Attention, Secret Santas: Here’s the bestest buying guide

 

Editor’s note: This holiday guide is a sneak peek of Souk—the next, most amazing thing from splainer. I'm as excited about this as when we launched splainer. Souk will do the exact same thing as we have done for news... except for shopping. We're cutting out the noise and hype to make it effortless for you to discover lovely, useful, quality products and brands—that are worth your attention and money. This holiday shopping guide is just a taste of the fresh, hatke recommendations the Souk team plans to offer—to make shopping delightful, valuable—and above all, worry-free.

 

Curated by: The dedicated Souk team! 

 

Each Christmas, we scramble to fulfill our Secret Santa duties. We do our best to find a thoughtful, fun gift for our workmates—without breaking the bank—or looking like we hastily ordered something off Amazon or Blinkit. We’re here to make that weighty task effortless—even (hallelujah) fun! We have assembled two categories—under Rs 1,000 and under Rs 500. Each includes a diverse set of 15 recommendations—that we personally love. Let us know what you think!!  

 

PS: As we prepare for launch, we are honing our curation and recommendation skills. As always, we rely on each of you to do it better and get it right. Please email us at talktous@splainer.in with comments, suggestions, and complaints—it’s all excellent grist for the Souk mill. :) This is all about learning your needs to help you meet them.

 

Excellent finds under Rs 1,000 

MeRaYo Tumbler: This black sipper is practical, stylish and on-trend. It nails the Stanley Cup vibe without the price tag and is just the right size to stay hydrated. (Price: Rs 999)

 

Beatroot Products Wall Frame Insta: We’ve long been eyeing this trés cool polaroid-inspired frame—high on our ‘dear Santa’ list. Both sculptural and functional, it’s perfect for elevating any wall. (Price: Rs 999)

 

Dots and Doodles Branch Motif: This is 100% guaranteed to make any stationery lover’s heart skip a beat. Every correspondence nerd needs this touch of old-world charm for their most important letters and scrolls. (Price: Rs 999)

Ikkadukka Animal Kingdom: Buying and gifting art can be tricky and expensive–which makes this book of 21 gorgeous prints—each detachable and ready to frame—a god-send. Again: we’d be very excited to find this in our Christmas stocking. (Price: Rs 980)

 

Urban Platter French Press Coffee Maker Pot: There are a million French Presses on the market, but few are as affordable and good-looking as this one. Made of heavy-duty glass and stainless steel, it is built for daily use, as well.  (Price: Rs 975)

 

Shop Piko Daily Planner / Compounding Habits: This is a perfect gift for the lead-up to the new year—especially for that friend who is determined to keep their resolutions. This planner makes goal-setting and habit-tracking effortlessly simple. (Price: Rs 945)

Muddy Jumpers Doggy Doodles Planner: Can we have too many planners? The correct answer: No. We have an especially 'soft spot'—or two:)—for this one. (Price: Rs 719)

 

Rad Living Fresh Waters Scented Candle: This fresh water-scented candle is a stylish reminder to live your best life: unbothered, moisturised, in your lane—and hydrated, of course. (Price: Rs 899)

 

The Orby House Ceramic Santa Cloud Plates: The showstopper of every Christmas party and the perfect keepsake for that friend who lives for all things Christmas. (yes, we’re looking at us!) (Price: Rs 850)

SNAKE-A-DOO Board Game: This snakes-only spin on the classic game introduces you to nine Indian snake species. It also supports WASA Amravati’s awareness and conservation efforts for snakes. The best part: it's made of cloth, making it picnic-friendly. Our take: we'd frame it as wall art! (Price: Rs 705)

 

Cook Korean: This is one of our personal favourites—and a guaranteed hit for the K-obsessed (be it drama, beauty or pop). This unique cookbook-meets-graphic novel includes over 60 delicious recipes—making it useful, as well. Thank us (with Tteokbokki) later! (Price: Rs 799)

 

Subko Coffee Kerehaklu Estate, Karnataka - Washed Process (Medium Roast): A cool coffee with a cool name in cool packaging—for your equally cool coffee aficionado mates. As for flavour: Think citrusy orange zest meets caramel. (Price: Rs 795)

Smoor Stir it Up Hot Chocolate Sticks: Dunk, stir, sip, repeat! This hot chocolate hamper from Smoor has six eclectic flavours guaranteed to please any cocoa-holic: Dark Chocolate, Honey, Milk Chocolate, Mint Chocolate, Mocha Chocolate, Extra Dark. (Price: Rs 699)

