49 Cute Cheap Christmas Gifts For Coworkers
Are you on the hunt for cute, affordable Christmas gifts for coworkers that are thoughtful, creative, and easy to make?
Well, I’ve been there too!
With festive budgets feeling the pinch, I’ve gathered my favourite ideas for charming, inexpensive gifts that your coworkers will love.
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These ideas are perfect for sticking to a budget, quick to make or put together, and guaranteed to spread Christmas cheer at work.
49 Cute Cheap Christmas Gifts for Coworkers
Whether you’re crafting a sweet Secret Santa surprise or preparing gifts for several colleagues, this list of cute DIY gift ideas you can make at home has something for everyone.
1. Homemade preserves
Homemade preserves are so hipster!
Who doesn’t love a farmer’s market shop?
But what’s even better than buying handmade preserves is making them yourself.
And the big secret is… it’s actually really quite easy.
Inspired to make some preserves as gifts? Here are some easy recipes you can use:
- Fruit jam really easy jam with small amounts of fruit
- Savoury jams & jellies such as green pepper jelly
- Preserved fruit which could be anything from peaches to lemons
- Pickled vegetables – such as onions or garlic
- Preserved roasted vegetables – like red peppers or eggplant
- Chutney all that Christmas food shouts out for great chutney
- Preserved lemons with rosemary … Melangery
What you will need for DIY preserve gifts
- Small jars with lids – I love the fancy glass on these Mason Jars
- Pretty labels (like these) and festive twine are great for a final flourish
- Simple baskets or gift boxes for grouping jars together
Quick store-bought option if you are short on time
Want to look like you’ve put the time in… but don’t actually have the time (or the skills!!)… Pick up a selection of good quality jams, chutneys or speciality sauces, then re-package them:
- Remove outer packaging and add your own label
- Pop two or three into a small basket with tissue paper
- Tie with festive ribbon and add a simple tag
2. Cookies and sweet treats
Homemade cookies, sweets and candy really do knock the socks off anything shop-bought.
Plus they are a fabulous present for kids or anyone who doesn’t have the time to bake for themselves.
Ready to get baking? Here are some brilliant recipes and ideas to inspire you:
- Mason jars of cookies – gingerbread (my fave recipe) and shortbread are always popular
- Mince pies – spray paint an old biscuit or container & fill it with mince pies
- Biscuit making kit – put together a biscuit making kit in a jar
- Jar of fudge Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a jar of fudge
- Truffles there are loads of great simple truffles recipes including these gluten-free truffles
- Nougat like this recipe with lovely seasonal cranberries
- Polish spiced cookies from Ren Behan
- Homemade chocolate stirring spoons for a cocoa fix
- Choose from one of these delicious homemade fudge recipes
You might also like to browse one of the big Christmas candy and fudge roundups on Mums Make Lists. They are packed with ideas you can batch bake and turn into low cost but very generous looking office gifts.
What you will need for DIY cookie and candy gifts
- Mason jars and lids (these jars also come with festive ribbon)
- Cellophane treat bags (like these with a Christmas design)
- Ribbon or baker’s twine
- Small tags for messages (I love the simplicity of these brown card tags with festive cut-outs)
- Simple trays or tins if you want to gift a mixed selection
Quick store-bought option if you are short on time
If you don’t have time to bake:
- Buy good quality cookies or festive chocolates and decant them into pretty jars or tins
- Add a handwritten label with the flavour or a fun message
- Pair with a hot chocolate sachet or mini coffee sample for an instant desk treat
3. Homemade Alcoholic drinks
Making your own drinks might seem daunting, but it’s really just a question of soaking fruits of various sorts in your alcohol of choice.
- Limoncello – I adore Limoncello but had no idea it was so simple
- Infused vodka you can infuse vodka with just about anything including pomegranate & vanilla
- Fruit gin – such as damson or sloe
- Fruit rum such as blackberry
What you will need for DIY drink gifts
- Empty bottles – these cute Limoncello bottles come with labels
- A small funnel
- Simple labels and maybe a little bell or charm on ribbon
Quick store-bought option if you are short on time
Pick up:
- Mini bottles of prosecco, wine or spirits
- Tie on a pretty tag or pair with a small bar of good chocolate
This works really well if you need the same gift for a whole team.
4. Bathtime and scented gifts
Everyone loves to stock up on beautifully scented goodies at Christmas.
They can create really WOW moments when they are opened but they are very simple to make.
Here are some great ideas for really easy to make homemade gift ideas.
- Lavender bags – lavender bags are super simple to sew and just need a little dried lavender … if you haven’t got your own, it’s easy to buy
- Rosemary bags – as an alternative rosemary bags smell lovely, calm sleep & see of moths!
