Christmas Gift Ideas for Coworkers
Buying for a coworker is harder than buying for a friend. You know how they take their coffee, and not much about their home. These Christmas gift ideas for coworkers are small, useful and safe to hand over at the office.
Rules for an office gift
- Check the policy first. Some workplaces limit gifts or ban them. If you are not sure, ask.
- Stay at the limit. If the office sets a budget, spend that amount. Keep the full list straight with our christmas gift list guide. Going over makes other people feel they spent too little.
- Keep it impersonal. Skip clothing, perfume and anything about health, age or diet.
- Pick something they can use at work. A gift for the desk or the coffee break gets used.
- Go in together for a manager. One gift from the whole team is easier for everyone than a gift from one person.
Ideas by price
| Price | Ideas |
|---|---|
| Under $10 | A bar of good chocolate, a box of tea, a pen that writes well, a plant cutting in a jar |
| $10 to $20 | A bag of coffee, a coaster, a small desk plant, a notebook |
| $20 to $30 | A mug with a tin of cocoa, a desk lamp, a gift card for lunch |
Gifts from our shop
Our shop began with new home gifts, and the listing names say so. We picked five designs that work on a desk. Three have no words on them. Two mention a move, and they are for a coworker who moved this year.
Each one is priced under $20. Shipping is extra. On the day we wrote this, US shipping was $5.69 on the ceramic coaster, $5.89 on the cork back coaster and $7.29 on a mug. Check the total at checkout.
For the desk
A coaster is a safe office gift. It is small, it has a job, and nobody has to take it home.
This one, the Morning Window Ceramic Coaster, is a 4.25 inch square ceramic coaster. It shows an open window at sunrise, with hills and rooftops outside, vines on both sides and a small key on the sill. It has no words. It is the lowest priced item on this list.
The second coaster, the Four Corners Home Coaster, is 3.75 inches square with a cork back. It looks like a painted tile with four small pictures: a key, a lit window, a cottage and wildflowers. It has no words.
For the coffee break
This 11 oz white ceramic mug, the First Apartment Gift Mug, has no words either. The picture is a quiet morning: two cups, a leafy plant, a stack of books and a pair of slippers. The artwork is on both sides. Pair it with a bag of coffee or a box of tea.
First Apartment Gift Mug, Cozy Still Life Coffee Cup for a New Renter, 11 oz Ceramic
$19.95
See it on EtsyFor a coworker who moved this year
If someone on your team bought a house or changed apartments this year, the gift can say so. Both of these are 11 oz white ceramic mugs with the artwork on both sides.
The first, the Planting Roots Mug, shows a group of potted plants and a small watering can. It reads Planting Roots in a New Place. It suits the coworker whose desk is full of plants.
Design art
The second, the New Keys, Same Coffee Mug, shows a house key, a spoon and a cup of coffee, with steam in the shape of a house. It reads New Keys, Same Coffee.
Design art
If you run the gift exchange
Someone has to set the budget, draw the names and chase the people who forget. If that is you, our Christmas Gift Tracker helps. It has 19 pages, with a Secret Santa organizer, draw slips, gift lists and a spending log. It is a download, so nothing ships. You print it at home in US Letter or A4.
Printable
Christmas Gift Tracker and Holiday Budget Planner, 19 Printable Pages, Gift List, Secret Santa, Card Log, Thank You Tracker, Letter A4
$6.49
See it on EtsyOur guide to running a Secret Santa gift exchange covers the steps.
How our products are made
We design the artwork. A print partner prints each item after it is ordered and ships it to the buyer. Nothing sits in a warehouse, so allow time for printing as well as delivery. Etsy shows the delivery estimate and the shipping cost at checkout.
We do not offer personalization on these items, and props shown in the photos are not included. Colors can vary a little between a screen and the finished item.
What to skip
- Alcohol, unless you know they drink.
- Joke gifts. What is funny to you can embarrass someone in front of the team.
- Scented things. Candles and sprays are a problem in a shared room.
- Cash. A gift card for coffee or lunch does the same job and feels less awkward.
- Anything expensive. It puts pressure on the other person to match it.
When to give it
- Order in October or November. The weeks before Christmas are the busiest of the year for printing and post.
- Pick a quiet moment. If you are not buying for everyone, leave it on their desk or hand it over away from the group.
- Give it before the last working day. People take leave early in December, and a gift on an empty desk waits until January.
- Add a short card. One line in your own writing is enough.
Bringing a gift to a holiday dinner as well? See our guide to host gifts under $30.
"Order in October or November" works better with a week-by-week plan behind it. Our Christmas countdown by week lays out when to buy, wrap and send everything, coworker gifts included.
See all our holiday printable planners → for gift tracking and budget printables.
We're Warmth & Belonging, an Etsy shop selling housewarming gifts and printable planners. Our physical products are printed to order by a print partner. Our listings note where AI tools helped with design. The advice in this post is our own.
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One printable page for move-in day, plus occasional emails about new planners and sales.