Christmas Gifts Under £50: Small, Thoughtful and Never Tat

The best gifts aren't the biggest. Here's how I think about buying for people, and a few of my favourite things in the shop under £50.

Watch the quieter friends

The hardest people to buy for are the quieter friends. They're less likely to mention the little things they like. Not like the friends who announce how obsessed they are with something every five minutes. (I'm one of those.)

The smallest gift can be the grandest gesture

This one really depends on the person. Some people like little gifts. Others love the idea of something little: no need for a grand gesture, because they see the grandest gesture in the smallest, most thoughtful gift.

Maybe they always put their keys on a particular shelf when they get home. How about a little bowl for that? Make it marble, like the Nordal small marble dish in white or black and grey, or make it colourful, like HKLIVING's little Chef dish in rustic pink. Just make it a joyful moment somehow.

A matcha bowl: easy to wrap, easy to love

Matcha bowls are easy to wrap. They're not that big, so it's easy to find a box they'll fit in. And they're perfect whether someone is a matcha person or more of a soup-and-stew kind.

Our handmade matcha bowls come in colours like Bark, Auburn, Pebble and pastel green. Add a bamboo whisk or our matcha powder and you've got a gift set. You can read why I still whisk mine in a bowl here.

A different kind of tealight holder

I like colour, so I love the Talon flower tealight holder from Urban Nature Culture. It's just a different form for a tealight holder: unassuming, but deserving of attention.

A few more ideas under £50

• KLEEN soap on a rope. Vegan, handmade and in seven scents. Not sure which? Here's our guide to all seven.
• French soaps. From La Maison du Savon de Marseille and Mas du Roseau, like Rose Petals or Orange Blossom & Acacia. Lovely stocking fillers.
• Felt Christmas mice. The Olsson & Jensen felt mice make a sweet gift for someone starting their own decoration collection.

See more in our gift ideas under £50.

The gift I never want

Any gift that's given just for the sake of giving a gift. If you're unsure, ask them, or ask someone close to them. Or just give them a hearty hug and a smile. I'd much prefer that than waste the world's resources on landfill tat.

And there's absolutely nothing wrong with giving a gift card, so they can buy something they truly love.

Kamil