With Secret Santa, your gift often goes to someone you barely know – your brother-in-law, cousin, or colleague from the second floor. A Secret Santa gift for men and women must therefore avoid pink-blue logic while still looking thoughtful. The easiest way is to use a shared reference point: a city, a place, or an experience everyone in the group knows. Here are nine ideas, sorted by budget, plus rules to simplify your choice.
Three rules for a Secret Santa gift that suits men and women
First: no body references. Anything related to size, scent, skin tone, or taste will backfire if you don’t know the person well. Size 44 socks aren’t a unisex Secret Santa gift – they’re a gamble.
Second: no humor at others’ expense. Joke gifts end up in the trash, and in mixed groups, the mood can sour faster than you’d like. A three-second laugh isn’t a gift.
Third: relevance beats neutrality. Completely random gifts seem thoughtless. A theme shared by the whole group works better – the place where you work, the city of your last family trip, or the track where you gather every year. This works for men and women alike because it says something about *you*, not the person.
Small budget up to €20: four ideas that won’t gather dust
Many groups set a Secret Santa limit between €5 and €20. In this range, consumable or genuinely useful items win. Here are four suggestions you can find outside our range:
- Coffee or tea from a local small-batch roaster. 250 g of quality beans or leaves, plus a note with brewing tips.
- A hardcover notebook. Subtle but practical – unlike the fifth ballpoint pen.
- A card game for 2–6 players. Often ends up on the table the same evening during the holidays.
- A spice blend with a handwritten recipe. Low cost, shows effort, and fits in any kitchen.
If your group leans toward humor, check out our Secret Santa gift ideas for men for more small-budget suggestions – many work just as well if a woman draws the gift.
Higher budget for family: a race track with travel connection
In families, the limit is often higher since each person only receives one gift. From €55, wall art becomes a practical option – and that’s where it gets interesting for mixed groups.
A race track frame in A4 (21 × 30 cm, €55) displays the track layout as a 3D relief on a dark map, with accurate elevation changes. The Secret Santa trick: choose a track with travel ties, not just hardcore fan appeal. For example, Spielberg in Styria is known to many families – even those who’ve never watched a race – because they’ve vacationed there.
The Spielberg frame costs €55 in A4 and €85 in A3 (30 × 40 cm). For a German track, our 3D race track frames collection also includes circuits in the Eifel, Saxony, and Börde. Note: Skip personalization with a name and starting number for Secret Santa – you won’t know who draws it, and custom frames are non-refundable.
Friend Secret Santa from €69: the city relief as a unisex gift
For higher budgets among friends, City Tiles work especially well. A Tile is a 15 × 15 cm black square frame with a white 3D city relief inside: building blocks, water, landmarks, all printed in PLA. Price: €69.
Why this works as a unisex Secret Santa gift: It says nothing about the recipient but everything about a place. It fits on a desk, in the kitchen, or on a shelf. And its compact size means no one has to rearrange half their wall. Four designs that almost always resonate in mixed groups:
London for frequent travelers
The City Tile London features the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and the Thames as a dark area between them. If someone in your group regularly visits the UK or studied there, the connection is instant.
Paris for the romantic crowd
With the City Tile Paris, the Eiffel Tower rises from the white cityscape, with the Seine as a black ribbon and bridge. Of the four designs, this one works as wall decor even without a personal connection.
New York for those who love big cities
The City Tile New York depicts Manhattan’s street grid with its skyscrapers. In groups without shared travel stories, Manhattan is often the smallest common denominator – almost everyone has a mental image of it.
Monaco for racing fans in the group
If a few people in your circle discuss qualifying sessions in spring, the GP Tile Monaco (€69) is a great choice. It uses the same square format but combines the city relief with the harbor and the red track winding through the buildings. Even non-fans will recognize the harbor.
Packaging, gifting, and hanging without drilling
With anonymous Secret Santa, one thing gives you away: your handwriting on the tag. Have someone not participating write the name, or print it.
For a polished look under the tree, the Premium Gift Packaging (€9.90) is worth it: a black box with silver foil and foam insert, available for A4 and A3 frames. This saves you paper, scissors, and the hassle of wrapping a frame elegantly.
And since no one wants to drill holes just before Christmas, include the Adhesive Nail (€3.99) in the package. It holds the frame on the wall and can be removed without residue – perfect for offices where wall holes aren’t welcome.
Secret Santa gift ideas for men and women by budget
- Up to €10: Coffee from a roastery, spice blend with recipe, adhesive nail plus handwritten card
- Up to €20: Notebook, card game
- Up to €30: Card game plus gift box as a set, high-quality consumable in double quantity
- From €55: A4 race track frame with travel connection
- From €69: City Tile London, Paris, or New York, GP Tile Monaco
- From €85: A3 frame for large walls – from this amount, shipping costs in Germany are also waived
All frames and Tiles are made to order in Germany and ship within one to two business days. Still, order by mid-December to leave room before the Secret Santa event.
Frequently asked questions
What do you give for Secret Santa if you don’t know who will draw it?
Something with a shared connection rather than a personal preference: the place where you meet, the city of your last trip together, or a high-quality consumable. Anything related to size, scent, or taste is out.
Which Secret Santa gifts work for both men and women?
Small wall decor, good food and drinks, games, and desk accessories. For small budgets: better one quality item than a mix of three cheap ones.
Should I prepare two gifts – one for men, one for women?
No. This doubles your effort and the chance one will be left over. A gender-neutral gift solves the problem more cleanly.
Is decor too risky for Secret Santa?
Only if it’s loud. A 15 × 15 cm black-and-white city relief fits into almost any decor and takes up little space. Bright colors, slogans, or large formats are the issue.
Can a Secret Santa gift be personalized?
Not for anonymous Secret Santa. Adding a name (max. 30 characters), starting number, and two lines of text costs an extra €5 but makes the gift person-specific – and custom frames are non-refundable. Personalization only works if you draw names in advance and everyone knows who they’re gifting.
Conclusion: neutral doesn’t mean generic
In mixed groups, the winner isn’t the one who guesses tastes but the one who finds a common denominator. For small budgets, it’s a quality consumable; from €55, it’s a track or city everyone recognizes – turning a Secret Santa gift for men and women into a meaningful package. Check out the City Tiles and pick the place that fits your group.
