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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wash U chapter.

As finals fastly approach and stress levels skyrocket, doing Secret Santa is a fabulous way to get you into the holiday spirit and get your mind off of that chem final. When doing a gift exchange with friends, it’s sometimes tricky choosing a present with a low budget. Here are a few easy ideas for how to wow as a Secret Santa!

1) Framed picture or collage

 

Call me corny, but who wouldn’t love to receive a nice picture of them and one of their close friends to keep on their desk? Everyone’s secretly a sucker for cute, warm gifts like this. Pictures can be printed within a matter of minutes at the local Walgreens and a simple frame can be bought at the mall.

2) Gift card

Okay, this sounds super impersonal – but it doesn’t have to be. If you know your friend is a die-hard Starbucks enthusiast who goes broke buying those Venti caramel lattes, they’ll certainly appreciate a $20 gift card to Starbucks. Giving a functional gift doesn’t mean you don’t care. Just enhance it by making a card with a nice.

 

3) Baked goods

 

Granted: those slutty brownies you make will be gone in about .2 seconds. Though baked goods won’t last too long, they’re perfect for the friend who absolutely loves sweets but is always too lazy to make them on their own. Plus, you can have a little fun whipping up some creative culinary treats and experimenting with new recipes. FYI, when in doubt, slutty brownies always do the trick.

 

4) A voucher to do something together

 

Feeling creative? Give your friend a voucher to do something she likes with you. Does she love to ice skate in Forest Park? You could make a day of it! Grab hot chocolate and see a movie to warm up after. Does she just love getting her nails done once a week? Take her before finals, on you. Vouchers are the perfect way to give a gift and spend quality time with those you love around the holidays.

 

5) Holiday Essentials

 

We all have that one friend who seems to live for Christmas. They’re obsessed with anything that jingles and wear red and green sweaters come December (quite appropriate for any WashU student). Give them little holiday trinkets that’ll get them even more anxious for the big day to come: fuzzy socks, onesies with reindeer on them, or a Santa mug. Each is a little, cheap item that will add to a fun collection of Christmas trinkets.

 
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Chloe is a sophomore in the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. She hails from Westport, Connecticut where she was Managing Editor of her high school's newspaper. She is an avid fan of ice cream, Sex and the City marathons, and napping.
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