50 Christmas party favors for adults at the office holiday party
Small take-home thank-yous at four budgets, each tagged by type. Plus favors guests make at the party, branded gifts and how to hand them out.
The best Christmas party favors for adults are small things people actually use or eat, handed over with a thank-you on the way out. Below are 50 Christmas holiday party favors for the office, sorted by budget from under $5 to a big send-home gift, and tagged edible, cozy, desk, DIY, mailable or keepsake. You also get favors guests make at the party, branded gifts with real prices, and how to get favors to remote colleagues. None of it repeats our white elephant gift ideas or our gift exchange ideas, and nothing involves alcohol.
What is a Christmas party favor?
A party favor is a small gift the host gives each guest to take home, as a thank-you for coming. At work it says thanks for the year, so one good favor beats a bag of fillers. Here is what each budget suits:
| Per guest | Best for |
|---|---|
| Under $5 | Large all-hands parties, or a small extra next to a bigger company gift |
| $5 to $10 | A team party of 20 to 50 people, and a safe default |
| $10 to $25 | Small teams, or when the favor is the year's thank-you |
| $25 and up | The company's main holiday gift, shipped or handed out |
50 Christmas party favors for adults, by budget
These Christmas party favor ideas are priced per guest, and prices move with the season, so check them against your headcount before you order.
Christmas party favors under $5
Per guest, bought in bulk or made at home. Right for a big all-hands party.
1. Custom fortune cookies. Filled with work-friendly fortunes the team writes ahead. Edible
2. A gingerbread cookie with each guest's name piped on. It doubles as a place card at the table. Edible
3. Peppermint bark in a cellophane bag. One batch the night before covers a whole team. Edible
4. A clementine with a ribbon and tag. A winter favorite in many families, with nothing left over but the peel. Edible
5. A tin of mints with a custom label. The label costs pennies and the tin lives in a bag for months. Edible
6. A candy cane pen. Still in use long after the real candy canes are gone. Desk
7. A mini notepad printed with the party date. Cheap to print in bulk and handy on every desk. Desk
8. A felt snowflake coaster. Soft, light and ready for a warm mug on Monday. Cozy
9. A paper snowflake guests cut at the party. Paper, scissors and a template on each table. DIY
10. A cranberry garland guests thread at the table. Needles, thread and dried cranberries: calm, quiet and festive. DIY
11. A packet of wildflower seeds with a custom tag. Flat, light and it blooms in spring. Mailable
12. A premium tea bag in a printed envelope. Slips into a card for remote guests. Mailable
13. A spiced apple cider drink packet. Alcohol-free, and it warms up a cold evening. Mailable
Christmas party favors from $5 to $10
A comfortable budget for adult Christmas party favors at a team party of 20 to 50 people.
14. A mini loaf of pumpkin or banana bread. Bake in mini tins, then wrap in parchment and twine. Edible
15. Chocolate-dipped stir spoons. Stirred into hot milk or coffee for a sweet drink at home. Edible
16. A box of four macarons. Looks special and costs little from a local bakery. Edible
17. A jar of spiced pecans with an ingredient label. Sweet, salty and easy to make ahead. Keep a nut-free option on the table. Edible
18. A potted rosemary tree. Shaped like a tiny Christmas tree, and good for cooking after the holidays. Desk
19. A tin of brass paper clips. Small, pretty and actually used. Desk
20. A new-year desk calendar. Handed out at exactly the right moment. Desk
21. A holiday-print tea towel. Useful in every kitchen and pretty enough to hang. Cozy
22. A knit ear-warmer headband. One size fits most, and it fits in a coat pocket. Cozy
23. A clear ornament guests fill at the party. Confetti, tiny pine cones or a written wish go inside. DIY
24. A tabletop mini wreath guests make. Fresh greenery, wire and a ribbon at each seat. DIY
25. A jigsaw puzzle postcard. Mails flat and turns into a two-minute puzzle. Mailable
26. An enamel pin with the team mascot. Mails in an envelope and lives on a bag or lanyard. Mailable
Christmas party favors from $10 to $25
For a smaller team, or when the favor is the company's thank-you for the year.