- Lotion bars – you can make simple lotion bars with coconut oil and essential oils
- Peppermint bath salts in a jar
- Body scrubs – and you can make all sorts of fab body scrubs with sugar and essential oils
- Bath bombs – and fizzing bath bombs with Epsom salts and stuff you’ve almost certainly got in the kitchen
- DIY Thyme Candles for scenting a bathroom
- Lip balm and finally natural lip balm with coconut oil, honey and beeswax
- A Spa Kit in a jar
- A pedicure in a jar – for coworkers you know really well!
What you will need for DIY pamper gifts
- Small jars and bottles
- Epsom salts, carrier oils and essential oils
- Cotton bags for lavender or rosemary
Quick store-bought option if you are short on time
Make a simple “desk spa” gift:
- Buy a small hand cream, lip balm and nail file
- Pop them in a little cosmetic bag or clear pouch
- Add a tag that says something like “For post-deadline pampering”
5. Plants and gardening gifts
Garden gifts are great for avid gardeners and those less green fingered who need a little help.
- Spring bulbs presented in a pretty container particularly bulbs that are more expensive to buy as plants, for example, hyacinths
- Kitchen herb garden you can plant a simple kitchen herb garden in mason or jam jars
- Cuttings of any great plants in your garden that you know a coworker would love
- Wind chimes you can make gorgeous wind chimes from all sorts of stuff you’ve got lying around the house and the garden
- Bird feeders beautiful bird feeders can be made from a wide range of cheap or vintage finds
- A Mason jar terrarium, this tutorial makes it so easy!
- Twine dispenser make a handy twine dispenser with a mason jar
- Painted can planters upcyle and paint old cans to create simple planters planters
What you will need for DIY plant gifts
- Mason jars, tins or small pots
- Potting soil and bulbs or herb plants
- Simple plant markers or tags
Quick store-bought option if you are short on time
- Buy mini succulents or desk plants and pop them in a simple pot
- Add a small flag with a fun note like “Thanks for helping things grow this year”
6. Kitchen And Foodie gifts
There are lots of easy ways to personalise gifts for foodies and wannabe chefs …
- Personalised mugs – write your personal message personalised mugs with a sharpie and glaze
- Jar of utensils – for the foodies package up a set of lovely wooden kitchen utensils in a mason jar
- Chopping boards make your own chopping boards carved from salvaged wood or log cuts and treated with mineral oil
- Tea towels personalise tea towels with kids’ art or your own!
- Homemade Vanilla Sugar for keen bakers to use in their baking
- How about Friendship Soup ingredients in a jar?
- Mug cake ingredients in a jar
What you will need for DIY foodie gifts
- Plain mugs, boards and tea towels
- Food safe pens or paints
- Mason jars for all the “in a jar” ideas
Quick store-bought option if you are short on time
Create a tiny “break room upgrade”:
- Nice coffee or tea
- A cute mug
- A couple of individually wrapped treats
7. HOMEMADE ORNAMENTS
Even if you’re not a great crafter it is easy to make super thrifty ornaments that look great …
- Mason jar vases – painted mason jar vases
- Upcycle old vase – chalkboard paint a cheap or old tarnished glass vase
- Soup can vases – simple soup can & twine vase
- Mason jar lamps – lamps made from mason jars
- Shabby chic vase – paint a cheap glass vase with acrylic paint & sand for shabby chic effect
- Mason jar soap dispenser – make simple soap dispensers from mason jars
What you will need for DIY ornament gifts
- Mason jars and old tins or vases
- Acrylic paints and chalkboard paint
- Soap dispenser tops and simple hardware
Quick store-bought option if you are short on time
- Buy a set of pretty baubles or a small pre-decorated ornament
- Add a handwritten note saying “For your tree at home or on your desk”
Well I hope that this list of 49 easy homemade Christmas gift ideas helps you to get a plan together for some DIY gift making this festive season.
I hope this list of easy homemade and low cost Christmas gift ideas helps you get a simple plan together for coworker gifts this festive season.
Spending a little time making or packaging gifts can also be a nice way to slow down and do something relaxing in the middle of a very busy time of year.
If you are sorting gifts for family and friends as well as coworkers, it is worth pulling everything into one simple list or planner so you can see your budget and ideas at a glance. You can grab our free 38 Page Christmas Planner here.
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For more presents and gift-exchange inspiration, explore our Christmas gift ideas.
Hello, I’m Luci, founder of Mums Make Lists. The site is full of useful and fun ideas for life and seasonal celebrations. Plus a growing selection of instantly downloadable fun printables and party planners. Read more.