Christmas gifts for colleagues and clients (that aren't another mug)

Every office Christmas has the same gifts. The branded mug. The box of chocolates that goes in the kitchen. The gift card that says "I didn't know what to get you". Nobody remembers any of them by February.

I'm Luis, an artist in Covent Garden, and every December managers, team leaders and business owners come to my stall looking for something better for their people. Here's what works.

The rules for work gifts

• Keep it work-safe for anyone outside your closest colleagues.
• Make it something they'll use or display, at their desk or at home.
• Make it look chosen, not ordered from a catalogue.
• Keep budgets fair. Everyone in the same team should get something similar.

For the whole team: notebooks

Notebooks are £12 with my artwork on the cover and genuinely useful in every meeting. The Random Crap Notebook is the most honest office stationery ever made. There Is No Plan is for the project manager who has a plan, honestly. Notebooks are made to order (7 to 10 days), so order those early.

For colleagues: desk-worthy prints

A £20 pop art print turns a grey desk or a home office wall into somewhere with a personality.

• Ha Ha Ha No: for whoever gets the most meeting invites.
• It Is What It Is: for the calmest person in the office.
• I'm Not Always Right, but I'm Never Wrong: for the manager, if you dare.
• Not Today Satan: for Monday mornings.

For your best clients

A client gift should feel generous without being awkward. Art does that. A print is a lasting thank you, and it goes up on a wall where they'll see it every day.

The Best Is Yet to Come says "here's to next year" better than any card. Cheers to Life is a one of a kind hand-painted original (£55), for the client who has been with you longest.

For the team that went above and beyond

The This Is Not a... tote bags (£25) get a laugh at the party and then get used every day. Made to order, so order early.

Add a card that gets kept

Pair every gift with an art Christmas card: four cards for £12. Gold embossed for clients and the polite side of the office, the vulgar pack for the colleagues who've earned it. More in corporate Christmas cards.

Why art makes a better work gift

Work gifts have a hard job. They have to feel personal without being too personal, generous without being awkward, and fair across a whole team. Art threads that needle. A print is a thoughtful choice that doesn't assume anything about someone's taste in food, drink or fragrance. It also lasts: a print on a home office wall is a reminder of a good year long after the chocolates are gone. And because each piece comes from an independent artist in London, there's a story to tell when you hand it over, which a gift card never has.

For remote teams, a flat print is also one of the easiest things to post to people's homes. Add each person's address at checkout and it goes straight to them.

Budget guide for work gifts

Ordering for a team

• Free UK delivery over £80: four prints, or seven packs of cards, is enough.
• Pay later with Klarna or Clearpay on orders of £75 or more.
• Order by 18 December for UK Christmas delivery, 10 December for international. I post within 3 days. Made-to-order notebooks and totes take 7 to 10 days, so order those sooner.
• Gift wrap by hand on request. Message me after you order.
• Buying for a big team? WhatsApp Luis or email info@luisalvarezarts.com to talk through quantities.

Secret Santa instead?

If your office does Secret Santa rather than team gifts, everything above fits a £20 budget. See Secret Santa gifts under £20, or the full corporate Christmas cards and gifts page.

Work Christmas gift questions