Eek! There’s less than two weeks until the big day. Whether you’ve decided to leave all of your Christmas shopping until the last minute, or you’re just looking for a couple of cute bits and bobs to finish off your loved ones’ stockings, or you’re stumped for Secret Santa ideas, hopefully some of the suggestions below will inspire you…
£5 And Under
These are the tricky ones. However, there are a few gems to be found for under a fiver. Let’s start with all things personalised. To me, a personalised gift is always that little bit more thoughtful, even if you’ve only spent a couple of quid. Last year I bought my dad a personalised jar of Marmite as part of his prezzie as he loves the sticky stuff (are there any dads that don’t?!). And as my best mate is addicted to Vaseline, I’m going to be popping a personalised tin into her stocking.
Oliver Bonas is the KING of classy stocking fillers. We’re talking gold and glass photo frames, luxe ring holders and star keyrings (suitably Christmassy but not so festive that you can’t use ‘em all year round).
These Next coasters are a mere £2.50 so if you’re playing Secret Santa with a budget of a fiver then you’ve got a whole £2.50 left over to spend on a box of chocolates or a cute mug to plonk on top of the coaster. And as for this gold rimmed plate from H&M … how much more expensive does it look than its £3.99 price tag?
A Fiver and Under
£10 And Under
There are a whole heap of beauty products in this price bracket. Last Christmas each member of Team Rock My were treated to a bottle of Chanel Le Vernis in Liquid Mirror which I’ve been wearing on my toes all year, but as you’d be pushed to get anything Chanel for under a tenner, this Essie nail polish is a close second favourite. My little sister swears by this mascara, and I’m tempted to buy Urban Decay’s Troublemaker mascara based on the mermaid-esque packaging alone.
If you’re buying for a film buff then you can’t not treat them to a DVD of one of the big films this year. This is a particularly good present for a new mum or dad because you just don’t get to go to the cinema any more. (I’ve had a measly three trips to the pictures this year. Two trips involved minions and Paddington, so I don’t think they even count, but Rich and I did get to see Dunkirk. You can pre-order Dunkirk here if you have a friend/member of the family who loves an epic war film or is intrigued to check out Harry Styles’ acting abilities).
A Tenner and Under
£15 And Under
If you’ve got £15 to play with, chances are you’ll be able to find a sweet piece of jewellery or cute tee. In my post about Christmas Day outfits I harped on about my quest for a pillarbox-red jumper, and these earrings are the perfect finishing touch. Or if you’re looking for jewellery of the more minimalist variety then this dainty sphere ring comes in at £15 on the dot. ANYTHING from Whistles always feels like a treat.
And admittedly, you’re never going to get a Whistles slogan tee or jumper for £15, but that’s what the likes of Topshop and Asos are for. This Topshop NYC tee is £15 (and Topshop tells me it’s trending now which makes me want it all the more), and if you’ve got a pregnant lady to buy for then she probably needs this Asos top. Well, if it’s good enough for Beyonce…
Are you all sorted for Christmas? Any other budget gift ideas we need to know about? What’s the best Secret Santa you’ve ever given or received?
Oh these are perfect Lisa. I needed a few more little ideas. Loving the Oliver Bonas ring holder too. That may be being purchased (for myself!!). On a similar theme I adore the concrete ones from Copper and Solder (http://www.copperandsolder.com). Their little concrete letters would make a cute gift too. A few pennies over the £15 budget but I’ve bought a set of 10 personalised Papier notecards for a friend which are just lovely. Oh, and I ordered a tin of personalised vaseline just the other day!! xxx
Lottie I wanted to include those beautiful pots you mentioned but they fell outside the £15 price bracket!
http://www.jacklaverick.co.uk/product/pink-marbled-geometric-pot
Papier notecards are a great shout x
I have the little cat ring holder from Oliver Bonas and its been fab! No more leaving my rings lying around and having heart failure that I’ve lost them.
https://www.oliverbonas.com/jewellery/saskia-ring-holder-46383
That shop is my absolute ‘go to’ for gifts – never fail to find something.
This is the cutest, Nikki. Agree with you on Oliver Bonas being THE go-to for gifts. x
Personalised Vaseline tin ordered for Granny! Thanks!
Perfect for best mates and grannies alike 🙂
Lovely ideas! We have a certain number of “set” things that go in each person’s stocking each year in addition to those frivolous extras you just can’t stop yourself buying. We always have socks, pants for the boys (as they never seem to buy them themselves!), mascara for the ladies, a toothbrush and a hankie. Oh and obviously some chocolate, can’t do without that!! I’ve been treating my husband to a Rococo giant chocolate coin the past couple of years, more expensive than the bargain bags you get in the supermarkets but not too ridiculous at about £4.50 this year I think and it does look special (and tastes delicious too). I get my mum Lucas’ pawpaw in a little tube for her stocking too, I tend to buy them in packs of two and save one for the next year. Plus a book for everyone too. For gardeners I recommend a ball of string as no gardener ever has enough, also not bank-breaking, and a special bag of tea or coffee never hurts either or perhaps a miniature tipple of choice – those tiny bottles of fizz or gin are such a good size. Not very Christmas-themed or overly original I grant you but excellent stocking fillers nonetheless. Sooo close to Christmas now!!
Annie I am going to steal so many of your ideas 🙂 Definitely some string for my auntie (keen gardener) and a giant chocolate coin for Lyra.
Also, thank you for pointing out that you can buy Lucas Papaw over here. My mum brought me some over from NZ this year and I assumed that it was just a NZ/Aussie thing! x
Amazon stock it from the shop I always bought it from directly, and at a reasonable price. It is the best thing ever, I don’t go anywhere without a tube of Lucas pawpaw!