Christmas Gifts for Coworkers: 16 Cheap Handmade Ideas That Feel Thoughtful

Christmas Gifts for Coworkers can feel tricky. You want to say thank you to the people you see every day, but buying ten or twenty presents adds up fast. The answer is a small handmade gift you can make in batches on one cozy evening. Simple gift ideas like these are huge online right now, and one video of an easy little gift bag has been watched more than seven million times. Below you will find 16 cheap, cute ideas that fit on a desk, in a break room or in an office gift swap. Most cost under five dollars each, and every one comes with a supply list and three easy steps. Pick your favorite and start a little holiday assembly line at the kitchen table..

Christmas Gifts for Coworkers on One Small Budget

The secret to great office gifts is making one idea many times. When every desk gets the same sweet little present, it feels planned and generous, not cheap. Choose one or two ideas from this list, buy supplies in bulk and set up an assembly line. Stick to a simple color scheme like red, green and kraft brown so everything looks like it came from one shop. Add a handwritten tag with each person’s name. That tiny personal touch is what people remember long after the cocoa is gone..

You will need: Bulk craft supplies for your chosen idea, kraft paper tags, red and green ribbon or twine, a fine tip marker, a big tray to work on.

How to make it: 1. Count how many gifts you need and add two spares. 2. Make each step for all gifts at once, like an assembly line. 3. Finish each one with a ribbon and a handwritten name tag.

Mini Gift Boxes From Cardstock

Tiny boxes make even a single chocolate feel special, which is why they are such popular Christmas Gifts for Coworkers. Print a free box template or trace one from a small store box, then cut it from red, green and kraft cardstock. Score the fold lines with a butter knife so they fold crisp and clean. Fill each box with wrapped candies, a tea bag or a pair of earrings and tie it with baker’s twine and a sprig of greenery. You can make twenty in an evening while you watch a movie. What would you tuck inside yours?

You will need: Cardstock in red, green and kraft, a box template, scissors, a ruler, a butter knife for scoring, glue stick, baker’s twine, faux greenery sprigs.

How to make it: 1. Trace and cut the template on cardstock. 2. Score and fold the lines, then glue the tabs. 3. Fill the box, close it and tie it with twine and greenery.

Hot Cocoa Cone Christmas Gifts for Coworkers

These cone shaped treat bags look so pretty in a basket by the coffee maker. Fill clear cone bags with a few spoons of cocoa mix, then a layer of mini marshmallows and a sprinkle of crushed peppermint. Twist the top and tie it with striped ribbon. Add a tag that says how much hot water to use. They cost about a dollar each and everyone can enjoy one on a cold Monday morning. For the best layers, use a funnel and tap the bag gently. Who at your office loves cocoa most?

You will need: Clear cone shaped cellophane bags, hot cocoa mix, mini marshmallows, crushed peppermint, a funnel, striped ribbon, tags.

How to make it: 1. Funnel cocoa mix into the point of each bag. 2. Add marshmallows and a sprinkle of peppermint. 3. Twist the top and tie it with ribbon and a tag.

Painted Desk Succulent Pots

A little plant brightens a gray office desk for months, long after the holidays are over. Paint tiny terracotta pots white, then add simple red and green stripes, dots or tiny trees with a small brush. Seal them, then plant a small succulent in each one with a bit of cactus soil. Succulents need very little water, so they are perfect for busy desks and sunny windowsills. They make Christmas Gifts for Coworkers that keep giving all year. Who on your team needs a little green?

You will need: Mini terracotta pots, white and colored acrylic paint, small brushes, clear sealer, small succulents, cactus soil.

How to make it: 1. Paint the pots white and let them dry. 2. Add simple holiday patterns and seal them. 3. Plant a succulent in each pot.

Christmas Gifts for Coworkers in a Painted Mug

A plain white mug from the dollar store becomes a one of a kind gift with a paint pen. Draw holly leaves, little trees or simple swirls, then bake the mug in a cold oven following the paint pen directions so the design lasts. Fill it with candy canes, a few tea bags or a packet of cocoa. Writing each person’s first name on the side makes it feel extra thoughtful. Hand wash only, and keep the paint below the rim. Would you go for holly or snowflakes?

