Good idea Ellian. People can write likes/dislikes and to choose additional 2 options from 4-6 topics. And since there's always people who are willing to draw extra pieces, they can draw something for some of the topics. These extra gifts can be counted and their current number should be available so people can compare them to the pool, and know which extra gift is more required. All users are choosing two topics in case they don't receive their gift and extra gift for one of them is not available. All extra gifts that aren't used can me posted as honorable mentions.
Yep, exactly what I had in mind.
@Yellowlime
Merit system: While I totally get the good intentions behind it, I'm so, so totally against that.
Mid-check: Wouldn't work for everyone. I did my secret santa piece in one stretch, in a single evening; Most of the time, if I don't finish something like that in one go, I'm never going back to it. And I'm super busy so I'm never sure when I can work, so... I'm not saying this just for myself, but I expect I'm probably not the only one who works like that.
Clandestine: Yes, I like that! Why not make the deadline officially a LOT earlier? Right now the deadline is 3 days before christmas... if someone doesn't meet the deadline, it's... most likely way too late because everyone else will be busy anyway, right?
If the deadline was, like, 1, 2 weeks before christmas, it would give more time for people willing to help to come up with something.