Do you give your coworkers holiday presents? if so, what are some inexpensive suggestions?

How about the recipes in a jar?

Do gift baskets. if you know where to get cheap materials they are great. Nice, and they don’t need you to think about personal gifts.

One year, I bought silverware a set of dishes at Ikea, and split it up 4 ways, giving each a really nice set of dishes and silverware to eat lunch with at work. Another year, I baked cakes for them to have for the holidays. Another year, it was Christmas cookies. Still another, it was a decorative plate and cheese spreader, with my cheeseball recipes. Decorative holiday napkins and coasters are good. Depends on their interest.

I’ve had good luck at places like Meijers or Target, with something to use or consume while entertaining.

uh no. there is a strict separation of work and private life.

I usually bring in a tray of home-baked cookies or brownies around the holidays to share with all.

Giving a workplace gift can make things awkward for the recipient who may feel obligated to get you something in return.

I usually give (Silverado) wine and (See’s) chocolates, but that goes over your $10 limit. Maybe you can find small boxes and bottles.

How personal/ not personal do you want to make these? I really like giving people fancy coffee or tea with a mug for presents. Tons of coffee places let you buy fresh beans and grind them there. Starbucks I think only sells it by the pound, which is a little out of your price range because it’s $12 or so, but you can buy smaller amounts at independent places. Another nice gift, if you can find it or make it, is mulling spices. It’s a little sachet full of spices that you brew with wine or apple cider to make hot spiced drinks.
Warm scarves and gloves are also good if you know the person needs them. Scented candles are one of my favorite presents to get.
There are plenty of awesome wines for less than $10. When most people think of cheap wine, they think of the bargain section at a big wine/ liquor store, or box wines, but you can actually find great things from less-known wine regions. It’s best to go to a small wine store to look for these. Most of the wine there will be maybe $10—$25 at any rate, because they mainly sell wines that are suitable for drinking every day. The good thing about a small store is that somebody has already made a lot of the choices for you, because they only have room for so much inventory. Wines from less-known or up and coming regions can be great quality and less than $10. South American wines are getting more popular (therefore, more pricey) but they’re still one of my favorite things to buy.
@RedPowerLady Recipe in a jar is awesome! The layers are really pretty.

At my work, they have an opt-in secret santa/white elephant exchange, so they can exchange with less awkwardness (and you only have to get one gift). Things that have gone over really well were homemade cookies, a bottle of my guy’s homebrew beer (or store-bought), soaps/candles, a handmade scarf, those chocolate orange things (pretty much anything chocolate was a WIN in my office). Food is great because it’s the gift that goes away – whether they nom on it themselves, or “share” with people if they don’t like it.

@jca One of the best gifts our family receives every year is from an employee of ours. He spends a weekend before x-mas making lasagnas in aluminum pans to give out to everyone on his list. It i the best since we’re often lacking a dinner one night due to shopping/wrapping/erands-etc.

I always make hundreds of cookies, then give most of them away to neighbors, friends and co-workers.

I personally would bring cookies or some food item for everyone to share. Then no one feels obligated to return a gift, even though you probably don’t feel that they should have to give you anything in return. I have a co worker that knows I love Michael Jackson and she keeps telling me…“Don’t buy anything, Christmas is coming, you know!” I cannot afford to really return a gift to her, I have kids and a pretty big extended family. I’m considering just making cookies and some candies as gifts to people, that is cheaper and fun too.

Candy and cookies are always fun. So is something like banana bread, rum cakes, bourbon balls, modjeskas or chocolate dipped pretzels or animal crackers.

I start my Christmas preparation in the spring. My people always got a pint of the Majors special Strawberry preserves. At the University, tools and stuff they wouldn’t buy for us. Now that I am retired, I rarely see any of those folks, but I feel I made a thankless job a little better.

I have made macaroni angels. I use the bow tie as wings, small ABC noodles as hair, the elbow noodles for arms, and I buy small wooden balls for thier heads. I usually spray paint them a light gold and use a pen to draw the face then put the year on the back. I use gold string for the loop so the angel can hang from the x-mas tree which I tuck behind the wings when I glue them on. It’s a lot of fun to do and everyone is surprised

Homemade gifts are always the most precious.