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While the big presents for kids and loved ones are usually easier to pick (we check those lists twice!), it’s the smaller gifts, like the office Secret Santa or saying thank you to that friendly neighbour, that are sometimes harder to source. Conveying a sense of meaning and appreciation while shopping on a budget can be part of the challenge. We’ve rounded up the best gifts under $30 for each person in your life that lets them know how special they are, without breaking the bank.
SEE ALSO: 10 Christmas Gifts Under $50 They’ll Love
Best Gifts Under $30 for The Home
Whether they’ve moved into a new place or you want to help liven up their surroundings, a gift for the home or desk is a sure-fire way to please homewares lovers. This Otto artificial plant provides that little bit of nature and whimsy without the need for sunlight or water.
The ceramic pot’s cute face and little legs adds a playful touch. If they love their home-cooked meals, a Thermos vacuum-insulated food jar is a handy way to keep food fresh at home or on the go. It’s vacuum insulated so soups and rice stay hot and salad stays cold for hours. Keeping hydrated while out and about or around the house is made stylish with this Otto stainless steel water bottle printed with a budgie design by Australian artist Anna Blatman. The 600mL bottle is BPA-free and can be used for both hot and cold beverages.
For the gamer in your life, this Otto neon light is the easiest way to brighten up their gaming setup without disturbing their competitive vibe. Powered via a 1.8m USB cord with two hanging holes for mounting on the wall, the neon blue and green lights double as an art piece.
What to Try
- Otto Trailing Plant Tiny Human Green
- Thermos Vacuum Insulated Food Jar 470mL Red
- Otto Gamer Neon Light
- Otto Anna Blatman 600mL Drink Bottle Bird
Best Gifts Under $30 for Note-Takers
For the person who loves jotting down new ideas and safeguarding memories, this Otto Australiana notebook is the perfect keepsake. With beautiful illustrations of native flora and fauna, including cockatoos and kookaburras, gumnuts and wattle, it’s a special way for a friend or relative visiting from overseas to commemorate their time here, or the diehard naturalist to express their thoughts. The compact A5 size means they can travel with it everywhere they go.
For those with an appreciation for botanical beauty, this Otto embroidered notebook with a linen-look cover featuring floral embroidery is pretty enough to sit on a coffee table. The 192 pages are 80gsm thick, ensuring there’s no bleedthrough so they’re free to use their choicest pen to write their boldest thoughts. The embroidered gold motto to “Love Simply. Bloom Wildly” is an instruction that’s poetic in its simplicity and a great jumping-off point for channelling their inner Jane Austen.
What to Try
SEE ALSO: Christmas Shopping Made Easy with Gifts Under $10
Best Gifts Under $30 for Creatives
We all know that person who can turn a blank canvas into a masterpiece with the flick of a paintbrush, but what about that budding painter? This Born acrylic paint set is suitable no matter where they are on their artistic journey. It features 40 different-coloured paints that are non-toxic, easy to mix and boast a glossy finish. And for the creative who is inspired by music, these Otto blue pastel headphones are the simplest way to drop down into an immersive flow state. With active noise cancellation that reduces outside noise up to 25 decibels and comfortable earcups, singing and dancing along to their favourite tunes just became a viable option.
Fans of modern art will love this vibrant Otto phone holder bag and pencil case, designed in collaboration with Anna Blatman, who is renowned for her vibrant paintings of flowers, fruit and animals.
What to Try
- Born Acrylic Paint Set 40 Pieces
- Otto Pastel ANC Headphones in Blue
- Otto Anna Blatman Phone Bag
- Otto Anna Blatman Medium Pencil Case
SEE ALSO: Best Christmas Gifts for Kids On Any Budget
Best Gifts Under $30 for Novelty Lovers
Classic animation never goes out of style. For fans of retro cartoons and novelty, these sweet gifts inject a level of childlike wholesomeness befitting the festive season.
A notebook featuring the iconic Disney’s Mickey Mouse is a super cute way to record musings, big and small. Emblazoned with an initial against a brightly-coloured background, each A6 notebook conveys an unmistakable sense of personalisation. Snoopy, that lovable anthropomorphic beagle dreamed up by Charles M Schulz, is always a crowd-pleaser. Instantly recognisable by his black and white markings, the Snoopy ceramic mug in the shape of the pup’s head is an easy way to keep track of your coffees in the office kitchen, while the 192-page Snoopy notebook is suitable for not just fans of the comic strip, but dog lovers, too.
What to Try
- Disney Mickey B6 Initial Notebook M 192 Page © Disney
- Snoopy A5 Hard Cover Notebook 192 Page Yellow © 2024 Peanuts Worldwide LLC
- Peanuts Snoopy Ceramic Mug © 2024 Peanuts Worldwide LLC
Best Gifts Under $30 for Budding Photographers
In an age of selfies and social media, a disposable camera is a delightfully unique entry point into photography, especially for kids. Containing preloaded film and a built-in flash, it’s focus-free so all they have to do is point and shoot. Ideal for Christmas lunch photos and candid shots of everyone opening their presents. Store all those holiday memories in a personalised hardcover photo book. This can either be given with laminated photos already printed off your phone inside or left blank so they can fill it with all their own carefully curated shots.
