Look, as much as we’d love for money to not be a factor in our gift-giving…it is. And sure, there are always those nearest and dearest that we may splurge a little extra on each year. However, the amount of gifts can add up fast! So not only do you have a list of people you want to shop for, but you also want to come up with actually good ideas because what’s worse than getting someone a gift they’re not even going to use?? This is at least what I have experienced most years. I wanted to come up with a really great list of gifts that are not only all under $50 but also can be given to anyone on your list! Ok, maybe kids aren’t the key target for these suggestions but go to our kids and Gen Z gift guides for those gift recommendations. Ok, let’s start crossing off that list!
I genuinely want one of these!! They are perfect for travel (stick one in your suitcase if you check your bag), and are a great way to keep track of your keys or purse. I actually had a friend who was able to track down her lost luggage because of one. There are so many ways to use them so for under $30, it’s an excellent and practical gift.
Wireless Charger | Wireless Running Earbuds
Two other great tech gifts are a wireless charger and a pair of earbuds that will actually stay in your ears. I love how pretty and simple that linen-covered wireless charger is! It’s neural and special and would look great in any home. Then these are Em’s favorite earbuds full stop! I will admit they are a couple of dollars over the $50 limit but they come SO highly recommended that I couldn’t not include them. It’s the only one over $50, I promise! Here is what Em has said about them in the past:
“As an avid podcast listener (2-3 hours a day between walking dogs, cooking, and cleaning), I have tried many headphones and it’s been hard to find any that stay in my ears comfortably without falling out, getting lost, last a long time without needing a charge, and aren’t glitchy. These are extra good because they last the longest (hours and hours – I feel like I plug in every other day) and can be far away from the phone should you be cleaning and set it in another room. I’ve tried 3-4 different others since lockdown (eventually I’ll lose one of them – I don’t know how people don’t) and these are by far my favorites (and HOT TIP! I only walk dogs and clean house with one in at a time so I can hear surroundings). They do not have a mic though, so they aren’t for phone or Zoom calls.”
NY Yankees Baseball Cap | LA Dodgers Baseball Cap
Baseball hats are such a good gift. Why? Well, if you have a sports fan in your life then they’ll likely love this kind of merch and B. Baseball hats are very on trend right now in general (I know that sounds dumb since people never stopped wearing them but they are more popular than maybe ever.) And while I don’t want to start any fights, Yankees and Dodgers hats are the most popular baseball hats to wear (fan or not). SORRY TO THE OTHER TEAMS! But what I love about these particular hats is the black-on-black. They are a little more subtle, look cool, and anyone can wear them. I do have the Dodger hats and get compliments on it almost every time I wear it.
Look, it’s going to be cold for a while so might as well gift the coolest beanie out there, the Carhartt knit cuffed beanie. It’s that “I’m not trying to be cool” cool beanie that anyone can rock (teens are fans too FYI).
Emily has said it before but gifting a beautiful cruet is SUCH a great gift! It’s the kind of thing you rarely buy for yourself because it feels like a silly luxury. But the beauty it brings to a kitchen is A LOT. My cousin actually gifted me the amber one above last year and it makes me smile every time I walk into my kitchen.
Cook This Book: Techniques That Teach and Recipes to Repeat | More Is More: Get Loose in the Kitchen
While I’ve only cooked from Cook This Book a couple of times it’s SO GOOD! Julie had long been trying to get me to buy it and once I did I understood. Molly Baz, the chef and author, explains things so easily but also includes a bunch of QR codes throughout the book that show you a how-to video of what she’s trying to explain. It’s awesome and DELICIOUS. More Is More just came out so if your person already has the first maybe snag the second. Or get both! The combo adds up to about $50:)
Pickling Kit | Triple Threat Sauce Trio
Keeping on the food train, either of these would be great for the food lover in your life. This pickling kit just sounds fun and a cool activity for even a noncook like me! And if you haven’t tried a sauce from Fly by Jing then maybe you should also buy this trio for yourself. They’ll make any dish taste better.
