Thank-you gifts are difficult in a specific way: the sincere version is awkward to give and awkward to receive. Hand someone a card describing their generosity of spirit and both of you have to stand there while they read it. A funny object does the same job and lets everybody carry on with their day.
The crochet items are the discovery of this category — handmade, cheap, ridiculous, and oddly moving, which is a difficult combination to find under ten dollars. Beyond those, mugs and candles work well for colleagues, and the desk objects suit a mentor or a boss. All under twenty dollars.
The sincere version is awkward to give and awkward to receive. A funny object does the same job and lets everyone carry on.
The short list
- Thank you gifts, Going Away Retirement Gifts for Coworkers Teacher Women · $5.98
- RovyFota Emotional Support Crochet Dumpster Fire with Positive Card Cute · $7.89
- Crochet Tulip Thank You Gift – “Thank You for Being One of Them” – Appre · $9.99
- Chaos Coordinator Gifts | Funny Thank You Gift for Coworkers, Bosses, Ma · $9.99
- Thank You Bosses Day Gifts for Women Men Handmade Crochet Penguin · $9.99
- Thank You Gifts - Funny Inspirational, Thoughtful, Birthday, Friendship, · $9.99
- Lywjyb Birdgot Best Friend Gift Funny Friends Keychain I’m Thankful For · $10.98
- The Butt Tape Dispenser – Funny Blue Desk Accessories, Office Gag Gift · $11.95
- Thank You Gifts for Women - Funny Gifts Ideas for Friends, Coworkers, Bo · $11.99
- Cedar Crate Market Best Friend Candle Gifts for Women, You are Awesome 1 · $18.95
The best under $10
Where this list is strongest. Nothing here costs more than a sandwich and several of them are the funniest things on the page.
One
Mentors & teachers / Under $10
Thank you gifts, Going Away Retirement Gifts for Coworkers Teacher Women
A puzzle-piece plaque reading ‘Never forget you are the piece that made the difference.‘ A heartfelt thank-you that’s still a little playful.
Buy on Amazon UKTwo
Coworkers / Under $10
RovyFota Emotional Support Crochet Dumpster Fire with Positive Card Cute Room Decor Knitted Toys Funny Crochet Support Buddies Gifts for Friends (Green)
A crochet emotional-support dumpster fire with a positive card, for the person who got you through a chaotic week. Small, squishy and deeply relatable.
Buy on Amazon UKThree
Coworkers & mentors / Under $10
Crochet Tulip Thank You Gift – “Thank You for Being One of Them” – Appreciation Gift for Coworker, Teacher, Staff, Employee, Nurse, Volunteer, Mentor – Cute Handmade Desk Keepsake
Crochet tulips with a card: ‘There are people in this world who make things better wherever they go. Thank you for being one of them.‘ Sweet with a little wink, and they never wilt.
Buy on Amazon UKFour
Boss & coworkers / Under $10
Chaos Coordinator Gifts | Funny Thank You Gift for Coworkers, Bosses, Managers, Teachers, Nurses Appreciation | Motivation Office Decor for Women & Men Cubicle Accessories Work Anniversary Desk Sign
A ‘Chaos Coordinator’ desk sign for the person who keeps everything from falling apart. An official job title they’ve earned many times over.
Buy on Amazon UKFive
Boss & coworkers / Under $10
Thank You Bosses Day Gifts for Women Men Handmade Crochet Penguin
A handmade crochet penguin that waddles your thanks onto someone’s desk. Cuter than a card, cheaper than lunch.
Buy on Amazon UKSix
For her / Mugs
Thank You Gifts - Funny Inspirational, Thoughtful, Birthday, Friendship, New Job Gifts Ideas for for Women Friends, Coworkers, Boss, Employee - Graduation, Promotion, Appreciation - Ceramic Coffee Cup
‘You’re Awesome, Keep That S*it Up.‘ The thank-you mug for coworkers, friends and bosses who deserve the encouragement and the coffee.
Buy on Amazon UK$10 to $15
The sweet spot: cheap enough to be a casual gift, solid enough not to look like one.
Seven
For her / Best friend
Lywjyb Birdgot Best Friend Gift Funny Friends Keychain I’m Thankful For You Bitch Friendship Keychain Gift (Thankful For You Bitch)
A metal keychain that says ‘I’m thankful for you, bitch.‘ The thank-you note your best friend will actually keep on her keys.
Buy on Amazon UKEight
Coworkers / Desk gifts
The Butt Tape Dispenser – Funny Blue Desk Accessories, Office Gag Gift
A tape dispenser shaped like a blue butt, plus tape, paperclips, a pen and a notepad. Say thanks with a desk accessory nobody will ever borrow by accident.
Buy on Amazon UKNine
For her / Mugs
Thank You Gifts for Women - Funny Gifts Ideas for Friends, Coworkers, Boss, Employee, Mom, Mentor - Inspirational, Thoughtful, Birthday, Friendship, Graduation Presents for Her - Ceramic Coffee Cup
‘Sometimes you forget you’re awesome, so this is your reminder.‘ A cheerful mug for the friend who always shows up.
Buy on Amazon UK$15 to $20
The top of the budget, where the objects start being things people keep.
Ten
For her / Candles
Cedar Crate Market Best Friend Candle Gifts for Women, You are Awesome 13.5oz Soy Wax Jar Candles with Sayings for Women, Thank You Gifts Or Birthday Presents Huckleberry Lemon Vanilla Scent
A 13.5 oz huckleberry-lemon-vanilla soy candle with a cheeky ‘you are awesome’ label. Thank-you gifts that smell this good don’t need a card.
Buy on Amazon UKHow to choose
Small and handmade reads as sincere. The crochet tulip and the little potato cost under ten dollars and land as warmer than anything more expensive, because the object is obviously made by a person rather than manufactured.
Match the formality of the favour. A colleague who covered a shift gets a mug. A mentor who spent six months on you gets something with a bit more weight — the candle or the desk accessory — and a note written by hand.
One real sentence does the heavy lifting. The joke makes the gift easy to hand over. A single specific line about what they actually did is what makes it mean anything, and it is the part most people skip.
Questions people ask
What is a good funny thank you gift under $20?
The crochet ‘thank you for putting up with me’ tulip at around ten dollars, or the emotional support dumpster fire at around eight. Both are small, handmade and easy to give without any ceremony.
What is a good thank you gift for a coworker?
The chaos coordinator set or a funny mug, around ten dollars. Keep it desk-sized and keep the joke on the work rather than on them, since it will sit where other colleagues can see it.
What is a good thank you gift for a mentor?
A candle or a desk accessory at the top of this range, with a handwritten note naming the specific thing they did. For a mentor the note is the gift and the object is the excuse to hand it over.