The Best Unique Gift Ideas for Your Boss or Coworkers

The Best Unique Gift Ideas for Your Boss or Coworkers Relaxation You know what to get your friends, and your family members will straight-up tell you what they want … but what about your colleagues? Its not easy to come up with gift ideas for coworkers, and  your boss is even harder to buy for. As the holiday quickly approaches, don’t spend your time worrying about the perfect gift. There’s something for everyone on your work list right here. Even better? You might find something for yourself! Here are 87 unique gift ideas for coworkers and your boss thatll fit any personality and any budget. Relaxation You know how hard your coworkers work, so you know how much they can use a bit of RR with these thoughtful gifts. Candle Who doesn’t love a good candle? The flickering light and sweet scents make for a soothing environment that is perfect post-stressful day at the office. Make it even more festive with holiday-inspired scents. Try these ideas: Santa Farts candle, $12 You’re Soy Amazing candle, $21 Just Breathe candle, $39.95 Good Vibes Only candle, $64 Adult Coloring Books This is the type of gift an adult might shy from buying themselves but would love to have from someone else. There are lots of fun design styles to choose from, and coloring has been shown to reduce anxiety, too. You can get a different one for everyone on your team â€" and still have room left in your budget to #TreatYoSelf. Try these ideas: “Outside the Lines: An Artists’ Coloring Book for Giant Imaginations,” $13.63 “The Mindfulness Coloring Book,” $8.90 “Swear Word Coloring Book,” $4.27 Bonus: 36 Best Adult Coloring Books Coffee or Tea Supplies Coworkers get to know each other’s drinking habits â€"  at least as far as tea and coffee are concerned. You can gift your coworkers with their workplace drinks of choice or invest in a new accessory that will make sipping more enjoyable. Think cute mugs, tea diffusers, containers for personal supplies, etc. That way, each time your coworker brews a mug of the relaxing stuff, he or she will think of you. Try these ideas: Manatea Silicone Tea Infuser, $9.99 Let’s Do This mug, $16 Through the Day Tea, $30 Yoda Best Coffee Mug, $13 Primula Cold Brew Travel Bottle, $22.98 Bodum French Press, $24.95 Desk Décor A snazzy desk makes coming into the office just a little bit easier. Help your boss and coworkers get cooler desks with these ideas. Stationery Your company probably provides the basics, but, let’s face it, those are boring. Instead, upgrade your colleagues’ to-do lists, post-its and memo pads with stationery that has a bit of pizzazz. You can find frilly designs, funny ones or even crisp, clean, professional ones, depending on the recipient’s style. Try these ideas: Tinyprints personalized stationery, $0.89 to $3 per piece ban.do Straight Up Magic Sticky Note Set, $12 Make Today Lovely Jotter, $16 Write That Shit Down Notepad, $10 Bonus: Any/all 38 of these To-Do Lists Calendar Everyone has to keep track of the days, and a busy 2017 shouldn’t be limited to a Gmail calendar. Give your coworker or boss the gift of organization with a calendar that’ll make each day bright. Whether it’s classic or laugh out loud funny, they’ll be thanking you every time they jot down an important event. Try these ideas: Rifle Paper Co. 2017 Appointment Calendar, $26 2017 Someecards Year-In-A-Box Calendar, Varies Bubble Wrap Calendar, $27 Cartoons from The New Yorker 2017 Day-to-Day Calendar, $11.79 Paperweight Now that everything is digital, the paperweight might not have as much of a purpose. However, just as they’ve lost a shred of their functionality, they’ve gained a heck of a lot of personality. You can find a paperweight to match your colleague’s mentality, whether they’re inspiring, funny or a bit on the nerdy side. Seriously â€"  there’s a design out there for just about every desk, and, regardless of their utility, they look great. Try these ideas: Decision Paperweight, $18 Be … Inspirational Paperweight, $68 Dog Silhouette (available in various breeds), $12+ “Later” Oversized Clip and Paperweight, $18 Desktop Games We’re not talking about a computer desktop. Instead, give your coworkers the gift of gaming with a physical desktop game. You’ll find you won’t be wanting for choices. Game companies make everything from a wooden tic-tac-toe ($4.88) to a to a flick football complete with a goal post ($10.47). Or try these other ideas: Words Cubed, $17 The Storymatic, $29.95 Mini-Golf Sandbox, Varies My Cinema Lightbox, $15-90 Desk Organization Again, there’s only so much stuff your company will provide so employees can organize their desks â€" as far as personalization goes, though, you’re on your own. That’s why a sweet new desk organizer, whether it’s for paper or pens, will be something to look at and appreciate for its utility. Try these ideas: Cork Cactus Organizer, $15 ClipNote Desk Organizer, $12 Kate Spade Paper Clip Paper Holder, $29.99 Rachel George Mulholland Marble Pencil Holder, $39 Bunny Desk Organiser, $38.30 Whale Tail Bookend, $19.80 Cord Tacos, $16 Office Supplies Buying office supplies is tedious, which is why most people default to plain pens, pencils, and paperclips rather than shopping for something they’ll enjoy using. Don’t let your coworkers or boss use boring supplies day in and day out. Give them something unique and fun that that’ll make their day a little brighter. Try