43 Surprising, Delightful, and Weird Holiday Gifts Under $50
Including terrazzo coasters, tea-bag eye masks, CBD gumdrops, and much more.
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your account’s ‘Saved for Later’ section.
In all the Black Friday hysteria, you may have gotten a good deal on a flat-screen TV. But what about those gifts that elicit a truly delighted wow? Here, dozens of kooky, beautiful, and useful gifts, priced under $50 from New York’s print gift guide. Don’t miss all of the Strategist’s holiday gift coverage right here, too.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Beautiful, yes, but also crafted by a Tokyo company called Kiya that’s been making knives for over two centuries.
New! You can now save this product for later.
In which the actor (and street-style icon) interviews celebrities, including Edie Falco and Michael Cera.
New! You can now save this product for later.
The earring of a generation.
New! You can now save this product for later.
The Noma Guide to Fermentation
Noma’s recipes for everything from lacto blueberries to whiskey vinegar.
New! You can now save this product for later.
For the baby who prefers to chew on natural rubber from Malaysian Hevea trees.
New! You can now save this product for later.
An Aperol spritz deserves to sit upon mother-of-pearl.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Goofballs, fattys, gold dust: all terms that were catching on circa 1972, when New York State issued this brochure, now reproduced.
New! You can now save this product for later.
From the family behind New Haven’s (or the country’s, depending on who you’re talking to) best pizzeria.
New! You can now save this product for later.
As seen in archival photos of the Missoni family in the recently released Missoni Family Cookbook.
New! You can now save this product for later.
A pest slayer with a beechwood handle.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Luxurious yet playful, in a bright Elmo-ish color.
New! You can now save this product for later.
As with the narrator in Sheila Heti’s novel Motherhood, you too can flip I Ching coins to ask yes-or-no questions (heads means yes, tails no).
New! You can now save this product for later.
Also available: a waxy sugar apple.
New! You can now save this product for later.
A saucer from André Soltner’s groundbreaking French restaurant, Lutèce (1961–2004).
New! You can now save this product for later.
Scrapbooks full of 18th- and 19th-century hair — including George Washington’s — are on display at Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Designed by YouTube’s own Emma Chamberlain, who will need no introduction to the tween in your life.
Jell-O Recipe by Apt 2B Baking Co.
Print (then laminate) the instructions for baker Yossy Arefi’s Instagram-worthy fruit-filled wobble mold.
New! You can now save this product for later.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Kirsten Gillibrand’s Children’s Book, Bold & Brave
The senator tells the story of ten suffragists alongside the illustrations of Maira Kalman.
New! You can now save this product for later.
New! You can now save this product for later.
4.5 ounces of sugar and dill-pickle flavoring.
New! You can now save this product for later.
For the friend who likes vintage.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Made with two very 2018 ingredients: pale-pink roses and Himalayan salt.
New! You can now save this product for later.
They’re notebooks, actually, with covers, like Better Homes Than Yours, that have appeared on the show.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Three pounds of Ina Garten’s preferred brand to last as long as her marriage to Jeffrey.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Flavored with mint and certified-organic green-tea extracts, and (of course) French.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Tacos, turkey sandwiches, and other sorts of kids’ meals become instantly more enticing.
New! You can now save this product for later.
A lavender-and-vanilla bedtime treat for the nonhumans of the household.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Inedible but irresistible.
New! You can now save this product for later.
For a (slightly twee) spa night.
New! You can now save this product for later.
It uses low-friction spring technology for a joyously smooth bounce.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Equally appealing for your friend whose mom wouldn’t let her have one in the ’80s or a niece for whom the entire concept will be new.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Perversely satisfying Operation-esque family entertainment endorsed by the high priestess of zit extraction herself, Dr. Pimple Popper.
New! You can now save this product for later.
The same Ligurian varietal that Samin presses to make olive oil in episode one of Salt Fat Acid Heat.
New! You can now save this product for later.
A 25-inch replica of the Rolls-Royce of vacuums to develop their cleaning-gadget tastes early.
New! You can now save this product for later.
For the friend who needs a little help getting into the Christmas spirit.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Because the leftovers of that carrot slaw deserve an equally photogenic storage container.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Access to Gloria Vanderbilt’s home, Kehinde Wiley’s live-work studio, and other interiors via the POV of New York’s longtime design editor.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Some discerning kids simply can’t bear to play outside with chilly toes.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Beastie Boys Book
You’re welcome, cool dads of every age.
New! You can now save this product for later.
This liquid bronzer is apparently the only makeup the editor wears daily.
New! You can now save this product for later.
It’s called Relative Insanity and involves conjuring all the crazy things your family might say or do.
New! You can now save this product for later.
The NYPL recently introduced its work-fashion lending library, where adults and teens can borrow neckties and briefcases for job interviews.
*This article appears in the November 26, 2018, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now!
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
Every editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.
