22 Creative And Cute Hostess Gifts, No Matter The Occasion

Bringing a gift to your hostess to show her your appreciation is an ancient custom. Think about it – your hostess worked really hard to prepare her home for an afternoon of joy and fellowship. Bringing her something useful and beautiful shows that you’re grateful for her efforts on your behalf.

There’s debate about whether consumable hostess gifts like food or drink are better or worse. I, for one, think it really depends on the hostess, and whether you give a consumable or not, your hostess will appreciate you showing that you know her preferences. Some people prefer lasting items that they can reuse. Other people (like me) prefer consumable gifts that can be enjoyed once and leave zero waste. Either way, we’ve included suggestions to kickstart your hostess gift decision. 

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All Occasions

Homemade Cookies or Brownies

Some may call it trite – I call it timeless. Whether your hostess needs the desserts for her event or not, some sweet baked goods, made with love and good ingredients, will be a blessing to your hostess. I’ll make a confession: The King Arthur Gluten Free brownie box mix is my go-to when I’m in a rush, and it has never failed me. Cookies, in particular, are also easy to theme according to the event and season. 

Bath Salts or a Shower Bomb

Whether your hostess prefers baths or showers, this is a way to make sure she treats herself after the event. While self-care isn’t everything, a good set of bath salts or a shower bomb will encourage your hostess to set aside some time for intentional rest for herself.

Essential Oil Spray

Everyone loves a house that smells nice, and an essential oil room spray does this without filling your friend’s house with chemicals. Buy a nice set here, or learn to make your own so you can have some on hand as well.

Spice Mixes

A good spice mix can serve as an inspiration for the next meal, which your hostess may need after her event is done. Trader Joe's has a host of inexpensive and delicious spice mixes – the Chile Lime is my current favorite.

Hand-Painted Coasters

No one ever has enough coasters, and if your friend is hosting, there’s a decent chance she may be lacking. If you enjoy a little bit of painting or playing with colors during the day, this is a great hostess gift choice for you. Here’s a kit with everything you would need!

Your Favorite Book

When you bring a copy of your favorite book with you, you’re giving your hostess the gift of good conversation. Come prepared to discuss why you loved this book and think your friend should give it a chance. “What is your favorite book?” is one of my favorite conversation starters, and one of my favorite books is Rules of Civility by Amor Towles.

Spring

Honey Butter

Spreadables are a fantastic gift for parties, and nothing beats honey butter and a loaf of homemade bread. You can learn to make your own or check out a delicious premade spread like this honey cinnamon spread.

Fresh Cut Flowers

I’ve never thought of myself as a “flower person,” but every time a friend has brought me some fresh-cut flowers it has brought happiness to my entire week. Special note though: If you bring flowers, make sure to bring a vase or large mason jar which can hold them so your hostess doesn’t have to spend time finding a place to put them.

Wood Board and Cheese

Spring is perfect for charcuterie boards because the nice weather makes everyone want to wander in and out. Wooden cutting boards never go out of style, and they’re perfect to show your hostess how much you appreciate her.

Herb Kit/Plant

It’s when things outside are growing again that we begin to crave fresh herbs the most. You can either buy an herb already growing in a pot or bring your hostess an herb kit that she can use to grow her own.

Summer

A Local Jam or Jam Sampler

Scones and jam are the perfect summertime treat. The best option is to visit a local farmer’s market and buy a homemade jam, but if that’s not possible, there are several jam samplers you can purchase online that will allow your friend to try different tastes and decide what she wants more of.

Small Watercolor

A little bit of beauty goes a long way. A small, hand-painted watercolor is a perfect decoration for the table or small corner of your friend’s home. This one is best if you’ve already been to your friend’s house and are familiar with her color scheme.

Dipping Spices

Looking for something tasty but a bit more savory? Try giving your hostess some of these dipping spices, easily complemented by a French baguette if you're consuming that evening. Just add olive oil for a delicious appetizer.

Fall

Candles

Candles are great year-round, but they’re especially perfect when the days start getting darker. Beeswax candles with essential oils are perfect to help clean out the air in your friend’s home and set the mood for her evenings.

Apple Butter

Apple butter tastes fantastic on everything, but it’s especially great after the fall harvest of apples. And the best part is it’s ridiculously easy to make in a slow cooker. Apple butter tastes great on toast and English muffins, and will keep well during the winter months.

Tea Blend or Coffee Sampler

When the weather turns cold, everyone is ready for a delicious hot drink. Tea is great for your skin health, and there are dozens of different blends to choose from on sites such as Tea Forte. If your friend is a major coffee drinker, you can also check out a coffee sampler as a substitute.

Winter

Hand Lotion

Winter is the best time for giving your friend lotion because the cold weather causes everyone’s hands to crack. Learning to make your own is fairly easy, but this is also an item you can find online or at a farmer’s market.

Spicy Pickles

Spicy pickles are fantastic to have on hand when you need to make a meal a little more exciting. Simply fill a mason jar with some homemade spicy pickles, and you’ve got the gift of a great future side dish. The best part is your friend can reuse the jar!

A Succulent

In the winter months, a succulent is the perfect reminder that spring will come again – and that we need plants in our lives for a host of health benefits. Succulents are usually very easy to care for and will bring some color back into your friend’s home.

Holiday

Mulling Spices

Nothing says Thanksgiving and Christmas like mulled cider, and to mull the cider you must have the mulling spices. It’s ridiculously easy to put together the spices into a beautiful bag. I recommend putting the spices in a ziploc container before wrapping so that they will keep.

Indoor S'mores Maker

Now you don’t need to have a firepit to make delicious s’mores to share during holiday months. This indoor s’mores maker is fairly inexpensive and works great at parties. This gift is especially nice to have on hand when the weather for a fall or winter party is uncertain. 

Card Game

During the holidays, people usually have lots of visitors in and out of their homes, and it's easy for the hostess to get stressed about what everyone will be doing while she is taking care of all the hosting needs. A compact and fun card game such as this Jane Austen literary card game will leave her with something fun for future guests that won’t take up lots of space in her home.

Closing Thoughts

After all the hard work she’s put in to create a fantastic event, your hostess could use a little pampering. Luckily, you don’t need to break the bank to give your hostess something that she will love and be able to use – maybe even the next time you get together.

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