2018 Gift Guide: What to Buy Your Coworkers/Clients/Boss*

Okay, so on average in the US, a full-time employee works about 47 hours a week. That’s A LOT of time in a place that isn’t your home which makes your coworkers almost automatically your second family. I feel VERY lucky that I can honestly say I love my second family. If anything I’m probably the “weird cousin” of the EHD crew but they are stuck with me…For-ev-ver. (insert The Sandlot voice). So when the holidays come steamrolling toward you at an unstoppable speed, you probably want to get your coworkers something thoughtful but not too pricey, right? Well, fear not because we’ve got you covered. Most of the gifts we chose are geared more toward the Secret Santa style of gifting with prices ranging more in the $15 to $40 world but there are also a couple of great/less pricey items if you want to go ham and get ALL your coworkers a gift. There are also some nice ideas for clients as they are a pretty integral part of running a business. Everyone loves to be shown a little appreciation. It’s just good business sense. Now for the big controversy of last year…gifting up. Gifting up is when you get a gift for your boss, supervisor or any other higher ranking employee. Now, for a large corporate company, we totally understand that it could be inappropriate to gift up, but for smaller companies like ours, we think it’s case specific. Emily would never expect us to get her a gift but there’re only 10 of us and we all work so closely together that it’s impossible to not want to show her our gratitude with a little something special. For us, it’s not weird. 🙂

So now, let’s get into our recommendations.

1. Brew: Better Coffee at Home, $25: Coffee is a universal love of the majority of the population. But not everyone knows how to make a good cup at home…me included. This book is a great gift for your coffee-loving coworker who might want to take a deeper dive into their brewing skills. Plus, it’s pretty and easily displayed in a kitchen.

2. Grid Mug, $40: Why drink your coffee, aka golden life liquid, in a generic mug? Sure it may taste the same but I always feel better when I score the “pretty” mug at work. This cutie is guaranteed to brighten your coworker’s mornings and make them feel special.

3. Marinella Bowl, $38: A beautiful bowl is never not useable in someone’s home. This one is neutral, textured and footed which make it the triple threat of decorative bowls by EHD standards.

4. Leather File Folder, $88: Okay yes, this is a pricey file folder but it’s BEAUTIFUL and is for the great coworker, client or boss who really appreciates beautiful craftsmanship. Only the most special documents shall be stored in these pieces of art.

5. Noble Memo Notepad, $9: Two years ago, I got a very pretty notepad in our EHD white elephant gift exchange and I love it still (it’s very thick). Thus I can personally vouch for the pretty notepad as a great office gift.

6. Brass Pen, $32: What goes great with a pretty notepad? A beautiful pen. It’s the kind of thing people don’t usually buy for themselves so it will undoubtedly be loved by anyone receives it.

7. Bath and Meditate Soap Set, $28: Work can get stressful and unwinding is absolutely crucial. This soap and meditation set is almost too pretty to use but is a great gift that will hopefully entice your beloved co-worker to invest time into well-deserved self-care.

8. Portable Beverage Holder, $25: If your coworker is going to bring coffee from home, it might as well be in a pretty insulated holder, right? This one holds 40 oz (a lot of coffee, tea or even soup!), has a cute handle and is super affordable. Win, win, win.

9. Glazed Ceramic Oil Lamp, $34: A candle can sometimes seem like a generic gift but if it’s as pretty and unique as this one, your coworker will know you went out of your way to find something a little extra special. Plus, I honestly love getting candles. It’s always a score in my eyes.

10. Travel Memoir, $29: Whenever I travel, I ALWAYS regret not journaling. Snapping a photo only tells a part of your experience. This is a great gift for your travel bug coworker. It’s something they probably haven’t thought of doing and will be indebted to you for all eternity.

11. Spherical Paper Weight, $25: Pretty desk accessories make for a happier workday. It’s science. This paperweight is so cute and will make that pile of paperwork seem less scary. Also science.

12. Further Hand Lotion, $18: When on a trip to Guernville, CA (if you haven’t gone, GO), I kept seeing this brand’s soap and lotion in all the restaurants and bars. A happy bathroom monopoly because it smelled SO GOOD. I ended up buying a bottle of the lotion at the little country market shop. It now sits on my desk and my lovely dry skinned coworkers frequently come over and use it. I always feel very popular and think it’s a slam dunk gift.

