50+ cool gifts under $15 because who knows WTF is happening with interest rates
All gifts have been editorially determined by our staff. There has been no compensation for inclusion. (We know that's rare.)
There are affiliate links in this guide, which means that purchasing an item through some links will help our own small business by generating a small commission for us at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting us.
All discount codes in the 2018 guide expired 2018
All prices accurate at time of publication but subject to change.
Be sure to visit all of our 2019 Holiday Gift Guide categories for even more fabulous gift ideas!
Becoming: A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice
by Michelle Obama
If anyone can help us find our voices, it’s her.
$12.27, Amazon
Jonathan Van Ness Prayer Candle Sticker
Tons of amazing stickers at this store! Buy a bunch of devotional candles in bulk, and DIY for all your cool friends.
$10.47, The Five15
Knitted Sweater Mugs + A Pack of Hot Chocolate
Make it the good stuff. Marshmallows optional.
$11.89 on sale, Knitted Cake for Society 6
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehesi Coates
Recommended by hundreds of thousands of readers, every critic, and above all, Oprah
$14.99/Kindle or $16.80/Hardcover, Amazon
Set of 25 Mini Ornaments
For decking a tiny tree, or adding some sparkle to a big one.
$9.09 on sale, Nordstrom
Lush Snowflake Body Lotion
Smells like marzipan.
$10.95, Lush (or trade up to the larger size for $19.95)
Reindeer Name Tea Towel
So many other cute holiday-theme towels here too.
$11.89 on sale, Miss Fotopoulos
OK Boomer Ugly Christmas Sweater Ornament
They don’t already have one, right?
$12, Capitol Maker
Related: Be sure to see our top gifts for teens and older tweens that won’t make them roll their eyes
Mr. Rogers Funko Pop
Make every day a more beautiful one in your neighborhood.
$10.99, Amazon, or local specialty stores everywhere
Yas Queen Handmade Mini Embroidery Hoop Art
Love everything in this shop! (If this is sold out, find another.)
$14.50, Sirens Song Stitchery
Friends Central Perk Coffee
Fancy enough for underemployed 20-somethings who can afford fab West Village 2-bedrooms.
$10.99, Amazon
Monogram Marble Bottle Stopper
Cool on its own, or to make that bottle of wine a little more special.
$11.40 on sale, Nordstrom
About our Sponsor
We all lose stuff. But the Tile Bluetooth-enabled tracking tags and now, Tile stickers, help you find lost items in seconds: Your remote, your keys, your sunglasses, your bike, your phone, your backpack, your camera, your gamer control, your kids’ favorite lovey….you get the picture.
Attach the tags or stickers to anything you don’t want to lose — say, some of those new holiday gifts you’re buying? — and use your phone to locate it by sound or see it on a map. Brilliant! And we use Tile ourselves, so we can totally vouch for how awesome they are.
SPECIAL LIMITED TIME HOLIDAY OFFERS FROM TILE. THERE ARE MANY!:
Order the Tile Sticker 8-Pack at a great price, and you'll receive a Google Nest Mini free ($159.96 value!)
Save $50 on a Tile Sticker 4-Pack including a year of Tile Premium + a free Google Nest Mini
Save $30 on a Tile Essentials 4-Pack including 2 Stickers, 1 Mate, 1 Slim
Save $10 on a Tile Sticker 2-Pack
Save $5 on a single Tile Mate
valid through 12/31/19
Mini Tea of the Month Club
We can’t all be coffee drinkers, now, can we.
$9/mo Simplicity Teas at Cratejoy
Use code NEW10 for 10% off your first shipment
Custom Name Wish Bracelet
So thoughtful and terrific price at under $15.
$12.50, Leo & Lovey
Save 10% site wide with code COOLMOMPICKS10
A Well-Read Woman is a Dangerous Creature Bookmark
True, isn’t it.
$10, Human is Human with 30% donated to the ACLU
More Than Enough by Elaine Welteroth
For a woman you know who deserves to find her voice, her courage, her place in the world.
