24 Best New Year Gifts for Friends: Toasts to Keepsakes

A wooden puzzle box that has to be opened through a series of hidden mechanisms, like a one-box escape room. Hand it to a group of friends an hour before midnight, or hide a cash or gift-card prize inside for the first to crack it.

Two crystal flutes with thin stems and rounded bowls that sit steady on a crowded table. Give them at the start of the evening so your friend can use them for the countdown, then keep them for every celebration after.

An oak smoker top, torch, two glasses and six wood-chip flavors for smoked old fashioneds and whiskey. It is the gift for the friend who mixes the drinks at every party, and it tends to become the center of the room on New Year's Eve.

A lidded, vacuum-insulated stainless tumbler that keeps wine or a cocktail cold for hours. It is a safer choice than glass for a friend heading to a rooftop, beach or fireworks countdown.

Players read out gibberish cards until someone hears the real phrase hidden in them. Rounds take seconds and need no setup, so it fits the restless hour before midnight with 3 to 8 people.

A splash-resistant speaker with up to 24 hours of battery, enough to outlast the party. Good for the friend who always ends up running the playlist from a phone speaker.

A half-gallon glass bottle with a straw and printed hourly targets down the side. Give it to a friend who has said they want to drink more water this year; the markers do the nagging for you.

A thick-cut, matte 1000-piece mountain-cabin puzzle. It suits a friend who has resolved to spend less time on their phone, and it is something you can work on together over a January weekend.

Each page holds one date across five years, with room for a line or two per year. It is the rare journaling habit that survives past February, because a single sentence a night is all it asks. Give it before January 1 so the first entry falls on New Year's Day.

A dated 2027 planner with monthly and weekly pages and space for goals. At under $10 it pairs well with a card or a small treat for the friend who always says this is the year they get organized.

A small enamel cat charm that clips to keys or a bag. Under $15, it works as a stocking-style extra for a cat-loving friend or as a party favor for each person in a small group.

A wooden frame laser-engraved with your own message. Put in a photo from a trip or night out from the past year and add the year to the engraving, and it becomes a record of the friendship rather than just decor. Order early: engraving adds a few days.

A slim bar pendant engraved with names, initials or a date. Engraving the date you met, or the year you are about to start, keeps it personal without being sentimental in a way some friends find awkward.

A compact album for 4x6 prints. Fill it with photos from the past twelve months before you give it, so your friend opens a finished year in review instead of an empty book.

A black-page scrapbook that comes with ten metallic markers for captions and doodles. Start it with a page about the year you just had together and leave the rest for your friend to fill.

Two gold-plated slider bracelets, one with a solid heart and one with an open heart, made to be split between you. Hand one over at midnight and keep the other; it is a low-key way to mark a friendship that has lasted another year.

Thirty prompts to finish in your own handwriting about your friend. It takes an evening to fill in properly, which is the point: it says more than a store-bought present at the same price.

A vintage-style genuine leather bifold with card slots and a billfold. At around $65 it is the top of this list, so it suits a closest friend whose current wallet is held together with tape, not a gift-swap acquaintance.

A long mulberry silk scarf that can be worn at the neck, in the hair or tied to a bag. It arrives gift-boxed, which helps if you are handing it over at a party with no time to wrap.

An analog watch with a bold face and water resistance for everyday wear. It is a good pick for a friend who has been checking the time on a phone since their old watch died.

A roomy tote with a zip closure that keeps a laptop, gym clothes and a water bottle together. It is a practical gift for the friend starting a new job or a new gym habit in January.

Genuine Australian shearling slip-ons with a sole firm enough to step out for the mail. They are a good match for the friend who plans to spend New Year's Day on the couch and the rest of January indoors.

A plain white mug with a ceramic middle finger hidden on the inside bottom, revealed only when the coffee runs out. Save it for the friend whose humor runs rude; it is a reliable laugh in a white-elephant swap.

A stainless spatula, tongs, fork and brush in a storage case. It suits the friend who always hosts the summer cookouts, and it signals an open invitation to the first barbecue of the new year.