You will need: Plain white ceramic mugs, oil based paint pens, rubbing alcohol, cotton pads, small treats to fill the mug.

How to make it: 1. Wipe each mug with rubbing alcohol and let it dry. 2. Draw your design below the rim with paint pens. 3. Bake as the pen directions say, let it cool and fill it.

Felt Bookmark Set

Christmas Gifts for Coworkers can be personal too. Every office has a reader who always has a book in their bag. Felt bookmarks shaped like a Christmas tree, a mitten or a snowflake make a sweet little gift for them. Cut two matching shapes from felt, then sew around the edges with a simple blanket stitch in white embroidery thread. Add a ribbon tail at the top. No sewing machine needed, and you can finish one during a lunch break. Slip a set of three into a small envelope. Who is the book lover on your team?

You will need: Felt sheets in red, green and white, paper templates, scissors, embroidery thread, a needle, thin ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Cut two matching felt shapes for each bookmark. 2. Sew the edges together with a blanket stitch, adding a ribbon tail. 3. Bundle three bookmarks in an envelope.

Pen Cup From a Tin Can

A clean soup can with a smooth rim makes a sturdy pen cup that looks like it came from a gift shop. Wrap the can in red plaid fabric with spray adhesive or glue, then tie twine around it with a small jingle bell. Fill it with a few nice pens or colorful pencils. File any sharp edges smooth first, or use a can opener that leaves a safe edge. This is a great gift for a desk that is always out of pens. Do you know someone who borrows pens all day?

You will need: Clean tin cans with smooth rims, plaid fabric, fabric glue or spray adhesive, twine, small jingle bells, new pens or pencils.

How to make it: 1. Cut fabric to fit around the can with a little overlap. 2. Glue the fabric on and smooth it flat. 3. Tie twine and a bell around it and fill it with pens.

Candy Cane Reindeer Christmas Gifts for Coworkers

This one costs pennies and makes everyone smile. Twist a brown pipe cleaner around the hook of a wrapped candy cane to make antlers, glue on two googly eyes and a tiny red pom pom nose. In five minutes you have a little reindeer. Make one for every person in the office and stand them in a mug in the break room, or tuck one into each card. They are a fun project to make with your kids the night before. How many can you make in an hour?

You will need: Wrapped candy canes, brown pipe cleaners, small googly eyes, tiny red pom poms, craft glue.

How to make it: 1. Twist a pipe cleaner around the hook and bend it into antlers. 2. Glue on two eyes. 3. Glue a red pom pom on the end of the hook for the nose.

Mini Notebooks Covered in Holiday Paper

Some of the most useful Christmas Gifts for Coworkers are simple. Everyone at work needs somewhere to jot a phone number or a to do list. Buy a pack of plain pocket notebooks, then cover the fronts and backs with pretty Christmas wrapping paper using a glue stick. Wrap a ribbon band around each one and tuck a tiny pencil under it. They cost under a dollar each and look like something from a stationery shop. Leftover wrapping paper scraps are perfect for this. Would you match the paper to each person’s favorite color?

You will need: Plain pocket notebooks, Christmas wrapping paper, a glue stick, scissors, ribbon, small pencils.

How to make it: 1. Trace each notebook cover onto the paper and cut it out. 2. Glue the paper to the front and back. 3. Add a ribbon band and tuck in a pencil.

Lip Balm Snowmen

Winter office air is dry, so a lip balm is a gift people actually use. Turn a plain tube into a tiny snowman with a white paper wrap, two black dot eyes and an orange nose drawn on with markers. Add a scrap of felt for a scarf and a little pom pom hat. Pick an unscented balm so it works for everyone. These are perfect Christmas Gifts for Coworkers when you need a lot of gifts for a small price. Which scarf color would you choose?

You will need: Plain lip balm tubes, white paper, black and orange markers, felt scraps, mini pom poms, craft glue.

How to make it: 1. Wrap each tube in white paper and glue it in place. 2. Draw eyes and a carrot nose. 3. Glue on a felt scarf and a pom pom hat.