Gooseneck Electric Water Kettle
This is such a useful thing to have if they don’t own one. I know this because I used to have an electric kettle and now I don’t. I just need to buy one already! This is the one above is what Em has and she loves it. For $30 it’s so cute and wildly functional. For the tea drinker, the Cup of Noodles eater, and everyone in between will use and love this gift.
Now, this has been on my list for a minute. Sure, being able to make a mini waffle is great but there are soooo many other things I’ve seen people make with it. Like this spicy salmon crispy rice meal! Plus it’s so small that you can easily tuck it away. Considering it’s only $15 I really just need to buy it for myself.
Abi Spoon Rest | Cotton Striped Oven Mitt and Pot Holder Set
Want more pretty kitchen accessory ideas that people tend to not buy for themselves? A big one is a spoon rest. I don’t even have one! Ridiculous, I know:) It’s helpful to know their style but this one is gorgeous and very in while being totally classic. They also have a butter dish and salt and pepper shakers if you’d prefer those instead. Or if you want to go for a super but pretty safe option, a new oven mitt and pot holder set with a simple striped pattern, like the $10 one above, goes with almost any style and always comes in handy.
Dual Sided Terry Kitchen Towels
Another useful and safe gift? Kitchen towels! These are from Target’s new line called Figment. Each one is only $3 so you can grab a few if you want for the same person or grab a few to give to different people and maybe add one of your favorite recipes on a card to go with it. Easy and thoughtful.
A “simple but special” vase or planter is almost always a gift someone is going to love! I have personally bought two people the bow vase and they both loved it. Actually, that was the vase I gave Arlyn when I did the first “compliment jar” for our EHD Secret Santa years ago! The other chalice is one I have my eye on that I might just have to snag for myself:) The shape is so pretty, classic, yet a little unexpected so it’s a win-win-win.
A pair of pretty clippers is one of those things you are so happy you have when you all of a sudden need them! I love the mixed metals of this one and how classic they look. Throw in a bouquet of flowers if you want to add to the gift a little.
Wrapped Stones | Cast Iron Match Striker
More decor? Why of course! Y’all these wrapped stones are SO PRETTY and are perfect for the person who has everything and loves design. This isn’t something that you’d usually spend money on for yourself but we promise the recipient will be thanking you for making their home look and feel cooler. A matchstriker also falls into the “won’t buy yourself but want” category. This one is interesting but simple and works with any style. Who doesn’t have candles that need to be lit? Light those babies in style!
Sandalwood + Smoke Lidded Wood Wick Jar Candle | Forest Fir Jar Candle | Maison Louis Marie Candle
Speaking of lighting candles here are three we highly endorse. The first one is Threshold’s Sandalwood + Smoke. It’s earthy which I LOVE and has a crackling wood wick so it sounds like a fireplace. Huge fan and it’s only $13. Then Forest Fir is Target’s version of the famous Fraiser Fir but a bit more affordable since they start at $5 and max at $30 for the big one. It’s basically a Christmas forest in your home but in the best way. Last is one of my favorite candle brands, Maison Louis Marie. It’s a little bit more expensive at $38 but they are incredible. One of my favorites (Thanks to Sara) is the Neige De Printemps. 10/10.
Black Metal Snuffer | Brass Finished Candle Snuffer | Metal & Wood Candle Snuffer
Now to round out the candle talk, a snuffer is a great additional or stand-alone gift. These all range from $10 to $16 and are so cute! Another slightly forgotten-about but fun and pretty tool!
Chances are your person drinks out of cups and has a first or last name. Enter these beautiful coasters! My neighbor fell in love with these coasters when we were designing her and her husband’s bedroom. Of course, then we got one for her and one for her husband with each of their initials. NO STEALING! But truly, the patina on the brass is so pretty and I think anyone would love to get one or two of these.
Checkerboard Fleece Throw | Textured Faux Fur Reversible Throw Blanket
We are people that believe in cozy and beautiful things so these two fuzzy throws fit the bill perfectly. I love the subtle but graphic pattern on the blue one so much! It is on sale for $39 at the moment so if you think the person on your list would love it I would snag it sooner than later. Then the beautiful faux fur one on the right is a Henderson favorite! They used to argue over them so Emily bought one for each family member (pretty doable since they are $25). That was convincing enough for me to buy my best friend one for Christmas last year and she loves it. It also comes in three other pretty colors!
