Farewell Gifts for Colleagues Under ₹500: What to Give When Someone Leaves

Someone on your team has resigned. There is a collection envelope going round, a card to sign, and about four days to find a gift. Most farewell gifts are bought in a hurry and look like it.

A good one does two things. It is small enough to carry out of the office on the last day, and it is something they will still own a year from now. Here are ideas by budget, all handmade at Felofey, with delivery anywhere in India included in the price.

The short answer

• From you alone, ₹149 to ₹249: a crochet bookmark, a keychain or a coaster.
• From you to a close colleague, ₹449: a crochet flower pot for their next desk.
• From the whole team: a crochet bouquet at ₹649, or a custom bouquet with one stem from each person.

Under ₹200: from you alone

• A crochet bookmark, ₹149. For the colleague who always had a book in their bag. Slips inside the farewell card.
• A crochet keychain, ₹169. There will be new keys soon: a new office drawer, a new flat, a new city. An evil eye one says good luck without a speech.
• A rose candle, ₹199. Scented, shaped like a full rose, and not something they would buy themselves.
• A crochet lip balm holder, ₹199. Useful, a little funny, and it clips to a laptop bag.

₹200 to ₹500: for someone you worked closely with

• A crochet coaster, ₹249. The classic desk gift. It goes under their mug on the first morning at the new job.
• A crochet flower pot, ₹449. A sunflower, a rose or a tulip in its own crocheted pot. It needs no water, so it survives a move, a long commute and a desk without a window.
• A coaster and a bookmark together, ₹398. Two small things feel more thought through than one.
• A keychain and a rose candle, ₹368. One for the bag, one for the new place.

A gift from the whole team

Group gifts go wrong when ₹3,000 is collected and spent on something large, generic and awkward to carry home. Two ideas that work better:

A ready-made crochet bouquet, ₹649

Rose, tulip or bunny. It will not wilt on the journey home or by the end of the week. Split between ten people, that is about ₹65 each.

One stem from each person

This is the one people remember. In the bouquet builder, add one flower for every member of the team, and let each person choose theirs: a tulip from one, a sunflower from another. Then add a message card signed from everyone.

The maths for a team of eight: 8 stems at ₹99 is ₹792, plus the message card at ₹50, comes to ₹842, or about ₹105 each. Sunflowers are ₹149 a stem, so the total moves a little with what people pick. The builder shows it as you go.

A custom bouquet is made after you order, so it takes longer than ready-made pieces. Order it the day the resignation is announced, not the week of the farewell.

Choosing by who is leaving

• Your manager: keep it modest and from the team, not from you alone. A flower pot or the team bouquet.
• A close work friend: something personal. A keychain in their favourite colour and a real note.
• Someone you barely knew: sign the card, contribute to the collection, and leave it there. That is enough.
• A junior who is moving on: a bookmark or a keychain, and a line about what they did well. They will keep the line longer than the gift.
• Someone retiring: a flower pot or a bouquet. They are going home, so give something for the home.
• Someone relocating abroad: small and light. A keychain or a bookmark fits in hand luggage.

What to avoid

• Company-branded anything. They are leaving the company.
• Mugs with jokes about work. Funny for a day.
• Fresh flowers on the last day. They wilt in the cab and the vase stays in the office.
• Anything big. They are already carrying a box of their things.
• Cash in an envelope, unless that is the custom where you work.

What to write on the card

Thank them for one real thing, wish them well, and ask them to stay in touch. Two examples:

• "You taught me more than any training ever did. Go and be brilliant."
• "The office will be quieter, and worse, without you. Stay in touch."

There are more in what to write in a gift card, including a section of farewell messages.

Timing

Standard delivery is 2 to 5 working days across India. A notice period is usually longer than that, but the collection often starts late. Order as soon as you know the last working day, and have it delivered to whoever is organising, not to the person leaving.

Several people leaving, or gifts for a whole department? From around 25 pieces we quote separately on the corporate gifting page. Our corporate gifting guide covers budgets and lead times.

Common questions

What is a good farewell gift for a colleague?

Something small, useful and easy to carry: a desk coaster, a keychain for new keys, or a flower pot that needs no care. Add a handwritten note.

How much should I spend on a farewell gift?

From you alone, ₹150 to ₹500 is normal. For a group gift, ₹50 to ₹150 per person is typical, depending on the size of the team.

What is a good farewell gift for a boss?

A gift from the whole team, not from one person, and nothing too personal. A crochet flower pot or a bouquet with a card signed by everyone works well.

What is a unique farewell gift from a team?

A bouquet with one flower chosen by each team member. It costs about ₹100 a head and every stem stands for a person.

Should a farewell gift be personalised?

The note should be. The gift only needs to suit them: their colour, their desk, their habit of losing keys.

Still stuck? The Gift Finder narrows it down in three questions, or see everything tagged for thank-you gifts.