 

Pahadi Local’s Scented Rose Oil: This rose oil is more than a scent—it’s a moment of calm in a bottle. We love it for its pure, natural aroma and trust Pahadi for its commitment to sustainably sourcing ingredients from the Himalayan foothills. A little dab is all you need to pause, breathe, and feel grounded. (Price: Rs 600)

 

Tapri Himmat Rakhein Mug: Whoever decided to quote Hasan Minhaj's dad on a ceramic mug deserves a medal. Life happens. Himmat rakhein. Coffee helps. (Price: Rs 590)

 

Scoring big on a budget (under Rs 500)

Bombay Sweet Shop Saffron: A tiny jar of the world’s most expensive spice—Grade 1 saffron! We recommend gifting it to an excellent cook–with a shameless note demanding homemade biryani or kheer. Heavy hints are the best and most effective:) (Price: Rs 500)

 

Silaiwali Cow & Elephant Festival Ornaments: These Christmas tree ornaments from Silaiwali are hand-stitched and hand-embroidered by Afghan refugee women in India. They do good and look good–like this cow & elephant set. For an under Rs 1,000 option, check out other colourful iterations. (Price: Rs 500)

 

Nilaya Decor Zen Mug: This sleek black ceramic beauty is the perfect gift for the kitchen decor snob—who wouldn’t be caught dead sipping their chai or coffee in a garden-variety mug. (Price: Rs 450)

Bottega Pereira Wine & Cheese Kitchen Towel Set: We recommend this set of towels for your wine-and-cheese-loving friends to up their bar game. They are practical, versatile, and eco-friendly.

(Price: Rs 450)

 

Elftheria Brunost — Norwegian Style Whey Cheese: Award-winning Norwegian style Whey Cheese that tastes like "a salted caramel milk fudge with brilliant lingering toffee notes." Need we say more? Nope. (Price: Rs 400)

 

Muddy Jumpers Daily Notes: We have achieved the impossible— finding good stationery under Rs 500. This one has tearaway pages, 'Top 3' vs. 'Everything Else' lists, and extra space for notes—practical and perfect. We’ve outdone ourselves! (Price: Rs 399)

The Rabbits by Shaun Tan: This gorgeous picture-book with Shaun Tan’s stunning illustrations is a guaranteed pleaser for your art/lit-loving pals. A quick heads up: this allegorical (and political) take on colonization may not go down quite as well with some. (Price: Rs 479)

 

Gulab Singh Johrimal Handmade Soaps: It was love at first sight when we saw the retro packaging on these handmade soap bars. The set is a wonderfully vintage touch to brighten up powder rooms and guest bathrooms. Psst, this is a steal for a set of eight!  (Price: Rs 360) 

 

P.I Cell Phone Holder with Handcrafted Wooden Speaker: For the multitasker who needs a soundtrack—this genius phone stand doubles as a sound amplifier, perfect for banging shower sessions or impromptu dance breaks! (Price: Rs 349)

Just Lil Things Hoop Earrings: Floral hoops with enamel details—affordable, versatile, and perfect for someone who loves a touch of Christmas cheer year-round! (Price: Rs 349)

 

Paul And Mike Christmas Wonder Bar: Childhood, but make it chocolate: this candy-caned, marshmallow(ed) fever dream is the 'everything bagel' of festive treats. It’s playful, nostalgic, and guaranteed to be the sweetest bite of the season. (Price: Rs 300)

 

Tara Books Matchbook Poster: We unashamedly squealed when we stumbled upon this poster of vintage matchbox labels. Vintage, guaranteed crowd-pleaser for under Rs 500? Yes, please. (Price: Rs 289)

Beatroot Co Stuff Crap Diary: Here’s a perfect diary for your plans for world domination and nonsense scribbling. This two-way front and back notebook is efficient, affordable and pure genius! (Price: Rs 199)

 

The Piko Shop Tote Bag: You are guaranteed to ace the Secret Santa game at work with this no-work-life-balance tote. The first step to solving a problem is defining it (and carrying it around for your boss to see lol!). (Price: Rs 175) 

 

Tea Trunk Tea Treasures: This festive pouch is filled with three re-brewable, biodegradable tea bags in unique flavours such as Jasmine Green Tea, Saffron Kahwa Green Tea, and Marigold Green Tea. A thoughtful pick for anyone who loves gourmet chais–or is discovering them. (Price: Rs 150)

 

Please note: Prices mentioned here are as they were listed at the time of publication.