27. A box of artisan caramels. Individually wrapped, so they keep and share well. Edible
28. A jar of hot fudge sauce. Turns a plain bowl of ice cream into dessert. Edible
29. A small panettone. The Italian holiday bread keeps for weeks in its wrapper. Edible
30. A pair of reusable hand warmers. Click the disc inside for warm hands on the walk home. Cozy
31. A linen pencil roll with colored pencils. For doodling through long calls, and it rolls up into any bag. Desk
32. A small art print from a local illustrator. Brightens a desk or a video-call background. Desk
33. A box of blank letterpress cards. For thank-you notes all year long. Desk
34. A mini gingerbread house kit. Guests build it at the table, then carry it home. DIY
35. A leather keychain guests stamp. Metal letter stamps and a mallet: initials in two minutes. DIY
36. A jar terrarium guests assemble. Moss, pebbles and a small plant, built in ten minutes. DIY
37. An audiobook or e-book gift credit. Arrives by email, so there is nothing to ship. Mailable
38. A charity gift card the guest directs. They choose the cause, so it suits everyone. Mailable
A big send-home gift ($25 and up)
When the favor is the company's main holiday gift. Pick one for everyone so nobody compares.
39. A cookie tin from a local bakery. A real treat to share at home over the break. Edible
40. A box of winter pears shipped to the door. Fresh fruit is a welcome break from sweets. Mailable
41. A gift card for a local restaurant. Supports a neighborhood business and gives them a night off cooking. Mailable
42. Two tickets to a winter light show. Many botanical gardens and zoos run one in December. Mailable
43. A branded picnic blanket. Rolls up with a strap and gets used every summer. Cozy
44. An insulated food jar. Hot soup at the desk all winter. Cozy
45. A wooden monitor stand. Lifts the screen and clears space underneath. Desk
46. A refillable leather journal cover. Lasts for years; only the paper inside changes. Desk
47. A sourdough starter kit. A winter project with bread at the end. DIY
48. An engraved ornament with the year. Comes out every December after. Keepsake
49. A framed team photo from the year. Print it the week before, with everyone's okay to share it. Keepsake
50. A printed book of the team's favorite recipes. Everyone sends one recipe; everyone takes home the whole book. Keepsake
How to hand out party favors
The handoff matters as much as the favor. Six habits that make it feel like a thank-you:
- Hand them out at the end. A favor table by the door means nobody carries a bag around all night, and it gives the party a natural close.
- Or set them at each seat. A favor with a name tag doubles as a place card at a seated lunch or dinner.
- Label anything edible. List the ingredients on the tag, mark nuts and gluten, and keep a few alternatives behind the table.
- Make about 10% extra. For plus-ones, the colleague who joined last week and the bag that gets dropped.
- Save one for everyone who missed it. Leave favors on desks for people out that day, and mail them to remote colleagues.
- Say thank you when you give them. One line from the host, "Thank you for this year", turns a small object into a real gesture.
Still planning the party itself? Start with our office holiday party ideas and holiday party themes. A theme can pick the favor for you: wildflower seeds for a winter garden party, a mini wreath for a cozy cabin night.
Favors guests make at the party
The favor people remember is the one they made. In a kit workshop, an instructor leads the group live and everyone keeps what they make, joining from the office or from home, on Zoom by default (Teams, Google Meet or Webex on request). Kits ship to every address: book about 3 weeks ahead, or about 5 weeks if anyone has an international address.
Four holiday kit workshops whose finished piece is the favor, with today’s prices.
Pairing it with a dress-up day? Our ugly sweater party guide has the contest categories and games.
Branded favors and Christmas party gifts
When the favor is also the company’s holiday gift, a chocolate box with your note inside does both jobs. These four from our gift catalog sit between $22 and $38, and can ship to every home or to the office for you to hand out at the party.
Quogue Luxury Gift Box (X-Small)$22 each
Signature Truffle Collection$32 each
Quogue Luxury Gift Box (Small)$36 each
The Bridgehampton$38 each
Order about 2 to 3 weeks ahead for a smaller unbranded order, and 4 to 6 weeks for 100 or more gifts or anything with your logo. See every budget in our corporate holiday gifts, or read our honest guide to gift cards for employees if you’re weighing the two.
Party favors for a virtual holiday party
Remote guests should get a favor too. Shipping is the only hard part:
- Collect addresses privately. Use a short form, not a group email, and ask about dietary needs in the same form.
- Ship early, open together. Mail favors about two weeks before the call with a "do not open until" sticker, and open them on camera together.
- Choose favors that travel. Flat, light and unbreakable: the mailable favors above, sealed snacks and anything that fits in a padded envelope.
- Go digital for faraway guests. A charity gift card or another favor sent by email reaches colleagues abroad with no shipping or customs. Check that it can be used in their country.
Want the whole party run for you? A live host can lead an hour of holiday games or a kit workshop on your call. See our virtual holiday party options, or get a free quote with your date and headcount.
