Gift IdeasSecret Santa name drawer
In a Secret Santa or any gift exchange, everyone gives one gift to one person, and nobody knows who drew their name. This tool does the draw on a single phone: type the names, then pass the phone around. Each person taps to see their name, and hides it before passing the phone on. Nothing is sent anywhere and no email addresses are needed.
How to run a gift exchange
- Agree on a spending limit that the least well-off person in the group is comfortable with, and a date for the exchange.
- Draw the names with everyone present, using the tool above. For people who are away, the organiser can look on their behalf and tell them privately.
- Share hints. Ask everyone to post three things they like in the group chat. It makes buying far easier.
- Wrap without your name. Write only the receiver's name on the gift.
- Exchange and guess. Open the gifts one by one and let each person guess their giver.
Good gifts for a small limit
- Something to eat: chocolate, a jar of homemade pickle, a box of tea.
- Something for the desk: a plant, a notebook, a mug.
- Something to use up: a candle, a soap, a pack of good pens.
- Something that makes the group laugh, as long as it is kind.
The same draw works for a family Diwali exchange, a class party, a rakhi among cousins, or deciding who cooks which dish at a potluck.
Questions people ask
Can someone draw their own name?
No. The tool arranges everyone in one random circle, and each person gives to the next, so no one ever gets themselves.
Is the list stored anywhere?
No. The draw happens in your browser and disappears when you close or reload the page.
What if someone is not present?
The organiser can tap on that person's behalf and pass the name on privately, or hold the phone up on a video call.
Guides
- Shagun: giving moneyThe envelope, the extra rupee and how to decide the amount.
- Gifting etiquetteGiving, receiving, regifting and gifts to avoid.
- Return giftsIdeas for birthdays, weddings, pujas and housewarmings.
- Gift wrappingWrap a box neatly, or wrap without paper at all.
- Gift messagesShort lines to write on a tag or card, to copy.