The base plan is free: up to 3 Christmas groups, 10 gifts per wishlist and 2 Secret Santa draws. A paid plan will lift those limits.

How does the Secret Santa work?

Create your event, add the participants and set the exclusions (couples, families). Givenly runs the draw automatically and emails each person their result confidentially.

Do my family and friends need an account?

For a Secret Santa, no: only the organiser creates an account, and each participant receives their draw by email. For a Christmas group (wishlists, reservations, group gifts), yes: everyone creates an account in a few seconds to manage their wishlist and see which gifts are already taken.

Can I use Givenly for something other than Christmas?

Absolutely! Givenly works perfectly for birthdays, weddings, baby showers or any gift exchange event.

How does co-funding work?

When a gift is too expensive for one person, several members can put their name down as co-funders. Givenly shows who is taking part — settling up then happens between you, outside the app.

What are the limits of the base plan?

Up to 3 Christmas groups, 10 gifts per wishlist and 2 Secret Santa draws — enough for most families. A paid plan will lift those limits for heavier use.

How to Create the Perfect Christmas Wishlist

“What would you like for Christmas?” The question comes round every year, and so does the answer: “Oh, nothing, don’t go to any trouble.” So your loved ones guess, and you end up with yet another throw.

A good wishlist fixes that. In short: 5 to 10 ideas, at several price points, each with the exact name, the price, a link and the variant (size, colour), shared by mid-November with people who can see what’s already taken while you can’t. Here’s how to put it together, with a timeline for Christmas 2026.

Why Make a Wishlist

For the Giver

No more guesswork — You know what the person really wants
No duplicates — On a shared list, you can see what’s already taken
The right budget — You pick an idea within your price range
Less stress — No last-minute dash round the shops

For the Recipient

You get what you actually want — Rather than a jumper you’ll never wear
You keep the surprise — You don’t know which of your wishes will come true, or who’s behind it
You help your loved ones — Your list saves them weeks of searching

How Many Ideas Should You Put on a Christmas List?

Put between 5 and 10 ideas on your Christmas list. Fewer, and people run short of options, especially if an idea is already taken or too expensive for them. More, and the list gets hard to read and nobody knows what to prioritise. If lots of people are buying for you, aim for the top of that range.

On Givenly, a list holds up to 10 gifts, which keeps you within that range. If you’re in several spaces (family, friends), each space has its own lists, so you can suggest different ideas to each group.

Varied Price Points

Don’t list only €80 ideas, or only €5 ones. A good list covers several ranges:

2 or 3 small treats (€5–15) — Little everyday luxuries
3 or 4 mid-range ideas (€15–40) — The heart of your list
1 or 2 big wishes (€40–100+) — The dream gift, best given as a group

That way everyone finds something within their budget, from a student friend to the grandparents. For the big wish, your loved ones can chip in for a group gift: on Givenly, everyone sets their share until the gift is 100% funded.

Adapt the list to the context too. If you’re also doing a Secret Santa with a €20 budget, keep a few ideas under that amount.

Every Idea: Exact Name, Price, Link, Variant

A vaguely described idea leads to the wrong gift. For each one, give:

The exact name — Brand, model, edition: “book 3 of the series, in paperback”, not “a book”
The price — So everyone can tell whether it fits their budget
A precise link — To the product page, not the shop’s home page or a page of search results. Open it before adding it: it should show the right item
The variant — Size, shoe size, colour, console: “the blue one, size M”
A note if needed — “Any colour is fine”, “second-hand is fine”, “the wireless model”

Givenly tip: each gift on your list has a name, a price, a link to any shop and an optional description. Your loved ones have everything they need to buy the right item.

A Mix of Wants and Needs

The ideal list blends:

What you’d love — The game, the book, the thing you’ve been dreaming of
What you need — The leaky water bottle, the broken earbuds
What you’d never buy yourself — The slightly pricey perfume, the “unreasonable” treat

That third category often makes the best presents.

Wishlist Ideas for Every Profile

Short of inspiration? Browse our 50 Christmas gift ideas sorted by budget. Here are a few pointers by age.