13. Ubi Bag, $24: It’s a known and highly regarded superstition in many cultures that you should NOT keep your purse on the floor. If you do it will keep you poor/ hinder prosperity. I like this reason way better than my love for expensive home goods causing my constant low funds. I, however, don’t like putting my purse on my desk but most of the portable hooks are ugly. Enter the Ubi. It’s clean, modern and is a great gift for your purse carrying coworkers because it says you are trying to help them get rich.

14. The Leather Passport Case, $30: This is another great gift for a traveler. Passports are important and should have pretty protection. This one is simple, beautiful and comes in three different colors. Plus it can be personalized for an additional $10. You will look like a rock star for going the extra mile.

15. Echeveria in Mini Prospect Planter, $28: Plants bring joy and life (literally) to any space. Why not give the gift of life to your clients or coworker’s office? It’s small, easy to take care of and shows you care.

16. Mini Hand Cream, $8: While I have not tried this lotion myself, I am a big fan of & Other Stories. All of their packaging is awesome and for $8 you can’t beat it. This is a “you get a lotion, you get a lotion, everybooooodddyyy gets a lotion” kind of price.

17. The Homemade Gin Kit, $50-$68: As a gin lover myself, I would be pumped to get this gift. It’s thoughtful and seems pretty easy to use. Who needs to go out when you can make booze at home?? You also may get to try some if you’re lucky.

18. Hidden Agenda Notebook, $15: This a perfect gift for your more humorous/calculated coworker. It’s pretty hard not to smile every time you look at the cover of this notebook.

19. Chocolate Jewels, $25: We are HUGE fans of this chocolate company and is what we use for our client gifts. They have a bajillion designs but can also create custom boxes. Plus, their staff is so great to work with. No one will dislike this gift…unless they hate chocolate. You may have to reconsider your friendship if this is the case.

20. ClipNote Desk Organizer, $12: Here is another fun, stylish and very affordable gift. You could even pre-put a few nice notes in it to personalize it. Talk about thoughtful.

21. Double Wall Candle, $38: Okay, this may seem like another generic candle gift but the vessel is SO pretty, comes in two other colors and can be used as a small catchall once the candle is done. Two gifts in one.

22. Pocket Art Director, $16: Talk about a useful and fun gift for someone in a creative field. There have been MANY times where my creative juices have momentarily dried up. I would love this dice as a silly but useful way to help me get them flowing again.

23. Mini Sweet Box, $100: This box is a beautiful gift option for an important client or boss. This company ships nationwide and has a ton of other awesome box options. Emily loves them and has used them a handful of times.

24. Brass Pencil Holder, $19: Who doesn’t loves a muted brass functional and decorative piece? This pencil holder is perfect for your coworker’s desk. They will finally be able to focus on their work instead of constantly searching for a pen because they will be organized in one pretty place.

25. Working Girl Pencil Set, $10: These pens are super fun and could easily be split up and given to multiple coworkers, making them crazy affordable. #ehdgifthack

26. Macbook Charging Cord Winder, $30: When Brady purchased this cord winder, I think three of us immediately followed suit. It’s so practical, looks nice and keeps those crazy cords in order.

27. Everyday Clips, $5 ea: It’s a simple gift but so cute and budget-friendly. Plus, who buys themselves nice clips?? Not many. Everyone in your office will appreciate them.

28. Wood Vase, $13: This beauty is the perfect bud vase to sit on a desk or take home to enjoy. I love this vase and will probably snag it before they sell out.

29. A6 Memobottle, $28: Yes this is the coolest water bottle you have ever seen. They fit perfectly in any bag because of their genius shape. I bought my dad one two years ago when living in Australia (they are always ahead of the curve) but I am SO happy they are finally stateside and easily purchasable because I stupidly didn’t get one for myself!

30. Tribal Textile Pouch, $36: I am always in need of a cute pouch because I NEED organization in my life. You should see the inside on my tote. It’s a disaster. I feel that a lot of ladies could back me up on the pro-pouch argument. Plus this one is REALLY pretty.

31. Hand Charm Paper Clip, $19: Last but not least we have this delicate and pretty desk paper clip. Another great desk styling option for your design-loving coworker.

If you are looking for even more gift options, head to the blog to our Gift Guides page. We have literally HUNDREDS of items that have been hand selected by Emily and the team. But first I want to hear some of your favorite gifts you’ve given your work fam. So comment below. Sharing is caring.