Exchanging Christmas Gift Ideas and Introduce a Secret Santa for Friends or Family Gatherings

Christmas is a time for giving but sometimes when the people you are buying for are longtime friends or family members and the ‘what to buy them conundrum’ becomes harder with each year that passes.

Here are a few ideas to make Christmas less commercial, add a little fun and reduce the ‘nice but will never will be used pile’ and the added bonus of drastically reducing what you spend:

For Family

The first idea is to hold a Family Christmas Draw, (just like a work Secret Santa) each adult buys for 1 other adult with a pre set budget. There are Apps that do everything for you, they select who buys for who and you can even upload your wish list. Or you can go old school as I prefer to, with strips of paper and the children choosing who is buying for whom.

With the Christmas Draw you set a budget per person and we only have two rules:

Husbands don’t buy for wives and visa versa

If you bought for the person the previous year you reselect.

Friend Ideas Gift

If you are hosting a festive gathering and want to exchange gifts with friends think along these lines:

Everyone attending brings a gift and it’s pot luck, each person has a turn to take a gift from under the tree. If there is an odd number the hosts provide the extra gift.

Choose a person before the gathering, as with the Christmas Draw, so you know beforehand who you are buying for.

A Secret Santa Initial Based Gift -You use the first initial of the person you have to buy for e.g. Vida -V -Vase, Marissa – M- Make Up Purse etc

Table Gifts

If you are at the stage that all of the above will still pose a problem ie your 89 year old Granny definitely wouldn’t appreciate any of the above ideas, I resort to having a little table gift at your gathering. You can then say no adult gifts as most families do and just buy for the children.

To make the gathering a little festive, I have small table gifts at each person’s place setting for example:

Little bags of luxury chocolates

A Lindt Santa

The person’s favourite hot sauce/jam/edible treat

Nail polishes

Hand cream

Lipstick or gloss

This adds a little thrill of getting something on Christmas via a small table gift but takes away the need for everyone to arrive with a gift. It has the benefit of making the table look festive.

Have fun and enjoy choosing thoughtful gifts that the recipients will love and enjoy.