. Is there an inside joke or a story they're famous for in the office? Find something that brings it back. Do they put hot sauce on everything? A portable bottle for their bag will make them laugh and get used daily.
If you've drawn someone you barely know, ask around quietly. Their desk neighbour will know their football team, their favourite snack or the show they won't stop talking about. That's usually enough to search Redbubble or Etsy and find something that fits.
Where to draw the line
If you’re doing a secret santa with colleagues, keep it office-friendly. Avoid anything about someone's appearance, age, relationships or beliefs. If you don’t think they would happily open your present in front of everyone, including their manager, pick something else.
How to run a Secret Santa at work
The Collctiv Secret Santa generator does the draw for you. Add everyone's names and it picks a match for each person at random. Share the budget and the swap date (usually on the day of the Christmas party). Get more gift ideas by reading our Secret Santa gift guide and Christmas gift ideas for colleagues article.
Organising this year's Christmas Party?
A Secret Santa usually happens at the office Christmas party. If you’re organising this year’s Christmas do, you can collect the money through Collctiv. Create a pot, share the link in your team chat and let everyone pay online before you book anything so you’re not left out of pocket.
Why Collctiv?
Collctiv works well for office Collections as you don’t have to share your bank details. Your colleagues don’t have to manually enter a sort code and account number, they can just click on the link and pay with Apple Pay. This easiness of the payment ensures everyone pays their share and you’re not chasing people until February.