these ideas: Sayings Binder Clips, $9.95 Kate Spade What’s the Word Pencil Set, $19.90 Poketo Pattern Gel Roller Pens, $7 Plants Office workers who decorate their space with live plants experience tons of benefits. For one, studies show that people feel less stressed and depressed when they have office plants. The air is cleaner, there’s a decreased chance of illness, and those in the area feel more productive. It’s the perfect gift for a colleague. Try these ideas: Dinosaur planter, $16 Zen Reflections Juniper Bonsai, $28.89 Self-Watering Eleplanter, $35 You Rock Gold Dipped Crystal Air Plant Gift, $17 Tech Update Every efficient worker can use a new tech toy to make things even easier. Pick from these ideas. Mouse Pad Your work computer is one of the few devices left that’s not a touchscreen, but that might end up being a blessing if you’re still searching for a Christmas gift for a colleague. A fun mouse pad will be both useful and nice to look at … no more stock office mouse pads for your best work friends. Try these ideas: Donut mouse pad, $12 Piece of cake mouse pad, $10 Cactus mouse pad, $6 IPod, IPhone or IPad Holder Sometimes, it seems as though your phone is always in the way of your actual work â€"  or it gets lost in the fray of a particularly paper-laden desk. Make things easier on your coworkers by picking up a small holder for a phone, iPod or tablet to use while working. Bonus points if the holder serves a dual purpose, such as a holder/speaker or holder/charger. Try these ideas: Doiy Doughnut Stand, $14.49 Modern smartphone stand, $39.60 Wooden phone stand, $12.75 Charging station, $24.99 Screen-Cleaning Device The task of cleaning a computer screen can fall to the bottom of a packed to-do list pretty quickly, especially if you don’t have the proper cleaning agent on-hand. Make your coworker’s life easier by picking up a gentle cleaning cloth, cleaning solution or other device meant to make screens sparkle. Try these ideas: Shaggy Max iPad cleaner, $8.94 Smartie microfiber cloth, $7.99 Teraglove, $19.95 Screen cleaner kit, $11.95 Take-Home Treats Not every gift you give a coworker has to be office-oriented. These homey gifts strike just the right balance between professionalism and caring. Subscription Even though your relationship is work-related, you probably know a bit about your colleague’s interests. Try and find a coordinating subscription to a magazine or sample-delivery service, which allow recipients to try products related to their hobbies before making a purchase. Try these ideas: Fancy Box, $39 Spice Box Kit, $7/kit MistoBox Coffee Subscription, $19 Sock Fancy, $11 per month Graze Snacks, Varies Coffee Table Books Again, you know more about your colleagues than just their work ethic and job title. These are the types of purchases people simply don’t make for themselves, and finding one that coordinates with your colleague’s interests shows you’ve really been listening. Try these ideas: “Humans of New York: Stories,” $14.48 “The Dogist,” $16.58 Nat Geo “Rarely Seen: Photographs of the Extraordinary,” $27.19 “Home” by Ellen Degeneres, $23.79 “1001 Smartest Things Ever Said,” $8.41 DIY Classes You guessed it. Here’s another riff on your colleagues’ interests. Has your coworker ever said they’d love to learn to cook paella or learn karate? If you can remember something like that, take advantage. Buy an introductory lesson in that area and voila. You have a perfectly thoughtful and useful gift. Try these ideas: Art classes Pottery classes Exercise classes Cooking classes Baked Goodness Do you have a special recipe for cookies everyone in the office loves? This time of year is the perfect excuse to whip out the mixer, rolling pin and cookie cutters in the name of office cheer. The good thing is, you can’t go wrong with sweets, and they’re perfect for just about any level of office friendship. Try these great recipes to make for your coworkers: World Peace Cookies Peppermint Meringues Gingerbread Cookies Banana Bread Lunchtime Gift Cards In a similar vein, you can feed the masses their favorite lunches with gift cards. Load a handful of gift cards with just enough to cover the lunch specials. Then, hand them out and watch the smiles unfurl as people realize they have a free, delicious meal waiting at their favorite lunchtime haunt. Try $15 to $20 at a local favorite or one these popular lunch destinations: Subway Chipotle Panera Bread Now It’s Your Turn You work together every day of the year, so it’s only right to have your closest colleagues or boss on your list. With these categories and gift ideas in mind, it should be a whole lot easier to complete your Christmas shopping for your coworkers, too. If you need a little more help, remember, professional, grateful and personal are the three things you should be as you shop, and, with those parameters in mind, you can’t go wrong. Have more fun gift ideas for coworkers or your boss? Planning to get something from this list? Let us know in the comments! (Who knows, your idea may get added to this list!) And to get more articles to help you navigate the office holidays and help you preserve your sanity at work, subscribe to Punched Clocks to get  all the latest and greatest posts! #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; width:100%;} /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */ Join over 675 readers! Get expert career advice sent straight to your inbox!