10 Custom Christmas Gifts for Employees

Did you know that one in three employees don’t get a Christmas gift from their boss? That’s truly shocking! We’ve put together 10 creative gift ideas to help you show your appreciation.

In 2018, about 35% of all employees didn’t receive a Christmas present at work at all. It’s a real shame, seeing that the holiday season is the perfect occasion to thank employees for their commitment in the past year and to promote a positive atmosphere at work.

The smaller your company, the easier it is to find just the perfect gift for each employee. And you don’t need to break the bank. We’ve put together ten creative gift ideas to show your appreciation without spending a lot of money. In some cases, you also save a wad of cash when you order in bulk.

1. A custom mug

Design a personalized mug including the name of each employee. Take inspiration from hobbies, interests or inside jokes. Or consider the role of the employee in the company to make a fun reference to.

Then put some pastries or tea bags into the cup and tie a ribbon around it. Put the gift on their desk when the holiday season is coming up.

Good to know: The more mugs you order, the less you pay per piece – even with differently customized mugs.

2. Craft Beer

It doesn’t always need to be a bottle of wine. In all likelihood, there’s a micro-brewery in your neck of the woods that offers craft beers. You can surely think of a few coworkers who’d appreciate this as a Christmas gift. Along with a custom beer mug, you’ll be sure to make their day.

Please note: Not everyone is into alcoholic beverages, so be careful when giving people these gifts. When in doubt, choose an alcohol-free option instead.

3. Spend time

Time is a very precious gift. Give your employees the opportunity to decide what they want to talk about. Take the time out to listen to them. Depending on the size of your company, you will have to keep giving this gift throughout the year.

Consider how you can make this gift meaningful. For example, you can take each employee out for lunch and create a calendar in which the employees sign up for lunch with you… your treat!

4. Chemical elements

Remember the periodic table where every chemical element has its place and its function? Use the first names of your employees and invent elements with their names. You could then personalize thermal mugs with their element moniker so they can have their coffee to go with custom thermal mugs. Another idea is customizing mousepads for their desks.

5. Disposable cameras

This gift is cheap and ingenious: Each of your employees gets a disposable camera. Once their film rolls are complete, they can be handed to your personnel department. The best shots end up adorning the walls of your company.

Present each camera to your staff in custom tote bags or shoulder bags.

6. Party photos

When throwing a Christmas party, set up a photo booth and a costume corner. Next year, you can print the best pictures of your employees on T-shirt or mugs.

7. Lemons

The saying goes when life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Give each employee two lemons, a bottle of grenadine and a customized mason jar for lemonade. Add a greeting card to the mix mentioning a fun situation with the employee.

8. Hero league

If you’re in charge of a sizable company and you don’t really know your employees too well, T-shirts or hoodies are always a good gift idea. Make sure you get information on sizes from HR as people may get offended when their shirts are too big or too small.

Take your company logo and combine it with cool design elements and the name of the employee. Maybe HR can help you come up with fun monikers picking up on characteristics to make the print more fun (Dapper Dan, Zealous Zoey, etc.).  

9. Something warm

When it’s getting cold outside, a custom beanie may be just the thing to come in handy. Beanies hold the advantage that they’re unisex and one-size-fits-all. Customized with a design depicting the position of the member of staff, they can be a lot of fun.

10. Vouchers

Last-gasp gifts aren’t necessarily personal or creative. Consider that Susan loves massages, Fred always wanted to do a photo course and Jennifer has a penchant for T-shirts with fun designs. Take inspiration from their leisure activities or shopping habits to lend a personal touch. Be careful to give everyone a voucher in the same value.

Personalized gifts will go a long way with your employees. Maintaining a fair distribution of gifts is paramount, and customized products make sure you give gifts that are both personalized and of equal value. You’ll save precious company money when ordering 6 or more products, and the percentage increases with every item you order.

Time to give Christmas gifts like a boss!