Office Gifts for Every Kind of Workmate (Snack Edition)

Every office has the same cast. Someone guards a snack drawer like it's the crown jewels. Someone doodles through every meeting. Someone has an iced coffee welded to one hand. Buying for them should be easy, and somehow it never is.

So here's a gift guide sorted by workmate type, plus a few tips for running an office gift swap that nobody dreads. Prices are in AUD, shipping is free over $50 AUD, and the full desk drawer lives in our desk bits collection.

How to run an office gift swap people actually enjoy

A bit of planning saves a lot of polite smiling. Five things that work:

• Set one budget and stick to it. $30 AUD to $40 AUD is the sweet spot for most teams. Say it out loud, so nobody turns up with a bath bomb while someone else spent a week's lunches.
• Make it opt-in. Ask who wants to join rather than who wants out. Money's tight for some people in December, and that's nobody's business.
• Use wish cards. Everyone writes one thing they love and one thing they'd rather not get. "Loves sushi, hates clutter" does half the shopping for you.
• Skip surprise food. Allergies, diets and a fridge full of leftover shortbread are all real. Gifts that look like snacks but aren't dodge the lot.
• Pick a swap day early. Online orders need time, so set the date before you draw names (there are order-by dates further down).

Gifts for every kind of workmate

The snack drawer keeper: Carrot Top Magnetic Food Clips ($11.95 AUD)

Five carrot clips, each about 11 cm long, that live in a magnetic holder on the fridge or filing cabinet. They seal chip packets, bread bags and cereal, which means no more stale crackers. Their snack drawer will never have looked so official.

The meeting doodler: Morning Milk Leather Pencil Case ($11.95 AUD)

A little milk carton for their pens, in yellow, blue or pink. It's wipe-clean PU leather and about 20.5 x 6.5 cm, so it slides into a laptop bag with room for the whole highlighter collection. Add a milk bottle correction tape ($10.95 AUD) if the budget stretches.

The iced coffee loyalist: Kawaii Glass Juice and Tea Cup (from $36.95 AUD)

A glass cup with a lid for iced coffee, milk tea or juice, in about 350 ml or 470 ml, with a white or black lid. It's a nicer home for the 3pm caffeine than a takeaway cup, and it looks great on a desk.

The deadline squeezer: Kawaii Hamburger Plush Cushion (from $14.95 AUD)

A soft burger with a cartoon face (Winking or Smiley), plus two pastel macaron friends, in small, medium or large. The small one lives on a desk chair and gets squeezed through every end-of-year deadline. For a smaller budget, the Sandwich Biscuit Novelty Eraser ($10.95 AUD) pulls apart like a real cream biscuit, in brown, pink, green or purple.

The lunch packer: Fruit Print Stainless Steel Bento Box ($28.95 AUD)

A two-compartment stainless steel tray under a clear clip-down lid, printed with a peach, watermelon or grapes. It holds roughly 800 ml to 1 litre. One thing to know: the steel tray isn't for the microwave, so it suits salads and sandwiches best.

The coffee run hero: Breakfast Phone Grip ($17.95 AUD)

For the person who remembers everyone's order. Choose a tiny latte with foam art, a fried egg or a tomato slice; it sticks to the back of a phone or case and pops out as a grip or a stand. Fewer dropped phones in the coffee queue.

The whole team: Cute Popcorn Pencil Erasers, Pack of 12 ($11.95 AUD)

Twelve little popcorn erasers in one box, so there is one for every desk at the end-of-year meeting (and a spare for the boss). They rub out cleanly, and they get swapped, collected and fought over by lunchtime.

The last-minute saviour: Maki Mates Sushi Treat Box Papercraft ($4.50 AUD)

Forgot the swap was today? This one's an instant PDF download, so nothing gets posted. Print Sami the Salmon and Kyu the Cucumber on A4 card, fold, and pop a treat or a tiny note inside. It's a lovely way to wrap gift cards too.

What to write in the card

The gift is sorted. Now the blank card is staring at you. Borrow one of these:

• "Thanks for making Mondays slightly less Monday."
• "For keeping me going all year. You're the best snack in the office."
• "Thanks for every coffee run. This one's on me."
• "Happy holidays to my favourite meeting buddy. Same seat next year?"

For tags, our free printables include Snack Doodles gift tags, and they're free to print at home.

Quick picks by budget

• Under $35 AUD: Carrot Top Clips, Biscuit Eraser, Milk Pencil Case, or browse the whole Secret Santa gifts shelf (all $35 AUD or under) and gifts under $30 AUD
• $24.95 AUD to $39.95 AUD: Burger Cushion (mini bag charm), Bento Box, Glass Cup
• Splurge or team gift: Popcorn Erasers (12-pack), Breakfast Phone Grip

Buying for several workmates? The clips, pencil case, glass cup, both erasers and the bento box are all in Pick Any 3: add any three from that range and 15% comes off at checkout (until Fri 20 November). More ideas live in desk bits and the Christmas gifts collection.

How we ship

Shipping is free on orders over $50 AUD. Most orders arrive in 7 to 14 business days from the day you order. For Christmas Day or a break-up party on Friday 11 December, order by Friday 20 November; for a party on Friday 18 December, by Friday 27 November. The papercraft is a download, so it's ready the moment you check out.

FAQ

How much should I spend on a gift for a coworker?

Whatever the group agrees. $30 AUD to $40 AUD is common for a Secret Santa, and for a one-off thank-you a small, thoughtful gift beats a big one. Our Secret Santa gift guide has more ideas by budget.

What's a good gift for a coworker you don't know well?

Something useful with a bit of fun in it: a pencil case, bag clips or a novelty eraser. Skip anything too personal, like perfume or clothing.

Are these good for teachers too?

Absolutely. Staffrooms are just offices with more marking. Our teacher gift guide has picks just for them.

Whoever you've drawn, I hope this makes the swap the best bit of the week. The whole range is in desk bits if you'd like a browse.

Poppy x
Store Manager, Scribble Snacks