For Children

Write the list with them — It’s their letter to Father Christmas, only more precise
Be specific about toys — Brand, model, version, recommended age
Include alternatives — If a toy sells out, the giver has a plan B
Vary the prices — An uncle wants to give something small, the grandparents want to spoil them
Think of things that last — Books, board games, activities (a workshop, a course, a day out)

For Teenagers

Video games and tech — Be ultra-precise: which game, which console, which accessory
Clothes — Brand, model, size and colour. No room for guesswork
Subscriptions and gift cards — Music, streaming, games: practical and easy to give

For Adults

Experiences — A class, a workshop, a concert, a restaurant: add the booking link
Everyday things, upgraded — The “unreasonable” version of something you use every day
One big wish to share — A camera, a weekend away, a food processor: ideal for a group gift

For Grandparents

Simple and useful — Books, treats, comfort
Photos and memories — A photo book, a digital photo frame
Time together — A restaurant, an outing, a visit

The Mistakes That Spoil a List

Being Too Vague

“A book”: which one? “A jumper”: what size, what colour? Without details, you may well get the wrong one.

Listing Only Expensive Ideas

A list where everything costs more than €50 puts people in an awkward spot. Keep ideas at every price.

A list sent in Christmas week leaves little time to order and receive anything. Follow the timeline below.

Not Keeping It Up to Date

Bought one of the items on your list yourself? Remove it straight away. The longer you wait, the more likely someone has already bought it for you. And since you can’t see what’s taken, you have no way to check.

Showing It to the Wrong Person

A document shared with the whole family, where everyone notes what they’re giving? You can see what’s meant for you too. Surprise gone.

Christmas 2026 falls on a Friday. Write your list in early November and share it by mid-November, or the end of November at the latest. That gives your loved ones at least three weeks before Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 December, to choose, club together if needed, order and receive the gifts.

Early November: write your list. If you’re setting up the space, invite your loved ones by email: everyone creates an account in a few seconds and adds their wishes.
Mid-November: the list is shared. Ready before Black Friday at the end of November, it lets people make the most of the sales.
End of November: last call for sharing. Group gifts get decided.
Early December: leave the list alone, except to remove anything you’ve bought yourself.
Week of 14 December: last online orders. Check the delivery times each shop gives.
Weekend of 19–20 December: if the family gets together that weekend, the gifts need to be ready.
Thursday 24 December: Christmas Eve. Friday 25: Christmas Day.

Share your Christmas list in a tool where your loved ones can see what’s already taken, but you can’t. That way, two people don’t buy the same gift, and you don’t know which of your wishes will come true. A message or a shared document can’t do both at once.

Where the Usual Solutions Fall Short

A message — “My list: earbuds, a book, perfume.” No links, no tracking: two people can buy the same thing
A shared document — Everyone sees everything, you included. And if people note what they’re giving, the surprise is gone
A retailer’s wishlist — Handy for that retailer’s products, less so for a workshop, a second-hand book or a local shop

How Givenly Avoids Duplicates

On Givenly, lists live in a private space: family, friends or the office. The organiser invites people by email, and everyone creates an account to keep their own list.

Everyone sees the others’ lists — Name, price, link and description for each idea
To give a gift, you set your share — 100% to give it alone, less to chip in with others
At 100%, the gift is complete — Nobody else can take it: no duplicates
Your own list keeps the secret — You see neither the contributions nor what’s already taken

What Givenly can’t prevent: someone who buys outside the list without telling anyone can still land on the same idea as someone else. And people who chip in settle up between themselves: Givenly doesn’t collect any money.

Your Perfect Wishlist Checklist

5 to 10 ideas — Not too few, not too many
Varied prices — From €5 to €100+
Precise details — Exact name, price, link to the right item, size or colour
Wants and needs — Some sensible, some dreamy
Shared in the right place — Visible to your loved ones, without you seeing what’s taken
Shared in time — By mid-November, end of November at the latest
Up to date — Remove anything you’ve bought yourself straight away

Create Your Wishlist on Givenly

Givenly makes wishlists simple:

Add your wishes — Name, price, link and description for each idea
Share it with your group — Family, friends or the office, in a private space
No duplicates — A gift that’s 100% funded is complete
The surprise stays intact — You can’t see what’s taken on your own list
Group gifts — Everyone sets their share, and you settle up between yourselves
Free — 3 Christmas spaces and 10 gifts per list

Create your wishlist on Givenly and make Christmas simpler for the whole family.