Ten Hostess Gift Ideas

A few weeks ago I wrote a post in which I asked for hostess gift ideas.  I’m sure that the fact that it received in excess of two hundred comments had nothing at all to do with the giveaway I offered.  Coerced or not though I did receive a ton of great ideas – ideas that I’m passing on to you now.  Here are my top ten:

10. Something scented.  A neutral (think clean cotton) reed diffuser from Pier One would be useful to just about anyone.  Candles are a popular choice, though maybe a tad dull and overdone.  You know what I love?  A basil plant.  Or oregano: fragrant and useful!

9. Conversation Starters.  My family owns a few different sets of these and we love them! Another bonus? The hostess has the option to make use of these immediately–during her party–or save them for later.

8. Mixes in a jar.  You know the ones.  You layer the dry ingredients for brownies, or chocolate chip cookies in a cute jar.  Add a decorative ribbon along with a bamboo spoon and the recipe.  You’re good to go!

7.  Gift cards.  For a housewarming party Lowe’s or Home Depot cards are always appreciated.  Slip ‘em in an envelope and then attach it with pretty ribbon to a hammer.  For a dinner party perhaps a Whole Foods gift card along with some organic spaghetti sauce would be appropriate.

6.  Alcohol.  A bottle of wine is a fairly traditional hostess gift.  Why not put a twist on that and give two martini glasses with a fun new recipe and a bottle of liquor that the recipe calls for.  Or a set of traditional shot glasses and some cute cocktail napkins.

5. Kitchen towels.  When my son was born his Godmother gave us a baby blanket that we’d registered for.  The fact that she’d had his name embroidered on the blanket, though, added a thoughtful, personal touch.  The same thing could be done with kitchen towels.  Only instead of embroidering on a whole name you’d just do the monogram.  Who wouldn’t love that?

4. Baked goods.  Miniature loaves of pumpkin or poppy seed bread are popular choices.  If you want to add some extra love place the baked goods into a new set of mini loaf pans (or muffin tin as the case may be) and wrap it up with colored cellophane and polka-dotted ribbon.

3.  Gift baskets.  There are a ton of themes you could base this on: gourmet cooking, breakfast, movie night, pampering, wine lover.  Kelly R. suggested a unique spin on the standard gift basket: including only items that start with the same letter as the host’s last name.  For the Carter family, for instance, you might give chocolates, cheese, crackers, and Cabernet.  Fun, yes?

2.  Stationary.  A personalized stamp like this one together with a box of blank stationary (readily available at craft stores nationwide), a book of stamps, and a nice pen  = a gift I’d love to get.

1.  Reusable shopping bags.  Everybody shops, right?  Why not give a gift that gives back?  And I’m not talking about the flimsy canvas bags with the grocery store logo emblazoned across them.  Splurge for some cute ones. I can honestly say that I might walk with an extra skip in my step if I was shopping with something like this

or this

Surely one of these suggestions is perfect for the next party you’re attending.  And if you’re looking for gifts specific for the season, check out these 10 Holiday Hostess Gift Ideas!