Christmas gifts for colleagues can be sorted into three situations: a small token for the whole team, a Secret Santa gift with a set budget, and a present for that one colleague who always talks about their race weekend on Monday. For each scenario, you’ll find suitable ideas here, honestly sorted by budget: from a bag of cookies to fair Secret Santa rules and a group gift where each person contributes little more than a Secret Santa amount. We also clarify how much to spend and what’s out of place in the office.
Christmas gifts for colleagues: For whom, how much, how personal?
Before you start shopping, it’s worth briefly considering three questions. They determine whether you’ll go for a small token for everyone, a Secret Santa gift, or a group present.
- For whom? The whole team, a drawn Secret Santa person, or a single colleague you’re particularly close to at work.
- How much? A small gesture for many only needs a few euros per person. For Secret Santa, stick to the limit you’ve all agreed on. A larger gift stays fair if several people chip in.
- How personal? At work, the rule is: thoughtful yes, intimate no. Perfume, cosmetics, clothing, and references to appearance or private life are best left at home.
One principle helps with all three questions: Either give everyone in a group the same gift or give to one person discreetly. If you place gifts on three people’s desks in an open-plan office and not on four others’, you’ll create gossip rather than Christmas cheer.
Small Christmas gifts for colleagues under €10
If you want to bring joy to eight or fifteen people, you need ideas that can be multiplied: the same for everyone, quick to prepare, and preferably consumable. That way, no one has to wonder where to put another decorative figurine.
Homemade cookies in a bag
One or two trays of cookies are enough for a whole team. Put a handful in each paper bag, write the name on a tag, and note the main ingredients like nuts, milk, or wheat on the back. This lets anyone with allergies decide for themselves without having to ask.
A card with a genuine message
Cards are often underestimated. Not the printed ones with “Happy Holidays,” but a handwritten one with a specific moment from the year: “Thanks for saving the presentation with me in March.” It costs you a quarter of an hour per card, and that’s exactly what people will read in it. If part of the team works from home, mail the card to their address so no one misses out just because they’re not in the office.
Something for the office kitchen
A small bag of coffee beans from a local roastery, a few bags of good tea, or a homemade spice mix for hot apple punch: These little things fit in any desk drawer and are used up after the holidays instead of gathering dust.
Small desk items
Prefer something that stays? Then go for items that are actually used at work: a pencil with an engraved name, a cable tie to tame the chaos under the desk, or a notepad with nice sticky notes. Make sure everyone gets the same thing, and nothing looks like a freebie from a trade show.
A breakfast instead of many small gifts
Instead of fifteen packages, bring breakfast for everyone on the last workday before the holidays: rolls, two or three spreads, fruit, maybe a homemade stollen. No one goes empty-handed, no one has to give anything back, and you’ll all sit together without an agenda for once.
Secret Santa gifts for colleagues: small, fair, suitable
In office Secret Santa, you often end up with the person you only know from the hallway. First, agree on a small amount together, like €5 to €15. Honestly: Our Tiles and frames exceed such a Secret Santa budget. That’s why you’ll only find ideas from elsewhere in this section.
Four rules for office Secret Santa
- Stick to the budget, both ways. Going significantly over puts others in an awkward position. This also applies if you draw the boss.
- No joke gifts at others’ expense. What’s funny among friends can be embarrassing in front of the whole department.
- Neutral beats original if you barely know the person.
- Only give alcohol if you’re sure the person enjoys a drink.
Ideas to get Secret Santa right
- a card game or brain teaser for lunch breaks
- a good notebook with a pen that writes smoothly
- a small indoor plant for the windowsill by the desk
- a paperback from a genre the person likes (ask discreetly in the team)
- a handwritten voucher: “I’ll take over your dishwashing duty in the office kitchen once.”
If you know nothing about the person, look at what’s on their desk. A mug with a racing motif, a cookbook on the shelf, or a track plan on the pinboard often reveal more than any team chat survey.
Which Secret Santa variant suits your team?
In the classic version, everyone draws a name and gives a gift to that person. In Junk Secret Santa, curiosities from basements and drawers circulate, while in Dice Secret Santa, the dice decide who can take a package from the middle or take one from someone else. Both are fun in close-knit teams where everyone can laugh at themselves. If the group is new or mixed from different departments, stick to drawing names: that way, everyone gets a gift chosen just for them.
The colleague with a hobby: a gift that matches their passion
Then there’s that one colleague you share more with than just the office kitchen. Maybe you’ve sat across from each other for years, or maybe they showed you the ropes in your first month. For them, a gift that ties into their hobby is worth it. Listen closely for a few days to what they talk about during lunch: The runner will appreciate a headlamp for dark winter runs, the home cook a cookbook from their favorite cuisine, the gardener seeds for rare tomato varieties.
