/secret-santa-gifts(1)-740x350.jpg)
The Worst Secret Santa Gifts?
Secrets Santas are a fun way to give gifts, and here are some tips so you can avoid giving some of the worst presents ever.
Say no to potato head?
Across the country now, friends, family and work colleagues are searching for those perfect secret Santa gifts. But how do you make sure you get the best gift, so those chocolate body parts, inflatable dolls or boring set of matching socks don’t land you in trouble - here’s how with our handy list...
1. Get some agreement
Ask your family and friends to make sure all those who want to be excluded/included can do so. Not everyone will want to take part, and if they’re not feeling the Christmas spirit then their gift might reflect that! One of the worst gifts we’ve heard off is money in an envelope rather than a present - obviously the giver was not in the mood to put some effort into their choice.
2. Set the budget
Just like agreeing to actually set up the secret Santa, it’s also a good idea to get a consensus on how much each person should spend. Make it too small and you might end up getting a couple of sweetener sachets attached to some tinsel, like one colleague’s story highlighted by BuzzFeed, too high a budget then Santas might struggle to find the extra pennies required for a pricier present at this time of year.
3. Save time online
When there’s quite a few people involved in your secret santa, or they live far apart and only meeting up to exchange gifts on Christmas day, a website that can help you get organised might be just what you need. For some of these sites, all you need to do is to enter names of people taking part and names will be drawn. There are also websites where you can order the presents and get them delivered - little effort required and really convenient for all.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask for tips!
When you don’t know where to start, then why not make suggestions as part of the process. Online this is easy as secret Santa websites often prompt you to add some tips. If you’re using a more traditional approach then those taking part can write a quick tip on the piece of paper with their name on before it goes into the hat. It’s a good idea to be quite general if you do this, as a large part of the fun is the excitement a surprising gift can bring, and who doesn’t want something a bit unusual - such as a potato with a likeness of Gordon Brown on, a present highlighted by Management Today.
We actually have our own Christmas offer surprise, and we think you’ll love it, especially as we’ve never done it before! Keep an eye out here when it’s revealed this 'Black Friday'.
5. Know your audience
Secret Santa is a prime time to have some fun with your family or at work, but make sure your gift will be taken the right way! We’ve seen all sorts of gifts highlighted on the web, such as inflatable women all wrapped up in Christmas paper, or a box of vegetables and some petroleum jelly - although some may laugh, others might end up putting those veg where you don’t want them...
Keeping it painless!
We hope your secret Santa experience is as painless as possible, and make sure you keep an eye out on our news to see what delights we get for each other at Furniture Hire UK - some of last year’s highlights included a dress for our (male!) sales manager, whips and chocolate body parts, as well as some more ‘sensible’ gifts… we can’t wait!