20 Go To Gift Ideas for Friends

I’m not a natural gift giver. Gifts are DEFINITELY not my love language, but I aspire to be a good gift giver and I want to be the friend who stops by with a little birthday gift.

I remember shortly after I moved to Arizona, Becky, a new friend from the book club I’d just joined, showed up on my porch with a copy of her favorite book (Gift from the Sea) and a bar of fancy dark chocolate. I’ve never forgotten it – it was the nicest thing!

(After she left, Ella said to me, “Do adults mainly like dark chocolate so they don’t have to share it with their kids?”).

I aspire to be a friend like that!

I want a gift that’s not terribly expensive (usually around $20 or less), that is useful and a little bit fun.

Here are a few gift ideas for friends that make the cut for me:

(P.S. These would also all make great gifts for a favorite things party!).

20 Go to Gift Ideas for Friends

1. Stoneware Platter. You know those products that look WAY more expensive than they really are? This platter is one of them. It looks like a $50 item but it’s only $18!
2. Neck Booklight. I was SO dubious about this book light when I tried a million different book lights last year, but after everyone raved about them, I gave them a go and they’re clearly superior to every other book light. I tested them on my kids, my husband, and some friends and everyone agreed – way better than any book light that clips to your book. And perfect for doing puzzles, embroidery and any other close up work.
3. Hero Cosmetics Sunscreen. I am OBSESSED with this facial sunscreen. It’s a fraction of the cost of the Supergoop ones, is a mineral sunscreen instead of a chemical one, rubs in super easily, and has a slight tint. I wear it every single day.
4. Mini box cutters. This is one of my standard gifts and it’s just SO GOOD. I know it seems totally dumb (why would you even need box cutters?) but I promise, once you have a few of them, you’ll never go back. They’re so handy and the perfect little inexpensive gift when you don’t want something flashy or over the top, but that will 100% get used.
5. Stance Socks. My sister-in-law gives Stance no-show socks as her standard birthday gift to all the sister-in-laws and I love them so much I wrote an entire post about them. They’re that good. And I’ve also fallen in love with the Stance tabbed athletic socks – they’re the kind of sock that once you get them, you don’t wear any other socks in your drawer because they’re just so much better.
6. Book Journal. If you have a friend who loves to read and it’s too tricky to figure out what book to give them, this book journal is the perfect solution!
7. Mini Lash Serum. This is the BEST eyelash growth serum and the mini is the perfect size for a little gift. Use my code JANSSEN for 20% off!
8. Nail Polish Organizer. My Olive & June nail polish collection has gotten embarrassingly large, so I ordered this nail polish organizer to keep them all in one spot and easy to see. I LOVE it so much. By the way, when I mentioned it on Instagram, someone told me that it’s also terrific for keeping LEGO mini figs in one place – brilliant!
9. Geometry Towels. I have seen these kitchen towels alllllll over Instagram for the past couple of years and I finally ordered some. They live up to the hype! They’re the only towels I want to use now in the kitchen and they have such fun patterns that they make me happy every time I see them.
10. Necklace Holder. In our last house, all my jewelry was in a dresser drawer and the necklaces especially were a complete disaster. I actually had to throw away about a dozen of them because they were SO TANGLED that there was no hope for ever getting them undone. When we moved into this house, I bought this necklace hanger and I absolutely love it. It’s so clean looking, nothing gets tangled and the base is perfect for holding my rings and bigger bracelets. It comes in white, black and brass.
11. Frother. Bart bought me this for Christmas and it gets used pretty much every day, whether for Bart’s morning Peachy Greens, a mug of hot chocolate for the girls after school or an evening glass of Perk Chill for me. It’s super powerful, easy to clean and works like a charm. (Bart bought me the pink one which makes me happy every time I see it – I love a fun color!).
12. Hey June Earrings. A few years back I started buying jewelry from Hey June and I’ve never turned back. There stuff is such good quality, but won’t break the bank which is why it makes such great friend gifts! They have a ton of classic necklaces, bracelets and rings to choose from. You just can’t go wrong. Use my code JANSSEN for an extra discount.
13. Fancy salt set. This fancy salt has become one of my go-to gifts for friends. I gave some to my sister for Christmas and Bart’s dad and stepmom and they all loved it! It’s just so darn good!
14. Lemon Curd. This is one of those things I have been making and giving away for years and it truly never fails me. We use it like a jam and spread it on muffins, toast or pancakes! Here’s the recipe I’ve made for years!
15. Mini Sound Machine. If you’ve been around for a while, you know how much we love and use this mini sound machine! They made such a big difference when dealing with jetlag. We took melatonin and turned on the mini sound machines and we were all asleep within moments. These would make great gifts for anyone who travels or has children.
16. Handlettering book. My girls and I are really into handlettering books. It’s such a great way to wind down from the day, use as a quiet time activity or pull out when listening to an audiobook.
17. Homemade Granola. This is another one of my tried and true recipes I go back to time and time again. I’ve been making it for years. It’s the perfect amount of crunchy, chewy and sweet and goes great on top of yogurt!
18. Kindle remote page turner. I got this for one of my girl’s birthdays last year on a whim and it was such a hit that I had to get a couple more for me and my family. It’s so nice to be wrapped up in a blanket, reading from your Kindle and clicking away to the next page. Definitely something you have to try to see how amazing it is, but perfect for the reader friend in your life!
19. Mini Puzzle. These mini puzzles from Spaghetti Tree Games are to die for. So cute, compact and quality, they make a perfect, thoughtful gift for a friend! Use my code EVERYDAYREADING15 for a discount!
20. Snack Container. I talked a lot about this in the summer because we used it around the clock for our boating days and now we use it when we go skiing! It’s so handy to have when you know you will be on the go during the hungry hours of the day. Make it an extra fun gift by going to a store with a bulk section like Sprouts and get fun things for each compartment!
21. Maya Base Fragrance. My friend introduced me to this roll-on scent at a friend dinner and we all tried it on while sitting there. It’s formulated to adapt to your body chemistry so it smells different on everyone, giving each person their very own scent! The mini bottle makes a great friend gift!

Do you have any go to gifts ideas for friends? I’d love more suggestions!

If you liked this post about gift ideas for friends, you might also like these other posts:

• 30+ Great Gift Ideas for Men
• The best $5 Gifts
• My Top 12 Beach Reads