Hostess Gifts They'll Love - For Every Holiday Event on Your Calendar!

Thanks to our sponsor, See's Candies, for this great holiday hostess post!

Have you ever noticed how hostess gifts seem to run in trends? For a while, it was wine charms and then hand lotion and then, inexplicably, tea towels – which, it turns out, are just fancy dishtowels and seem to carry with them the assumption that the receiver might want to do something in the kitchen. We can tell you that it is possible to be an awesome hostess without ever using a tea towel. (Or setting foot in the kitchen, for that matter, but that’s a different article.) Then there’s the obligatory bottle of wine, which may or may not be appropriate, and, in what smacks as desperation and presumption, some are suggesting personalized doormats. Seriously. Doormats! We get it. You want to give something your hostess will like and something that doesn’t go to waste. 

Here are five great and unusual hostess gift ideas:

1. You know what’s easy and NEVER goes out of style as a hostess gift? Chocolate.

Specifically See’s Chocolate. Because at the same time you are ingratiating yourself with your host or hostess, you can also be raising money for a cause you care about deeply. Bonus points if that’s a cause your hostess cares about, too! And the chocolate is sublime, did we mention that?

See’s Candies has been helping organizations and groups raise money through it’s fundraising programs for decades. By partnering with organizations, providing them with the highest quality, American-made delicious chocolate to sell and the support needed to do so, AND allowing them to keep up to 50% of the profits, See’s has become the perfect vehicle for fundraising for good causes. Click here to find out more about the fundraising program.

Chocolate is never out of season, so it’s possible to stock up at a See’s fundraiser and keep it on hand, or buy one-pound gift certificates so that you can always go to a shop to get fresh, new candy later in the year.

2. Candles

Candles are a great gift because almost everyone uses them and it’s almost impossible to have enough of them. Change things up by giving one of the new scented candles that crackle audibly, or really do your hostess a solid by giving an assortment of tapers she can use over time.

3. Plant in a Cup

One of our favorite hostess gifts is a small plant inside of a mug. Keep it economical by stocking up on attractive mugs on sale, and then just keep a couple of four-inch pots of herbs or flowers on hand to plop in the cup. We like this idea because even if the plant dies, the hostess has a nice mug to use!

For overnight stays or weekend visits, take your hostess something a little more elaborate:

4. Spa Basket

Assemble a basket of sweet-smelling craft soaps, bath salts and lotions for your harried hostess. Throw in an eye pillow, a face mask and paperback book for the ultimate invitation to take a little time for herself. (Add a box of See’s chocolate! Chocolate is always a welcomed addition in any decadent basket.)

5. Gift Certificates

If you are traveling to visit and short on luggage space, do a little research ahead of time and purchase a gift certificate for a specialty coffee, a massage or mani/pedi for your dear hostess at a place nearby.

No matter what you choose to bring and no matter what is trending (Doormats? Seriously?), gifts given with a sincere “thank you for having me” are always welcome and will make your hostess feel appreciated.