$14.29/hardcover or 12.99/kindle, Amazon
Cheers Around the World Coasters
One more thing that unites us all.
$15 by Braden Studios for Society 6
Love is Love Spatula Supporting the HRC
For making all your holiday cookies with extra love.
$11.96 on sale, Williams-Sonoma, with 50% supporting the Human Rights Campaign
Google Nest Mini
Okay, so it’s free when you buy the Tile Sticker 8-pack from our partner, Tile, for $99.
But hey, it’s normally $49. And now it’s not!
Free with purchase of Tile Sticker 8-Pack ($99) through the link above.
Instagram Friendly Soft Photo Album
An excuse to finally get all those photos from your phone to those relatives who are begging for them.
$15 and up, Artifact Uprising
Dylan’s Gold Collection Orange Truffles
Lots of flavors but these look exquisite.
$15., Dylan’s Candy Bar
She Remembers Everything by Roseanne Cash
Grammy-Nominated and simply wonderful.
$9/49/MP3, $11.37/CD, free streaming, Amazon
(pop it on a flash drive and put a bow on it.)
Personalized Wooden Spoons
Perfect for any baker or home cook.
$13.90, Hanging with the Bride on Etsy
Men’s Flannel Pajama Bottoms
So many prints, so little dollars.
$12.99 on sale, JCPenney (additional discounts may be available on site)
Nubian Eye Shadow Palette
So many gorgeous palettes from one of our favorite POC-owned beauty brands.
$10 on sale, Juvia’s Place
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
Know someone as obsessed with the series as we are? Try the book.
$7.99 and up/ paperback or Kindle, Amazon
Travel Tech Organizer for Cables
Throw in an extra phone cable or two, while you’re at it. We can never have enough.
$11.99, Amazon
Be sure to check off the instant coupon button to save 5%
McSweeney’s Notebook of Nothings
“Pages and pages of substantive white space and illustrations of various kinds of nothing, both tangible and conceptual.”
Plus, it supports McSweeney’s.
$9, McSweeney’s
NPR Logo Webcam/Phone Cam Cover
The sliding sticker covers your phone so no one can see you without you knowing.
Can you get more 2019 than this?
$12, NPR Online Store
Pop Socket Supporting Girls Inc.
There are tons of “Poptivism” options supporting all kinds of causes. But we kind of like this one.
$15, Pop Sockets, with 50% going directly to the charity of choice
Artist Quote Totes
Choose from several options; we love this one from Carrie Mae Weems.
$10, MoMA Store
Members save 10% on all purchases
Send a Cup of Coffee to a Deployed Service Member
Send it directly to someone you don’t know — or make a tribute donation in someone’s name.
P$2.50/ea donates one cup of coffee to a service member deployed abroad
Related: 11 top-rated veterans organizations that can use your support
6 Month Kindle Subscription to The Nation
2020 is going to be a hell of a year. Support independent journalism. It’s important.
$11.94 through Amazon
What can we help you find?
* Fleabag gifts for your friend who can’t get enough of Phoebe Waller-Bridge
* Eco-friendly gifts for teens and kids who are fighting for our planet. For good reason.
* Cool gifts for the cool dad who's the first to say, "I'm not babysitting, I'm parenting."
* Feminist gifts for a woman who already owns a “Nevertheless She Persisted” shirt
* Cool Star Wars gifts for the fan who set an alarm to nab Ep IX tickets in October
* Cool podcast gifts for the person who finally became obsessed this year
* Gifts for the VSCO girl who loves the label, uses the hashtag, owns her aesthetic. Sksksksksk.
* 90s TV pop culture gifts because rewinding life sounds good right about now.
* Style and beauty gifts for women who are over 40, fabulous, and who DGAF
* 50+ cool gifts for adults under $15 because who knows WTF is happening with interest rates
* 60+ cool gifts for kids under $15 because, breeders amirite
* More coming soon!