Gift giving season is the best time of the year! Elevate your Secret Santa exchanges with these fun theme ideas and twists.
What’s better than a festive gathering with gift giving and friends and family? Secret Santa gift exchanges are always something to look forward to during the holidays.
Not only is it a fun activity, but it also makes Christmas shopping a bit simpler since you only have to focus on buying one gift.
But doesn’t a theme make everything a bit more fun? While Secret Santa is a gift exchange theme in and of itself, why not add an extra layer to this classic and spice things up?
Although it may seem like a theme only limits your options in terms of what you can buy, a theme can actually help to make things simpler by guiding everyones shopping. People will know exactly what type of thing to look for, where to look, or how to go about buying.
Tips for Organizing Your Secret Santa Gift Exchange
The holidays can be often be hectic! To make your Secret Santa endeavors run smoothly, here are some tips to consider when planning.
- FIND AN APPROPRIATE GROUP: By this I mean find a group that makes sense for a Secret Santa gift exchange. For instance, it may be a bit difficult for people who don’t know each other to be a part of the exchange, as giving a gift to a stranger can potentially be challenging and awkward. However, maybe that’ll be part of the fun! While it’s more likely that you’ll be doing this exchange with closer friends and family, there’s always the possibility that someone new may be added to the mix, so think about how you might approach that.
- PICK NAMES/THEME EARLY: The earlier you’re able to plan your Secret Santa, the better. Christmastime is crazy busy, so give everyone ample time to find gifts and go shopping.
- DETERMINE THE BUDGET: Money talk can be awkward sometimes, but make sure everyone is on the same page about a spending range. The last thing you want is everyone’s expectations to be different or people feeling bad about their gift.
- PICK A TIME TO EXCHANGE: You’ll obviously need to exchange gifts and reveal the Secret Santas! You’ll likely plan a gathering around this gift exchange, so find a time everyone is free to give gifts and party!
- KEEP IT SUPER SECRET: If you really want to ensure the Santas stay secret, have a separate, secluded area for people to drop their gifts before entering the gathering space. Or, have a large box at the door with a “shield” that people can place their gifts in when they walk in. You can even have everyone use the same gift bags or wrapping paper – it can be as simple as Kraft paper or brown paper bags. Of course, doing these things is a bit above and beyond, but if you feel like ensuring secrecy and being a bit extra, feel free to do so!
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SECRET SANTA THEME IDEAS
1. CHRISTMAS GIFT BASKETS
Instead of simply getting a gift, make it Christmas basket themed! In other words, get a bunch of small, related gifts and present these gifts in basket form. For instance, maybe your person enjoys hosting and cooking/baking. Get them baking utensils, mixing bowls, extracts, seasonings, and bake them some goodies. Or, maybe you want to make a self-care basket with body care products, face masks, or a robe. There are so many basket themes you can choose from; from sports teams to the beach to movie night, think about what your person enjoys and create a basket out if it! This is a fun way to add a different touch to your Secret Santa exchange.
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2. FOOD/BAKED GOODS
If you’re on a tighter budget or your group simply enjoys food and baked goods, consider making this your theme for your Secret Santa gift exchange. If you know your friend enjoys pumpkin, make them pumpkin bread or pumpkin muffins or pumpkin cookies. Or maybe your friend likes blueberry – make them scones or coffee cake or jam. If you or your group isn’t necessarily into baking, find some great bakeries or box mixes; store bought is still a great option, and box mixes are perfect for people to have on hand. You can find fancy macarons, delicious pastries, gooey cookies, flaky pies, and so much more. Make your Secret Santa gathering delicious with this idea!
3. SOMETHING THAT STARTS WITH THE FIRST LETTER OF PERSON’S NAME
Here’s a fun twist to your Secret Santa gift exchange: buy a gift based on the first letter of that person’s name. For instance, if the person you drew has a name that starts with an “L”, you can get them something from Lululemon, a lanyard, lemon bars, or a long-sleeve shirt. Be creative with this – there are tons of possibilities! Although this theme may seem like it limits your options of what to buy, it’s a fun change from the normal Secret Santa, and there are many descriptive words you can use to make it work.
4. THRIFTED
If your group is a thrifty bunch, consider thrifting each other’s gifts! Not only is this more sustainable and affordable, but also really fun! Digging up vintage pieces and coming across a steal can be exciting – you just have to be willing to spend some time searching. Those who thrift know that you can find really great stuff if you sift a bit. You can find everything from clothing to home goods to accessories!
5. TRAVEL
Perhaps your group has a trip coming up, or you all generally enjoy traveling. Make your Secret Santa exchange travel-themed! If your group or your person is anticipating an upcoming trip, you can get them something for that trip. For instance, if they’re traveling somewhere tropical, you might get them a swimsuit or a beach cover-up or sunglasses. Maybe it’s a ski trip – you can get them a beanie, puffer vest, or boots. Or, you can get each other general travel items and accessories, such as a toiletry kit, makeup bag, bag tag, jewelry case, portable charger, packing cubes, or disposable cameras. This Secret Santa theme will get your group excited about your upcoming trip, or perhaps inspire you to plan your next trip!
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6. EXPERIENCE
This is a great Secret Santa theme idea that goes beyond a physical gift, and encourages quality time. Have everyone exchange experiences instead of “things”. While plane tickets or Disney World tickets are a wonderful gift, don’t feel like you have to spend your life savings! An experience can be ceramics painting, a wheel throwing class, a play or show, a cooking class, or even a photoshoot. There are so many fun activities out there, this is a great gift idea to encourage each other to go out, get inspired, and try something new!
7. (RANDOM) COLORS
In addition to picking names randomly for Secret Santa, you can add an extra layer of chance by having everyone also randomly pick a color. In other words, you’ll have a basket of names and a basket of colors, and each person chooses from each basket. Whatever color you pick, you buy a gift for your person in that color. For instance, if you pick the color red, you could buy a red sweater, strawberry candies, or something from a red-colored brand. You can be creative with this and create the rules how you like; be more strict and say the item has to be that color, or be lenient and say it only has to include that color or the brand has to have that color – it’s up to you!
If you and your gang are particular about the colors you like, everyone can choose a color their Secret Santa has to use as their guide, instead of having a random one chosen for them. This is a fun idea to help guide everyone’s shopping and make your gift exchange a bit different.
LET THE GIFT EXCHANGING BEGIN!
Now that you have some ideas for how to spice up your Secret Santa gift exchanges, start planning! Get your group together, decide on a theme, pick names, and do some shopping. But most of all, have fun and enjoy each other’s company!