Scalp Revival Shampoo + Scalp Massager Gift Set | Complete Scalp & Hair Oil, Air Dry Cream and Recovery Serum Set
If your person has a scalp then a little TLC will likely be super appreciated! Especially if it’s from either of these incredible brands. I’ve used Briogeo before and loved their products. I haven’t tried this shampoo yet but it has a 4-star rating from 3k people soooo…I think should. Plus with this gift set, you are also getting them a scalp massager. Win-win! Then with the JVN Essentials gift set, I have tried both the air dry cream and the instant recovery serum (a heat protectant) and truly love both of them. I am telling you either of these gifts would kill and are both under $33.
Nothing says “I care about you and want you to live a long time” than giving someone the gift of sun protection. But seriously, our team loves all of these sunscreens. You can’t go wrong and with this set, they can see what they like best! They’ll be thanking you
I bought this for my trip to London because I was trying to avoid showing up as a dry piece of sandpaper when I arrived. The internet was raving about it so I gave it a try! And well, I love it and have continued to use it as a moisturizer when my skin is extra dry. But you can also just use it as a mask. It’s very versatile and $26 for the “mini” size. I promise it’s not that mini and worth it.
Everyday Oil | Peptide Lip Treatment
I’ve talked about this body/face oil before and knew it was perfect for this list. It smells so good that one could skip their perfume. But the smell is beautiful and super natural. Oh, and it can also be used as an oil cleanser or makeup remover. What can’t it do? But if you want to go “trendy” but actually good, people have been ALL about this lip balm/treatment. It comes in clear but also a few colors if you want to try to pick one out for your person. Sometimes getting to try a viral internet product is really fun:)
Henry Rose Unisex Perfume Discovery Set
Did you know Michelle Pfeiffer created a fine perfume brand with ingredient transparency? You should really listen to her whole story on this podcast episode because it’s so interesting and inspiring. And what came out of it was a stunning unisex perfume brand, Henry Rose. My friend got their Discovery set last year and was obsessed with it! It’s such a fun gift for you person to get to play with lots of different sophisticated scents:)
Le Labo Hinoki Shower Gel | Aesop Reverence Aromatique Hand Wash
Want more wonderfully scented luxuries?? You might remember me raving about the Le Labo shower gel a few months ago and I still love it just as much. It really makes every shower better. So maybe someone in your life could use a little luxury that they wouldn’t spend on themselves…do it for them! And then while it’s not a new product, the Aesop hand wash is also just out of this world special. Yes, $41 is a lot for soap but it always lasted me so long and made me love washing my hands. The scent is amazing and your hands feel so soft. I would LOVE to get this as a gift.
Fresh Peaches Toilet Paper Gel
Maybe you’d want to gift this gift to a close friend or family member (or it’s an EXCELLENT white elephant gift). This toilet paper gel makes any piece of toilet paper a wet wipe! It doesn’t make the toilet paper too soft so there’s no breakage (I do fold a few pieces together FYI). But seriously, it’s such an amazing product and is way better for the earth since your toilet paper is actually safe to flush. It might be a funny gift at first but trust me they will be thanking you.
Indoor/Outdoor Camping Hammock with Tree Straps | Portable Garment Steamer
Mallory and Emily have convinced me of the hammock lifestyle so I highly endorse getting this hammock for any person on your list that likes to be outside. The “outside” they love could even just be their backward with two trees. Or this could be another great white elephant gift idea! Oh and one last white elephant idea or regular gift idea for that matter. I can’t tell you how much I use my steamer. It’s a godsend because it’s easy and I use my iron waaaaay less. It’s for sure a “practical” gift but a great practical gift if they don’t have one.
Hope these were helpful and you were able to cross a bunch of people off your list! Happy shopping and for more ideas you can always head to our gift guide page🙂
Love you, mean it.
Opening Photo Credits: Photo by Kaitlin Green | From: The OFFICIAL First Farmhouse Christmas! (+ A Great Ribbon Hack And My Dream Color Palette)
Source: Shopping – Emily Henderson – stylebyemilyhenderson.com
