Buying at Christmas can be stressful. We get it. But you don’t need to spend a lot to bring someone joy. We’ve been meticulously writing about the best gifts for everyone in your life at the Strategist UK, so we’ve put together the best gifts you can buy online that all come in under a tenner, from something for a Pokémon-loving nephew, to the perfect choice for a (still) working-from-home dad. And to shop for everyone else on your list, visit our gift guide hub.
For your friend who has mastered agnolotti
Some fancy olive oil would be the perfect finish.
For your aunt, who married a heavy sleeper
These come recommended by author Sophia Money-Coutts, who says they “remain lodged all night, comfortably muffling the world outside.”
For your girlfriend, whose toothbrush has mysteriously appeared in your bathroom
For the housemate who blew her rent money on Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance
For your friend who is giving up her four-coffee-a-day habit
For your kid’s primary-school teacher, who deserves a knighthood
Admittedly, they might need something a bit stronger, but this is a thoughtful stocking-stuffer.
For your friend, who works from bed
For your cousin, who works from the kitchen table
For your nephew who named the hamster ‘Pikachu’
The franchise’s trading-card game is bigger than ever, so a booster pack of cards would make a great stocking filler.
For your colleague who Slacks about their snacks
For your mother-in-law, who is getting serious about plants
For your father-in-law, who can’t even keep his cacti alive
A clever doodad that waters plants would be just the thing.
For your uncle who sends you pictures of each and every fry-up
The beauty of this fried-egg pan — aside from making the best crispy-edged eggs ever — you can use it for toasting nuts or melting butter, too.
For your office Secret Santa
Just because they’re not in an office right now doesn’t mean this (adorable) Post-it dispenser won’t come in handy.
For your brother who (finally) rescheduled his Italian honeymoon
Until he can have fresh pasta made for him, homemade pasta might have to do for now.
For your stepbrother, who prefers a starter to a pudding
You know how we said snacks make great gifts? See also: fancy salt. Chocolatier Paul A. Young told us about this brand, which is more sustainable than Maldon.
For your niece who is moving from acrylic nails to all-natural
Writer Natalya Lobanova says, ‘I’ve tried a lot of nail moisturising products, and this is the one I always come back to’.
A fancyish file would also make a great gift for anyone whose nails are on point.
For your boyfriend who overcommitted to Movember
A great little stocking stuffer for the man who has everything, including copious amounts of facial hair.
For the boyfriend who got into old fashioneds during lockdown 2.0
He should swap his classic bitters for these chocolatey ones, which pairs great with rum, sweet vermouth, or any aged spirits.
For your work husband (who you ate lunch with every day)
Give them a decent hot sauce and even their microwaved leftovers will taste like something you picked up at Kerb.
For your work wife, who fidgets on work calls
For the dad who makes a legendary Sunday roast
These silicone trivets fold down to the size of a bottle opener, and will ensure his legendary roast doesn’t scorch the tablecloth. [Editor’s note: This product is out of stock until Dec 21, but will still arrive in time for Christmas.]
For the boyfriend who cooks a mean oxtail ragu
For the sister-in-law who’s a doodler
Not too thin and not too thick, these pens (which came in at number 24 in our exhaustive pen testing project) come recommended by Diptique creative director Myriam Badault, British GQ art director Kevin Fay, and designer Chloe Ainsley. [Editor’s note: This product is low in stock.]
For your old uni housemate, who just got on the property ladder
For your partner who is in the dictionary right under ‘light sleeper’
For your new girlfriend’s mum
For your husband, who doesn’t want anything
For your housemate, who has a ‘Kill Bill’ poster on his wall
How about one of our favourite prints you can buy on Amazon, instead? [Editor’s note: This product is low in stock.]
For your downstairs neighbour (with an enviable herb garden)
These herb scissors feature five sets of blades, and come with a cleaning brush.
For your upstairs neighbour (who stomps around the flat)
The Strategist UK is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Read about who we are and what we do here. Our editors update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.