Every month we feature hostess gift ideas that are affordable, fun, and easy to find. Bottles of wine and flowers are of course always appropriate, and typically what I personally give if I don’t know the hostess that well. But when we’re going to someone’s house that I know pretty well or that we’ve been to a lot, I like to mix it up and try to personalize my hostess gift. The gift itself doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive, the point of a hostess gift is to show your appreciation and thanks to your hostess for the time and trouble she’s gone to. Depending on where you live and how much stock the store I shopped at had, you may not be able to find these exact gifts, but you can find similar items or something I mention might spark a different idea.
I found this Paperwhite bulb kit in the floral department at Safeway, on sale for $2.50, which I thought would be perfect for my gardening friends who might be missing time spent in the garden this time of year. The kit contains everything needed to grow these beautiful white, and very fragrant flowers and the flowers will bloom for approximately 6 to 8 weeks….much longer than a bouquet of flowers.
I have a lot of friends who like to bake and make the most delicious homemade cakes. I thought this beautiful cake knife and forks would make a perfect gift for any of them. It’s beautiful, practical, and something your hostess can use over and over. I found this at Ross for $5.49.
“Specialty” food items make great gifts for any foodie. This Porcini mushroom pasta ($10 Pappardelle’s) is delicious! I typically buy this pasta at our local farmers markets in the summer but you can also buy it online at www.pappardellespasta.com . They make over 150 delectable varieties of gourmet pasta, ravioli, gnocchi, sauces and pestos (including gluten-free). The pasta on their site is less expensive but you’ll pay for shipping. You can go to their website, hit on “where to find us”, type in your city and get a list of locations and markets that sell this brand. *Just fyi…this is a Denver based company.
For any host/hostess who drinks coffee, a coffee mug makes a great gift. You can find them everywhere, including thrift stores, and there’s so many varieties, it’s super easy to find one that matches your host’s personality. This cat mug was $2.99 at Ross. You know, I don’t shop at Ross that much for clothes but I do think they have a great collection of housewares, decorative items, and specialty foods at great prices. If you want to spend some extra money, add a bag of coffee.
I’ve featured note cards as hostess gifts before because I don’t know anyone who doesn’t take notes. This cute “shoe” pad contains 150 sheets and was found at Ross for $3.99.
Another great gift idea for the host/hostess who likes to cook….specialty oils and vinegars. These days, most grocery stores carry a wide variety of these from the inexpensive to the expensive. The garlic olive oil and honey balsamic vinegar pictured here (these were actually gifts to us) are from The Olive Tap ( www.theolivetap.com )and cost $15.95 each. We have a local store in Manitou Springs and I could literally hang out there for hours!
Books can be tricky to buy for others since you don’t know if they’ve already read it. And brand new, they are (I think) expensive. But I have found a ton of books in great condition at the thrift stores and if I see one that is about hobbies, food, etc., that I think matches something someone I know is interested in, I’ll buy it. This Yoga Made Easy book by Howard Kent still had a Barnes & Noble sticker on it for $12.98 but only cost $1.99 at Goodwill. I have a friend, whose house we dine at often, who is interested in starting yoga….this will make the perfect hostess gift for her the next time we are invited to dinner.
You probably don’t think of nail polish as a hostess gift but if you know someone who wears polish, why not? If you know your hostess, you probably know what colors she typically wears which makes it easy to choose something you know she’ll love and use. I actually just found this box of 3 colors of Betty Boop nail polish at Gordmans in the Christmas clearance section marked down to $3.00. When you gift your hostess you can say, “I saw this and immediately thought of you!” *This is an example of finding Christmas clearance you can use for other occasions and because this polish has hearts on the bottle, it would also make a cute Valentine gift.
I think I must have been hungry when thinking about hostess gifts this month! I like buying locally made products when I can and this honey from Grampa’s Gourmet is based in Alamosa (Colorado). I bought this at the New Family Product Show I recently attended and wish I had bought more…it’s delicious and I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t enjoy this. You can also order online. Most of the honey is $11.99 for 11.5 oz but the prices do vary, according to what flavor you’re getting. This particular seasonal honey, Huajillo, was $13.99 and worth every penny. Jams, jellies, and sauces make great gifts too.
And last but not least…..A hostess gift can be anything you think she would like and for a “whimsical” hostess, this is a fun gift. This solar powered daisy was only $1.00 at the Dollar Tree and it really works. Your hostess can stick it in the window and watch the flower sway back and forth…and it will probably put a smile on her face!
From food to nail polish to a $1.00 daisy….hostess gifts can be anything you think your host would enjoy. Again, it doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy, just a token of your appreciation and thanks for inviting you over. And these types of gifts show your hostess that you put some thought in the gift.