Secret Santa Gifts for A Neighbour: Ideas Under £15

Secret Santa gifts for a neighbour

Street and close Secret Santa is growing in the UK, and it works best when gifts are small, warm and free of assumptions. You see this person all year, so aim for friendly rather than clever.

Everything below sits inside a normal UK Secret Santa budget of £10 to £15, so nothing here makes anyone else's gift look small. The ideas are grouped by what usually works, what to steer clear of and how to handle the opening itself.

If you are still setting the draw up, the Secret Santa rules guide covers budgets, deadlines and drawing names, and our free name picker does the draw for you.

Secret Santa gifts under £15

Pin badges, candles, coasters and prints designed in house and posted from the UK — all comfortably inside a Secret Santa budget.

A typographic music print featuring Taylor Swift Bejewelled lyrics on high-quality paper, unframed. Best Believe I'm Still Bejewelled By Taylor Swift Music Lyrics Print £8.00 Unframed wall art print featuring the text 'In A World Of Grey, Be A Flamingo' in colourful, vibrant lettering. In A World Of Grey, Be A Flamingo Print (A4 & A3) £8.00 A colourful typographic wall art print with the quote 'I work hard so that my dog can live a better life' in A4 or A3. I Work Hard So That My Dog Can Live A Better Life Print (A4 & A3) £8.00 A colourful fitness wall print illustrating the HYROX competition race format with running and functional workout steps. Hyrox Competition Race Format Print (A4 & A3) £8.00 Enamel pin badge shaped like a red cowboy boot with the text What Would Dolly Do. What Would Dolly Do? Pin Badge £4.49 Small enamel pin badge with a funny "Chicken Nugget Club" design, perfect as a humorous novelty gift. Chicken Nugget Club Pin Badge (Small) £4.00

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Secret Santa gift ideas for a neighbour

  1. Biscuits, chocolate or mince pies. The classic neighbour gift for a reason.
  2. A candle in a mild scent. Warm without being personal.
  3. A coaster set for the kitchen.
  4. A card with your name and door number in it, which is more useful than it sounds.
  5. Good coffee or tea for the first morning of the holidays.
  6. A plant or bulbs if they garden at all.
  7. A print with a line about home or the street.
  8. Postcards, if the street group is the sort that puts notes through doors.

What to avoid

  • Anything referencing parking, bins, noise or fences. Never.
  • Strong scents for a house you have never been inside.
  • Anything that assumes their household, religion or family set-up.
  • Over-spending, which sets an awkward precedent for next year.

Budget and etiquette

  • Keep the budget low — £5 to £10 works for a street draw.
  • Deliver in daylight and do not linger.
  • Put a name in the card if the group reveals; leave it out if it does not.
  • Include the flats and the new arrivals.

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Pin badges under a tenner

Small enough to post, funny enough to survive being opened in front of everyone.

Enamel pin badge shaped like a red cowboy boot with the text What Would Dolly Do. What Would Dolly Do? Pin Badge £4.49 Small enamel pin badge with a funny "Chicken Nugget Club" design, perfect as a humorous novelty gift. Chicken Nugget Club Pin Badge (Small) £4.00 Small, cute enamel pin badge in the shape of a daisy flower. Cute Small Daisy Pin Badge £4.00 Cute Cat With Pearl Ball Pin Badge Cute Cat With Pearl Ball Pin Badge £4.00 All Panic, No Disco Pin Badge For Emos All Panic, No Disco Pin Badge For Emos £4.00 Small Heart Notification Pin Badge Small Heart Notification Pin Badge £4.00 What Would Dolly Do? Small Pin Badge What Would Dolly Do? Small Pin Badge £4.49 Cute Duck In Pink Cowboy Hat And Boots Pin Badge Cute Duck In Pink Cowboy Hat And Boots Pin Badge £4.00

Christmas cards to go with it

A card turns a small gift into a proper present. Printed and posted in the UK.

'tis the season to drink Guinness Christmas Card 'tis the season to drink Guinness Christmas Card £3.87 Let's drink (Guinness) and be Merry Christmas Card With Tree Let's drink (Guinness) and be Merry Christmas Card With Tree £3.87 Let's drink (Guinness) and be merry Christmas Card Let's drink (Guinness) and be merry Christmas Card £3.87 Wishing you an Electrifying Christmas Greeting Card Wishing you an Electrifying Christmas Greeting Card £3.87 Merry Christmas Nanny (Christmas Card For Nan) Merry Christmas Nanny (Christmas Card For Nan) £3.87 Merry Christmas Mummy (Christmas Card For Mum) Merry Christmas Mummy (Christmas Card For Mum) £3.87 Merry Christmas Brother (Christmas Card For Brothers) Merry Christmas Brother (Christmas Card For Brothers) £3.87 Merry Christmas Daddy (Christmas Card For Dad) Merry Christmas Daddy (Christmas Card For Dad) £3.87

How to write it so it lands

  • Consumable and low-cost keeps a street draw alive.
  • Never reference bins, parking or noise.
  • Put your door number in the card.

Where to shop next

Frequently asked questions

What do you buy a neighbour for Secret Santa?

Small, warm and consumable: biscuits, chocolate, coffee, a mild candle or coasters, with a friendly card.

How much do you spend on a street Secret Santa?

£5 to £10 keeps it inclusive. A low budget is what makes a street draw work year after year.

What if you do not know them at all?

Buy consumable and write a warm card with your door number. That is a better introduction than any object.

How much should you spend on Secret Santa in the UK?

£10 to £15 at work and £15 to £20 in families. Agree one number rather than a range, and say up front whether the card and postage count towards it.

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