Funny Secret Santa Gifts Under $30: Tees and Stockings for Coworkers and Friends
A $30 Secret Santa limit is a nice spot to be in. It's enough for something people actually use, like a shirt or a stocking, instead of another small trinket. The catch is that you're often buying for someone you don't know very well.
Everything below starts under $30 before shipping, at the prices in our shop as we write this. Shipping is added at checkout, so check your total if your group's limit includes it. If your limit is $20, see our gifts under $20 for coworkers and Secret Santa instead.
Stockings ($22.49): no size to guess
A full-size Christmas stocking is the safest pick when you don't know their size. Each one has a linen boot and a red and black plaid cuff. One size, spot clean only.
A pug squeezed into a stocking of its own: "Fits In The Stocking. Mostly."
A very serious hen guarding the good ornaments. It's a good match for anyone who keeps backyard chickens.
A possum hanging upside down as the "live ornament" on the tree.
Christmas tees (from $20.49): if you know their size
These are Comfort Colors tees with a relaxed fit and a retro illustrated animal. $20.49 is the starting price. Larger sizes cost a little more but stay under $30, so check the price for the size you pick.
A tuxedo cat undecorating the tree. It's for the coworker with cat photos on their desk.
A stern hen protecting her basket of good ornaments.
A penguin wearing every scarf it owns. It's a winter joke rather than a Christmas one, so it's the safest pick if you don't know what they celebrate.
The live ornament possum, on a tee.
The pug in the stocking, on a tee.
For the coworker who budgets
"Cash Stuffing Club," for the person who pays with envelopes of cash. It's a lightweight unisex jersey tee with a classic fit, and it starts at $20.99, so it fits a $30 limit.
Buying for someone you barely know
- Don't know their size? Pick a stocking.
- Know their size? A tee is the most useful gift here. Ask a mutual friend or the organizer, or choose a relaxed-fit tee one size up.
- Keep it neutral at work: the penguin is the least specific design. The animal jokes are safer than jokes about the job, age or politics.
- Check the total: prices are before shipping and can change. The price on the product page is the current one.
When to order
Everything here is printed after you order it. That takes 2–7 business days, plus carrier shipping time. Order at least two to three weeks before the exchange date. For Christmas (Friday, December 25), we suggest ordering by about December 7. These are suggestions, not guarantees, and carriers get slower in December.
More ideas: funny white elephant gifts under $25, funny Christmas ornaments for adults and coworkers and Christmas gifts for budgeters.
Order-by suggestions (not guarantees): for Thanksgiving (Thu, Nov 26, 2026), order by about Nov 9 to be safe. For the first night of Hanukkah (Fri, Dec 4, 2026), order by about Nov 16. For Christmas (Fri, Dec 25), order by about Dec 7. Carriers get slower in December, so earlier is better.