For the motorsport fan: the track on the desk
And then there’s the colleague who never misses a race on Sunday. For them, the Nürburgring GP Tile is perfect: The Grand Prix track is printed as a raised red relief on white terrain and sits in a square black frame. At 15 × 15 cm and about 1 cm deep, it fits next to the monitor or on a shelf, and the 3D effect makes it stand out from a flat print. It costs €69.
If you’re gifting alone, the Nürburgring® 3D relief in a black wooden frame, A4 size (21 × 30 cm), is also a great choice at €55. For an extra €5, you can add a name and starting number. If you’ve gone go-karting together before, just use their number from back then. To make unwrapping special, add the Premium Gift Wrapping with Silver Foil for €9.90.
Team effort: Christmas gift ideas for colleagues
Sometimes a colleague deserves more than a bag of cookies: They carried the team through a tough project, are going on parental leave at year-end, or are retiring. In these cases, a group gift is the fair solution. Do the math: A Tile costs €69, so with seven people, that’s just under €10 per person—about a Secret Santa budget.
How to organize the collection
- One person collects and orders, so everyone else doesn’t have to worry about anything.
- The amount is voluntary, and there’s no list of who gave what.
- A card circulates discreetly from desk to desk, with everyone writing a line inside.
- The gift is presented at the Christmas party or on the last shared workday, not between two meetings.
Monaco GP Tile for the street circuit fan
For the colleague who comments on the yachts in the harbor during the Monaco race every year, there’s the Monaco GP Tile. It shows the street circuit as a 3D city relief with dense buildings, the harbor basin in black, and the track in red. The first Grand Prix raced through these streets in 1929, and on the 13 cm motif, you can see how closely the houses and track still fit together.
City Tile London for the city traveler
Not everyone in the team watches races. For the colleague who flies to London every free weekend, there’s the City Tile London: Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and the Thames as a white 3D city relief in a black frame, also for €69. It’s a reminder of the city without looking like a tourist shop item.
The city where you work together
If someone is retiring or moving to another location, the city of your office makes a nice keepsake of the years together. If you’re in Berlin, the City Tile Berlin shows the TV tower and surrounding buildings as a white 3D relief. For other cities, check out the City Tiles collection.
Two Tiles as a small series
If you’re a larger team, combine two Tiles: the track they love and the city they most enjoy visiting. Together, they cost €138, so with 14 people, that’s just under €10 per person again, and shipping within Germany is free for orders over €85. Side by side on the wall, two equally sized frames look like the start of a collection. More tracks in the 15 cm format can be found in the GP Tiles collection.
Office-friendly hanging, no drilling required
In the office, drilling is often not an option: The walls belong to the landlord, the partition is thin, or the caretaker won’t have time until next year. So include a Klebenagel for hanging without drilling for €3.99. This lets you hang the frame without leaving a trace, so the gift doesn’t end up leaning behind the monitor until Easter.
Here’s how it works at the workplace:
- Choose a spot you can see from your seat, next to the monitor rather than behind it.
- Make sure the wall there is clean and dry.
- Stick the adhesive nail on and press it firmly.
- Hang the frame and align it straight.
If no wall fits, a Tile also looks great leaning on a shelf or windowsill. And if you have more space at home than at the office, check out our Mancave decorating ideas for motorsport fans for inspiration on a whole wall.
Frequently Asked Questions About Christmas Gifts for Coworkers
How much should you spend on Christmas gifts for coworkers?
For Secret Santa, usually €5–15; for a small gift for everyone, a few euros per person. It’s best to agree on the amount together. What matters most is that everyone spends roughly the same. For a larger gift for one coworker, pool resources rather than having one person spend a lot.
Do you have to give coworkers Christmas gifts?
No, there’s no obligation. If you do give gifts, give the same to everyone in a group. For a coworker you work closely with, give your gift privately.
What’s a good Secret Santa gift for a coworker I barely know?
Something consumable or useful at work: good coffee, a notebook, a small plant, or a card game for lunch breaks. Avoid personal items like perfume or clothing.
What shouldn’t you give coworkers?
Anything too personal: perfume, cosmetics, clothing, or comments about appearance, weight, or age. Alcohol is tricky unless you know they drink. Joke gifts only work if everyone, including the recipient, finds them funny.
Will a Tile arrive in time for Christmas?
We produce in Germany after order and ship within 1–2 business days. Still, order by mid-December, especially if your team needs to collect funds first. And if the Tile doesn’t fit: returns are free.
Conclusion: Three Situations, Three Budgets
Good Christmas gifts for coworkers depend on the situation: a small token for everyone, a fair Secret Santa gift, and for the coworker with a passion, something lasting. Cookies and cards can be done in one evening, while a GP Tile as a group gift is compact enough for the office and has a 3D depth that catches the eye even on a second look. Collect funds early, and the track will be on the table for the Christmas party.
