10 best secret Santa gifts under £10

The office secret Santa doesn't have to be a minefield. From the silly to the stylish, we've got it covered - all for a tenner or less

1. Superhero caped socks

We love this take on the Christmas staple. These brilliant socks come in Superman and Wonder Woman designs. We’re not quite sure they’re exactly work wear but they are definitely lots of fun. One for the office joker.

£9.99, thefowndry.com

2. Spudnik potato masher

Even if the recipient is not a gourmet chef, anyone can turn their hand to mash. This colourful utensil reinvents the technique (it’s all about rotating, not pounding, apparently). Practical and inoffensive and a good one to incorporate into the office Christmas quiz - in the 'can you guess what is is yet?' round.

£7.25, uutensil.com

3. Abundance Generation - invest in renewable energy

Not everyone is into the shopping fest that is Christmas. If you're tasked with buying for a friend who isn't, consider investing in a renewable energy project on their behalf. You give £5 or £10 towards a solar or wind power project in the UK. They'll be sent a personalised gift certificate in a nice card (see image above) and they may get a small return on their investment in the years to come. It's not risk free, but it makes for an unusual and eco-friendly gift

From £5, abundancegeneration.com

4. Dr PawPaw original balm

This catch-all balm is a good one for any beauty fans who like to stay ahead of the curve. Made with vitamin-rich paw paw, olive oil and aloe vera, it's perfect for soothing cracked lips in cold weather, shaping unruly brows, conditioning nails, smoothing fly-away hairs and more. All that from one handbag-friendly 25ml tube.
£6.95, drpawpaw.com

5. Wicked Socker Bopper

Secret Santa is often actively encouraged to be a bit silly. And these inflatable gloves are certainly that. They're lots of fun too, though perhaps not ones to get out when your boss is around.

£9.90, tesco.com

6. Sophie Richardson Grid Rose Alphabet mug

Alphabet homeware is big this winter, and this mug with a delicate hand-drawn letter design stands out from the pack. Crafted in Britain from fine bone china, it comes in cherry pink or turquoise - both colours will make a cheery addition to the office kitchen, and the tell-tale initial will deter any mug thieves!

£10 for IndyBest readers until 16 December. Use code “Indie10” at checkout, sophierdesigns.co.uk

7. Mini elephant candles

These cute mini red wax candles housed in little ceramic elephants are made in Thailand by groups working under fair trade conditions. Presented in a handmade paper box, we think they make a quirky and rather festive addition to a table - and there's a nice story behind them.

£6, traidcraftshop.co.uk

8. Strictly Come Dancing judge masks

The show regularly gets over 10 million viewers, so chances are you might have a Strictly fan to buy for. These fun masks mean they can play along with Len ‘SE-VEN’ Goodman, Darcey and the rest. Or maybe preside over the family game of Charades. All the judges are available, as well as Tess and Brucie.

£3.58, mask-arade.com

9. Tanqueray 'Polish for Boots'

Charles Tanqueray is known for creating the eponymous gin. Little known fact: in 1843 he also came up with a some exceptional shoe polish. His ‘Polish for Boots’ recipe has been recreated in a collaboration with London bar tender Tristan Stephenson. The limited edition polish comes in a stonewear bottle with a wax seal and leaves shoes pleasingly glossy and shiny. A good one for scoring brownie points with your boss.

£5, fluid-movement.com

10. English rose and petals peg bag

A peg bag may not sound glam, but this is actually a really useful pressie. It’s waterproof so can be left outside clipped to the line. It also has drainage holes so it doubles up as a pot for growing seeds. Great for any house-proud colleagues.

£10, camouflagecompany.com