Secret Santa gifts for painters and gamers
Secret Santa ideas usually fail on the same two constraints: a fixed budget, and a colleague you know socially but not well. Almost everything bought under those conditions is funny for an afternoon and in a drawer by February.
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A good office gift starts with something you know about the recipient. Ask the organiser for the spending limit. Personalised gifts are made to order, so check the delivery estimate before committing to an exchange date.
For someone who draws or paints
Ask for a file they're happy to reproduce. A mug puts their work on their desk; a print gives it a place on the wall. Direct printing keeps their artwork unchanged by AI.
For a miniature painter
A clear photograph of their finished figure can become a print. If they would enjoy a new setting, the optional scene studio offers a different route, but they should approve the result before it's printed. Read our miniature painter gift guide.
Secret Santa for a gamer, a painter or a tabletop role-player, cheapest first
Each list below runs from the lowest starting price to the highest for a photo printed as it is. An AI scene costs more than printing the photo as it is in every format. The shop shows the current prices.
For a gamer. A digital download of their character art or a screenshot they kept, then the smallest poster, then a mug for the desk. For a teenager's stocking, see gifts for teenage lads.
For a painter. The smallest poster of a piece they have finished, then a mug, then a bottle, then a canvas for work that was painted.
For a wargamer. A mug or an A4 poster of their best painted figure. For a fuller list by type of fan, see Warhammer gifts.
For a tabletop role-player. A mug with the character they play, then a bottle for the game table, then a wood print or a framed print of the party's painted figures. More is in the DnD gifts guide. Brush & Paint is not affiliated with Games Workshop or Wizards of the Coast, and sells nothing of theirs.
Keep the full cost in view
A digital download has no postage. For a physical product, standard UK delivery is included in the price shown, so that price is the total to compare with the agreed limit. Optional Priority delivery costs extra.
Make permission part of the gift
Having a photo of someone’s work does not give you permission to reproduce it. Ask them for the original file, or pick the product with them and keep only the occasion a surprise. For a gift that isn't for the office, personalised gifts for mums covers getting the picture without giving the game away. Not an office draw? Personalised Valentine's gifts uses the same steps for a partner.
Check current products, sizes and prices. A-series dimensions on these reference pages aren't a promise that every size is available to order.
Ordering a Secret Santa gift in time
Set the limit first, then work backwards. Each item is made to order and takes 4-9 working days, so order by Thursday 10 December for Christmas (Tuesday 15 December with Priority delivery), well before the draw, and earlier still if it goes to a colleague's address. For someone who plays at a table, start with tabletop gaming gifts. For an artist, Christmas gifts for artists shows which surface suits which work, and tabletop gifts covers a role-playing group.
Questions and answers
How late is too late to order?
Everything is made after you order it, so a draw organised the week before is already tight. Order with time in hand, or choose a desk-sized item, not a wall print.
What if I barely know the person?
Give something about their interest, not about them. You almost certainly know one hobby from sitting near them, and that's enough to be specific without overstepping.
What are good ideas for Secret Santa?
Pick something tied to a hobby you know they have. For a painter or gamer that can be a mug, a bottle or a poster printed with their own artwork or a photo of a figure they painted, or a digital download if the budget is tight. Ask for their permission to use the image.
How to do Secret Santa for adults?
Agree the spending limit with the organiser first. Standard UK delivery is included in the price shown for a physical product, so that price is the total to compare with the limit. Everything is made to order, so allow 4-9 working days and order early.
What are some unique Secret Santa gifts?
One made from the recipient's own work: their artwork or a photo of a figure they painted, printed as it is on a mug, bottle, poster, canvas, metal or wood print. No one else in the exchange will have one.