Gift Card Holder Ornament

If your office does a small gift card for each person, make the holder the real gift. Cut two little sweater or mitten shapes from felt, sew three sides closed and leave the top open as a pocket. Add a ribbon loop so it can hang on a tree afterward. Slide in a coffee shop gift card and it becomes a keepsake ornament they can use every year. It is simple, quick and much nicer than an envelope. What shape would you cut for your team?

You will need: Felt sheets, a paper template, scissors, embroidery thread, a needle, thin ribbon, small buttons.

How to make it: 1. Cut two matching felt shapes. 2. Sew around three sides, leaving the top open. 3. Add a ribbon loop and a button, then tuck in the card.

Clay Ring and Paper Clip Dish

Small trinket dishes are perfect for holding paper clips, rings or earbuds on a desk. Roll air dry clay flat, cut a circle with a small bowl and press it into a larger bowl to shape it. Let it dry for a day, then paint it white with a gold edge and a few tiny red berries. A coat of sealer makes it shine. Each dish costs less than a dollar, and no two will look exactly the same. Which desk in your office needs a little catch all?

You will need: Air dry clay, a rolling pin, a small bowl to trace, a larger bowl for shaping, white, gold and red paint, sealer.

How to make it: 1. Roll clay flat and cut out circles. 2. Shape each circle in a bowl and let it dry for a day. 3. Paint, add a gold rim and seal it.

Christmas Gifts for Coworkers: Mini Wreath Magnets

Metal filing cabinets and whiteboards are everywhere at work, so a tiny wreath magnet adds instant cheer. Wrap a small embroidery hoop with faux greenery, add a few berries and a little red bow, then glue a strong magnet on the back. They take a few minutes each and look like something from a gift shop. Hand them out the week after Thanksgiving so people can enjoy them all season. For more small gift ideas, see our Neighbor Christmas Gifts. Where would you stick yours?

You will need: Small wooden embroidery hoops, mini faux greenery garland, tiny berries, thin red ribbon, strong craft magnets, a low temp glue gun.

How to make it: 1. Wrap greenery around the hoop and glue it in place. 2. Add berries and a tiny bow. 3. Glue a magnet to the back.

Knit Coffee Cup Sleeve

For the coworker who never goes anywhere without a coffee, a knit cup sleeve is one of the coziest Christmas Gifts for Coworkers. A simple rectangle in a cable or rib stitch with a button closure takes about an hour with chunky yarn. Red, cream and green yarn makes it festive. If you do not knit, cut a strip from an old sweater sleeve and add a button. Pair it with a coffee shop gift card or a bag of good beans. Who would you knit one for first?

You will need: Chunky yarn, knitting needles, a wooden button, a yarn needle, or an old sweater sleeve and scissors.

How to make it: 1. Knit a rectangle about 3 inches tall and long enough to wrap a cup. 2. Sew a button on one end and leave a loop on the other. 3. Wrap it around a cup to check the fit.

Fabric Scrap Gift Bags

Little drawstring bags are the kind of gift wrap people keep and reuse. Fold a rectangle of Christmas fabric in half, sew the sides, fold over the top to make a channel and thread a ribbon through. One sweet video of an easy little bag for Christmas gifts has more than seven million views on YouTube, so you know people love it. Fill each bag with candy or a small treat. Do you have a stash of fabric scraps waiting for a project?

You will need: Christmas fabric scraps, scissors, a sewing machine or needle and thread, thin ribbon, a safety pin.

How to make it: 1. Fold a fabric rectangle in half and sew both sides. 2. Fold the top down and sew a channel. 3. Thread ribbon through with a safety pin and fill the bag.

Yarn Tree Christmas Gifts for Coworkers

A little tree on the desk makes the whole office feel more festive. Wrap paper or foam cones with green, white or cream yarn, gluing as you go, until they are fully covered. Glue on tiny wooden beads as ornaments and a small gold star on top. Make them in two or three sizes so people can group them. They take up almost no space next to a monitor and can be packed away for next year. They cost about a dollar each. Which yarn color would you pick?

You will need: Paper or foam cones, yarn in green, white or cream, a low temp glue gun, small wooden beads, mini gold stars.

How to make it: 1. Glue the yarn end at the bottom and wrap it up the cone. 2. Glue every few rounds until the top. 3. Add beads and a star on top.