Everyone at work has exchanged names, and now you have a $20 limit to buy a holiday gift, but what? Here are some idea-starters.

A nice picture frame would work, or have a special photo enlarged and framed. You could get $20 in lottery tickets, a gift basket of jams, coasters or a decorative throw rug. Radio Shack has a 12-inch piggybank that looks like a battery filled with lots of real AA and AAA batteries.

Everybody has to eat, so nearly everybody has to cook. That Kitchen Shop in the Kitsap Mall has 6,000 different items, and owner David Jennings says their average ticket comes to $30. That means a whole lot of under-$20 items in stock.

How about a whimsical whisk with an egg (complete with face) for a handle? Check out the egg slicer (works for mushrooms, strawberries, kiwis and a multitude of other things) that permits one-hand operation and utilizes blades instead of wires.

There is an amazing silicone product that will protect from heat. In a variety of bright colors, extremely flexible, get the countertop protector/pot holder, or buy the oven mitt, allowing you to put your hand into boiling water and be unfazed by it. (You do not have to be a firewalker to do this one.)

Some mechanics have been known to shop for kitchen items to use in their garage, so think beyond the suggested use!

At the mall’s Cloud Nine Sheep Skin you can find cuddly-soft covers for seatbelt straps, steering wheels, gearshift knobs, and even bicycle seats, each under $20. These can make travel a little more comfortable, reducing stress, making everyone on the road just a bit safer. (All that for 20 bucks!)

There are visually entertaining things like sun catchers and Zen gardens within your limit. Anything made of fleece will be warmly received. Get a license plate holder – off the rack, or have one custom made at the Engravable Gifts kiosk.

Steel Silhouettes in the mall has a number of Washington-made products. The captivating images are priced from $3.99 to $99.99. The store, located next to Penney’s, also carries wind chimes, key hangers and beeswax candles.

At the As Seen on TV store, you can pick up a sushi maker for $20, but don’t miss the remote car that flips over and keeps on going, because it has wheels there, too! It’s very entertaining and within your budget.

Most businesses will write out a gift certificate for you. At your local grocery store, you could pick up a gift card to any of a number of stores when you dash in for bread and milk.

Ah, but the presentation of a gift card can make the difference. Get one item that carries the store’s theme, even if it is from the toy department or a dollar store, and then use it to hold your actual gift. Being visually clever transforms the gift card into one of greater thoughtfulness and inspiration.