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Home » Entertainment » Great Hostess Gift Ideas and Gift Giving Etiquette

Great Hostess Gift Ideas and Gift Giving Etiquette

October 10, 2018 by Diane Hoffmaster 6 Comments

Posts feature partner companies & may be sponsored. Post contains affiliate links & I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Last Updated on February 16, 2020 by Diane Hoffmaster

With the holidays fast approaching, have you started looking for great hostess gift ideas?  You want to stock up and be prepared for those last minute party invites!  I thought I would share a few ideas that I found for inspiration for you hostess gift shopping!

Before I get to the cool gift ideas I came up with, how about we discuss a bit of hostess gift etiquette first! And buying hostess gifts early is just one way to prepare for holiday parties.  Check out my post on how to get ready for Christmas for more ideas!

Hostess Gift Etiquette. Should you bring a present to the party?

Table of Contents

  • Hostess Gift Etiquette
    • More Party Tips You May Enjoy
    • Should I Bring a Hostess Gift?
  • Great Hostess Gift Ideas
    • Have any other great hostess gift ideas to share?

Hostess Gift Etiquette

Should I Bring a Hostess Gift? That is always a question you have to ask yourself before you head to a part.   A gift for your host or hostess is a wonderful way to thank them for their hospitality.  Hostess gifts do no have to be expensive.  In fact, pricey gifts may make your hostess feel a bit awkward.

More Party Tips You May Enjoy

  • Simple Tips for Hosting a Wine and Cheese Party
  • How To Choose The Right Music For Your Party
  • Simple Holiday Party Ideas to Help You Celebrate in Style

Inexpensive hostess gifts are a great way to say thank you without feeling weird about the money you spent.  Even a nice tray of cookies makes a thoughtful hostess gift during the holidays.   If you really don't know your hostess well, try finding generic gift ideas that still say 'thank you'.

flowers

 

 

Wine, flowers, and specialty food items all make good hostess gifts if the person is not a close friend. But, should you bring a gift at all? Here is what Emily Post says about hostess gift etiquette

Should I Bring a Hostess Gift?

  • Casual dinner party: Yes.  Unless this is a dinner party you do regularly.  Then it is unnecessary.
  • Formal dinner party: No.  Especially if you don’t know the host well.
  • Birthday, anniversary, or graduation party:  Bring a gift for the honoree.
  • If someone is throwing YOU a party: Yes.  Bring the hostess a gift.
  • Housewarming party:  Yes.  It is customary to bring a housewarming gift.

Curious about hostess gift etiquette? Should you bring a gift to the party? Here are a few great hostess gift ideas and tips for when to bring one and when not to!

Great Hostess Gift Ideas

I love visiting with friends and family over the holidays but I hate to show up at someone's door empty handed. The holidays are stressful and entertaining guests isn't always easy so I want our hostess to realize how thankful I am for their invitation. Want to attend your next party with a gift in hand? Here is a lovely selection of great hostess gift ideas choose from!

  1. Flirty Aprons - An apron (especially a pretty one like this one) is a gift that you know will come in handy over the busy holiday season. Order your apron & see the other choices here.
  2. Decade candy box - Bring your host or hostess back to their childhood by choosing a Thank You box with candy from the decade of your choice. Perhaps they'll share so that you can reminisce together. Get your decade candy box here.
  3. Covered cheese dish - An adorable covered cheese dish that can come out every time your hostess entertains.  .
  4. Sugar scrub tower - A beautiful assortment of 6 different sugar scrubs for the hostess to pamper herself once all the guests have left. Find this gift idea by Lalicious here.
  5. Glass cocktail shaker - Cocktail season is upon us. You want your hosts to be ready! Add a bottle of hooch and mixers if you wish to go all out. Buy the cocktail shaker here.
  6. Recycled Wine Bottle Glassware- For your stylin' eco-conscious hosts, they will be sure to enjoy these glasses made from real glass soda bottles. Find the reclaimed glasses here.
  7. Salt & pepper cellars - A wonderful and pretty hostess gift that will certainly make its way on to the next dinner table. Buy here.
  8. Cashmere throw - If you're a house guest for a few days, a luxurious gift that the host might not buy themselves will fit the bill. Like this cashmere throw. Cozy too. See it here.
  9. Unique serving platter -Get the host family a unique serving platter for presenting their delicious recipe creations.  Get it here.
  10. Aromatherapy candles - Let your hostess relieve stress while making the house smell amazing.  Gift them with beautiful scents from aromatherapy candles.

All of these unique hostess gifts will help you say a heartfelt thank you to the person throwing the party.  Don't forget to shop ahead and tuck a few of these thoughtful gifts into your closet for last minute party invites!

Have any other great hostess gift ideas to share?

(post has been updated and content added since previous publish date)

 


Diane Hoffmaster

Diane is a professional blogger and nationally certified pharmacy technician at Good Pill Pharmacy.  She has two college aged kids, one husband and more pets than she will admit to. She earned her BS in Microbiology at the University of New Hampshire  but left her career in science to become a stay at home mom. Years of playing with LEGO and coloring with crayons had her craving a more grown up purpose to her life and she began blogging and freelance writing full time.  You can learn more about her HERE.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ellen Christian

    November 19, 2014 at 3:18 pm

    You can stop by my house any time with that sugar scrub tower. That sounds amazing!

    Reply
  2. Ronni

    November 19, 2014 at 3:25 pm

    I love those flirty aprons! Great list of ideas!

    Reply
    • Diane

      November 20, 2014 at 4:55 pm

      I love aprons...mainly because I am a very sloppy cook!

      Reply
  3. Kelly Hutchinson

    November 19, 2014 at 3:32 pm

    I love the idea of giving an apron, especially if it a cute pattern on it. I also like the personalized platter

    Reply
  4. Jill

    November 19, 2014 at 3:44 pm

    What a great list of gifts! A few of these would be great for teachers too! I'd love to receive that sugar scrub tower myself. 🙂

    Reply
  5. Julie Cohn

    November 19, 2014 at 4:03 pm

    What great gift ideas! I especially like the salt and pepper cellars and the flirty apron!

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Diane! I'm a busy Atlanta area mom of two college kids trying to stay sane in the chaos of suburban life. I love cooking, gardening, reading and motorcycle rides with my husband.

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