Christmas gifts under Rs 500 in India: small presents for neighbours, teachers, friends and the carol group, from Rs 179

The long Christmas list, on a short budget

Christmas in India comes with a list of people you want to remember but cannot spend much on: the neighbours who send over cake every year, your child's class teacher, the friends hosting Christmas lunch, the carol singers' host, the building's watchman, a cousin's children. Each needs something that looks like a real present, and the total has to stay sensible.

A handmade candle under Rs 500 is one of the few gifts that does both: it looks festive on a table in December and nobody can tell it was a small spend. From our range, hand-poured in pure soy wax in Jalandhar:

• Bonnet Teddy Candle, Rs 449: an ivory teddy dressed in a blue bonnet and coat with a little bow. Looks like winter, and children love it.
• Heart Tealights, Rs 349 for 10: red heart tealights in clear cups. Red for Christmas, and ten is enough for a dinner table.
• Spiral Pillar Candles, Rs 179 for one, in ivory, pink, blue, yellow or navy. An ivory pillar is the classic Christmas window candle.

Who on your list gets which

One caution for children: a candle is a flame. For a young child, give the Bonnet Teddy Candle as a decor piece and tell the parent, not the child, that it can be lit.

If you need one gift for an office Secret Santa rather than a whole list, we have a separate page on Secret Santa gifts under Rs 500.

One order, many small gifts

The cheapest way to cover a long list is to buy sets and split them.

• The Spiral Pillar set of 5, Rs 799, gives you five pillars, one of each colour. That is five teacher or neighbour gifts at under Rs 200 each. Tie each with a ribbon and a tag.
• Heart Tealights, Rs 349 for 10, split into two bundles of five, is two small table gifts at under Rs 200 each.
• Three Blossom Candles, Rs 897, for three neighbours.

A small shipping note: orders of Rs 999 or more ship free; below that there is a Rs 79 fee. So if you are buying for several people, put everything in one order. The Spiral Pillar set plus one Heart Bubble Candle is Rs 1,048, ships free and covers six people. Two Bonnet Teddy Candles plus a Spiral Pillar is over Rs 999 as well.

Gift packaging and a gift note are available on the product page if you want the parcel wrapped, but for a split set you will wrap each piece yourself.

When to order before 25 December

Dispatch is 24 to 48 hours and delivery 2 to 7 days after dispatch, anywhere in India. Courier networks get busy in the last two weeks of December, so order in early December, especially if you want to hand gifts over at a school's last day before the winter break. Check the delivery estimate for your pincode on the product page. We cannot promise a date.

Other Christmas gifts under Rs 500

Candles are one option. Other good Christmas gifts in this budget in India: a slice box of plum cake or a tin of rose cookies and kulkuls from a local bakery, a small potted plant like a poinsettia or a succulent, a Christmas mug, a box of good chocolates, a pocket diary for the new year, a handmade ornament, or a book for a child. For a neighbour, homemade cake plus a single candle is a lovely pairing.

We do not make LED candles, Christmas tree ornaments, Advent candles or a range of scents. Our one scented candle, Vanilla Reverie, is Rs 549, so it sits just above this budget. For more of our Christmas range, see Christmas candles online in India.

Paying, returns and safety

• Prepaid only through Razorpay: UPI, card, net banking or wallet. No cash on delivery.
• Request a return within 24 hours of delivery. Damage reported within 24 hours is replaced or refunded; cancel free before dispatch.
• Questions: WhatsApp +91 85958 24586 or maharani@raajkosh.com.

For the gift tag: keep candles away from the tree, tinsel and paper decorations, never leave them burning unattended, trim the wick to about 5 mm, and keep each burn to 3 to 4 hours.