Office Party Gifts for $20 and Under

Office parties usually mean office gift exchanges. It can be hard to come up with gifts that are generic enough for both men and women, young and old, conservative and liberal. Here are some easy ideas for office party gifts that are sure to please most recipients! Shop at discounters such as TJMaxx, Marshall's, and Tuesday Morning for gift items that are of relatively good quality yet are inexpensive. Gift baskets and packages are a fun way to include many smaller surprises that fit a theme. Place them in a reusable container as a bonus gift.

1. Cheese Lover's Package: Buy an inexpensive bamboo cutting board and cute cheese knives. At the supermarket, pick up two or three specialty cheeses such as manchego. Throw in some beautiful grapes and put it all in a nice basket lined with a red checkered napkin.

2. Chocolate Lover's Package: Buy a nice holiday basket and line it with a piece of festive cloth. Fill the basket with good chocolate from different countries - try Swiss, Spanish, Belgian or Mexican. Add gourmet hot chocolate mix, fudge, and some specialty chocolate sauces.

3. Wine Lover's Package: Buy a nice wine carton at a craft store such as Michael's. Choose a decent wine at the wine shop or supermarket. Buy an inexpensive gift bag and include a nice corkscrew, some wine glass rings, and a decorative reusable cork stopper.

4. Breakfast in a Basket: Start with a nice basket. Add pancake mix, real maple syrup, gourmet jam, fresh buns from a local bakery, a small bottle of good orange juice, and gourmet coffee and tea.

5. Garden Lover's Package: Buy a nice ceramic pot, big enough to hold all of your gift items. Include a seasonal indoor plant such as an orchid or poinsettia. Add spring seed packets, garden gloves, copper plant markers, and other small garden items.

6. Mediterranean Basket: In the dead of winter, make a cheerful Mediterranean basket. Choose a colorful cloth napkin or dish towel as a liner. Buy good Spanish or Italian olive oil, gourmet olives, Mediterranean cheeses and hams, pine nuts, fresh pasta or European bread, sundried tomatoes, and more.

7. Ice Cream Lover's Package: Buy fun ice cream dishes (probably on clearance in the dead of winter), gourmet toppings, sprinkles, nuts, chocolate spoons and sticks, and a gift card to a local specialty ice cream store for a pint of good ice cream.

Those are just a few ideas. Once you come up with a theme, it's easy to run with it! Tropical, 50's, Western, Asian.. think of something creative and make your gift stand out!