Call me old fashioned, but, in my opinion, there’s almost never a wrong time for a hostess gift. That doesn’t mean I always have my act together enough to bring one (sorry, friends), but I do think they are an important social grace that’s been slowly fading away.
Thankfully, hostess gifts don’t have to be elaborate. The cliché is true: It’s the thought that counts. A bottle of wine or fresh flowers are both great options, and easy to pick up on your way to the party. You can’t go wrong with either of them.
Now in spite of what I just said there are two times when you don’t need to bring a hostess gift, but they are definitely exceptions to the rule. The first is a formal dinner party. The host has enough to worry about on the night of the party. Instead, plan to send a thank you note the next day. Second, there’s no need to bring a gift if you’re bringing a dish to contribute to the meal. In that case, your salad, side dish, or dessert serves as your gift. But as a frequent hostess, I can say I will never turn down an extra bottle of wine.
As a general rule, hostess gifts should be given at the brunch, dinner, or cocktail party. The one exception to this is for overnight or weekend visits. I recently spent a lovely weekend with friends of mine who recently moved to Chicago. I hadn’t seen their new place, so I didn’t bring a hostess gift. But in the course of the weekend and the afternoon we spent shopping, I got plenty of ideas for a thank you gift to send them. Plus, it will be much more personal since I’ve spent time with them in their new home. So, for long weekends it’s perfectly acceptable to send a gift after the fact.
Here are five great go-to hostess gifts. They are all inexpensive, so you can keep a couple on hand and not have to worry about showing up empty-handed.
1. Custom Coasters
It’s always a good idea to give a gift related to hosting or entertaining. These Classic Photo Coasters are not only practical, but look classy on any coffee table.
2. Stationary or Notepads
If you want to personalize a notepad for your host, you’ll have to plan ahead. But you can also order slightly more generic notepads to fit most occasions. I’m always in need of a place to scribble notes and ideas.
3. Photo Magnets
Similar to the coasters, these custom photo magnet sets make a fun & practical hostess gift. You can choose to feature photos from previous gatherings, or your host’s dearest friends and family.
4. Photo Gift Labels
Sometimes the best things come in small packages, or in their labels! Jazz up your homemade holiday cookies or a jar of hot cocoa mix with a personalized photo label. You can use these throughout the holiday season, or better yet, give the leftover labels in the set to your host.
5. Personalized Beer or Wine
Take the classic wine bottle gift to the next level with these cool bottle labels. Get creative with colors, photos, and messaging on these custom bottle labels, to add a festive touch to any party table.
Looking for more inspiration or other creative gift options, check out some of our customers’ favorites.