Secret Santa, need creative help

[tiggerlover]

I know it is early to be thinking of Christmas, but our office is going to draw names early this year so everyone can do some planning. We have a couple of people in our office who are really creative every year with the secret santa and since I am not creative I am looking for guidance. We gift to our secret santa for 5 days and last year one person did a theme, every day she left a gift with a really cool poem. The first day she did an artificial tree, the second a tree topper, third lights, the fourth ornaments and on the last day a gift. I would love to hear your ideas on a theme I might be able to use for my person. We have a $25 weekly limit so I need to be able to stretch that over the course of 5 days. If you have any thoughts or ideas I would love to hear them.

 

[clh2]

We did this several years ago where I worked - and there was $1 guideline and on Friday - was the "big" gift day of $10 gift.

During this week - our company was doing a baked potato bar for lunch as a fundraiser. The cost was $1 per potato. So - I took one of the soda's that I know my person drank, and then I "folded a $1 bill" into a peacock, and essentially bought her lunch!

I also bought a cheap mug (i.e. about $1) and then put in a packet of hot chocolate mix. Actually - there is a whole cute poem for hot chocolate - called Snowman Soup...

Here is a link...

Or - what about a "layered cookie mix" in a jar. There are also "soup" recipes that are similar. There are many online recipes that would fit this bill...Click here for an an example...

That is all I can think of right now...hope this at least gets your creative juices flowing...

 

[mjantz]

I've done the mug with hot chocolate before. I like adding a candy cane as a stirrer. I'm a teacher so I have a TON of mugs. If you have any teacher friends ask & they probably have a mug they can give you. It doesn't have to be fancy hot chocolate. I find the little extras are what make it special. They make tree-shaped marshmellows around the holidays & lots of different flavored candy canes.

 

[merrily]

I've done lots of themed Secret Santas. One year I did a cookie theme. First day a festive plate, then frosting and sprinkles, then cookie cutters, then sugar cookies (baked some and gave a roll of dough) and finally a Christmas cookie jar (I knew this person loved Cookie jars.) I wrote a little poem to go with it. She loved it!

Last year I did a Polar Express theme. I knew the recipient and her family where going to ride on the Polar Express. Gifts were mug and hot chocolate, candy as white as snow, a bell (actually ornaments), a plate of cookies and the Polar Express movie.

I've done movie themes also, candy, popcorn, soda, rental or movie passes.

For one girl I did a warmth and chocolate theme. Every day was something warm- tea, candle, socks, fleece blanket and some kind of chocolate- progressively better chocolate. That one went over very well as she was a chocoholic!

Poems or notes are fairly simple to include. Once you have theme and gifts PM me if you need help with a poem.

 

[mjantz]

AFA a BIG gift, last year for a few friends & the kids teachers I did the 'Going to see the Christmas Lights' kit that was mentioned on the Budget Board last year or year before last. It can depend but mine included:

-Reusable tote bag (Our Korger has Christmas-themed ones around the holidays)
-Fleece Blanket (sale at Big Lots)
-hot chocolate (I broke up a 4pk gift set)
-bag or two of microwave popcorn
-CD of Christmas music (from Dollar Tree)

I don't remember the exact cost but it was less than $15 each. Everyone loved it & I heard over & over again how nice of a gift it was.

 

[Magic Mom]

A cinnamon crunch bagel and coffee from Panera. Cute desk supplies from the dollar tree. A selection of small hand lotions from BBW. Chocolate. Nail Polish and nail files. Small candles. A monogram travel coffee mug from Kirklands.

 

[lovesmurfs]

Will there be a questionnaire for the participants to complete? That's always helped me. One year, the person I was SS to decided to be snarky, so I was snarky back -- Her list included:

World Peace (gave her a globe filled with country chocolates -- the world in pieces)
A Trip to Hawaii (brochures, a lei, inflatable palm tree, and a can of pineapple)
A New Mercedes (yep. Matchbox car with a "new car smell" deodorizer)
Pierce Brosnan (the "big" present - Calendar).

You might want to sign up for a freebee email address (hotmail, gmail, etc.) with your company name and "secret santa" -- it won't have your name anywhere (or you can make a fake one up). Send him/her emails leading up to the presents -- Christmas in August, etc.

Have fun!!

 

[Gigi22]

We did Secret Santa one year at work. There was a $5 limit on the gifts. I made up a very simple gift--a plain coffee mug (on sale), filled with Hershey kisses, and a candy cane for a stirrer. I used plain saran wrap to cover the mug, heated the wrap briefly with my hair dryer so it would all stay attached, and tied it all up with red ribbon.

 

[tiggerlover]

Wow, some great ideas, keep them coming, the more the better.

 

[tiggerlover]

You might want to sign up for a freebee email address (hotmail, gmail, etc.) with your company name and "secret santa" -- it won't have your name anywhere (or you can make a fake one up). Send him/her emails leading up to the presents -- Christmas in August, etc.

Have fun!!

I just did this, what a great idea!!!! Thanks.