Secret Santa is sorted! Thankfully, our family organised ourselves in time (our crew, Grandma, Auntie Bec and any partners – if here for Chrissy) – and Secret Santa is sorted.
Our eldest found a cool Secret Santa Generator which not only tells you WHO you have this year, it stays in the system for when you forget. Haha!
Plus, each person can make the job easier for their Secret Santa by adding potential gifts to a wishlist. And what did Heatley just find? A CAMPS guide! The website directs people straight to our shop! Thank you, ‘draw names’!
We thought that was pretty cool, too! Hopefully there are lots of other Aussie small businesses that will benefit this year.
However, if you are after some other ideas for Christmas, go straight to our website shop! Or check out our ideas for Christmas, including something that even the hard-to-get-presents-for campers won’t have yet – camps+ (our premium CAMPS AUSTRALIA WIDE App membership) or entries into our HUGE Kimberley $20 000 Getaway!
If you are on the road, you don’t have to worry about pulling names out of a hat, or knowing who your Secret Santa is, because you have drawn all the names. It stays confidential, and is a bit of fun. Plus the group nominates how much the price limit is.
The most important rule
This might sound obvious – but don’t tell people that you are their Secret Santa. It stays hush hush – at least until after gifts are unwrapped!
More Tips for Secret Santa
1. Set a limit
Make sure everyone knows to stay close to the limit. If the limit is $20 – don’t be a cheapskate and spend $5 for instance! Feel free to make a present if you are on a budget.
2. Try a Steal Secret Santa
Our book club has fun with this one. Everyone buys or makes a $10 present. They tend to be gifts that anyone of us would love, and suit mature women, in this instance! Wrap the present so it is not obvious what is in it, or who brought it. All the presents go in the middle of the table.
Take turns choosing (we swap the order each year as there are benefits for being later in the list). The first person chooses a gift. The next person can choose a gift from the middle or steal the gift already opened. If they choose to steal from someone, that person chooses another gift. Remember to open your gift in front of everyone. No hiding gifts once they are opened! These are great for small budgets and larger groups.
3. Worst Secret Santa
Again, set the spend limit to a low amount, then find a jokey gift that suits that person (be kind) – opt in a swap or steal if you like. For instance – a fake plant for a person who keeps killing plants (accidentally).
4. Make or Bake Secret Santa
Great for kids, and terrific on the budget. But it does take time to create a meaningful gift. Not a good one to swap or steal.
5. Op Shop Secret Santa
Not only great for the hip pocket – but also the environment. You’ll find some beauties of secondhand gifts in an op shop! Try to ensure the item is in good condition, and wash it before you wrap up clothing or fabric.
Wrapping it up
If you are all in the same household, use the same wrapping paper or gift bags to really throw people off the scent. Disguise handwriting somehow and keep the mystery going. You can also use up kid’s paintings from home or school to cover up and pretty up your present.
Another option is to reuse fabric each year to wrap up presents.
Let us know how you do Christmas as you travel? What have you found that makes it easier?
Find sites like this and more nearby in the FREE updated CAMPS 12 guide books, CAMPS Pendium boxed set and CAMPS AUSTRALIA WIDE App.
