Hostess Gift Ideas
From baked goods to picture frames!
Are you traveling a lot this summer? Staying at a friend’s summer house? Or maybe you have several cocktail parties on your calendar? No matter what your calendar looks like this summer, I suspect that we all might be in the market for a few hostess gifts.
While some might say that ‘your presence is present enough,’ I do always like to try to bring a little something or send something thoughtful afterwards. Below you will find a range of hostess gift ideas! Let me know if you have a go-to gift or another idea we should add to this list.
xo Nan
SUMMER HOSTESS GIFT IDEAS
PAPERGOODS:
I love this chic and cheeky set of four notepads (promo: NAN15).
And what's more, I love how these Dear Annabelle products come packaged in beautiful teal linen-wrapped boxes, allowing the gift to be ready to give as is (no wrapping required!)
Or perhaps you want to gift a set of personalized notepads featuring the family’s last name or the name of their summer home.
CURATED BEAUTY PRODUCTS:
If I know a friend loves beauty products as much as I do, I love to give them an assortment of products to try!
I might include:
my favorite ‘lazy-girl’ in-shower body moisturizer (promo: NAN20)
maybe a luxurious eye cream that is amazing but can be hard to justify splurging on…! (aka a great gift!)
or maybe a chic and easy-to-wear face SPF (this is my mom’s favorite daily SPF!)
I might also add in a natural bug spray or insect repellent (because we know this type of product is key during these buggy summer months).
I would probably put all of this inside a cute little pouch (promo: NAN15) or cosmetic bag.
FRAMED PHOTOGRAPHS
I don’t think you can ever go wrong with giving someone a great framed photo - these days, it seems so hard to make time (or take the effort) to print out photos, so receiving a great photo can be oh-so thoughtful!
Bonus points for the fact that gifting a framed photo also takes some additional time and planning!
I recently had a range of family photos printed via MPix and found the process quick and seamless! I just uploaded a range of photos, selected the size I wanted, placed the order and a few days later, the printed photos arrived in the mail.
For frames:
I own and love this patterned frame
or maybe you would prefer this more simple burlwood style
another frame I own and love is this bamboo frame
If you want to skip the step of printing out your own photos, maybe turn to Framebridge where you can buy one of their tabletop frames that will ship with the photo you upload.
A VASE OR PITCHER
I think a lovely ceramic vase would be appreciated by most hostesses!
This could be a nice route if you do not know your hostess all that well and therefore can’t gift an item more suited to his or her personality.
You could go all out with a lovely (and splurge-worthy) Frances Palmer vase!
One day, I would LOVE to have a little collection of her beautiful ceramics!
Or a more wallet-friendly (but still beautiful) option is this green pitcher.
SOMETHING SWEET OR SAVORY
Any sort of food is always sure to please more or less anyone!
You can always buy wine or some food locally but another option would be to order these frozen food products in advance to have them arrive at the start or end of your stay.
In our family, we love to ship frozen croissants from Williams-Sonoma.
*Note, I recently tried the frozen croissants from Ballerina Farm, and while they were delicious, my whole family agreed we like the classic Williams Sonoma ones a touch more!
We also love these delicious cheese puffs from Bougie Gougies that come frozen and are cooked in less than 30 mins (promo: NAN20)
COCKTAIL NAPKINS
If you are visiting someone and only traveling with a carry-on suitcase, something small like cocktail napkins works well because it won’t take up loads of room in your luggage.
Personalized cocktail napkins from House of Gleason are one of my go-to gifts. The embroidered monogram adds a nice, thoughtful touch!
Or maybe you have a pal who loves Margaritas, so you gift them this cheeky cocktail napkin set?! (My mom just gave these to a friend last week!)
I personally have my eye on this cute sailboat set! (They feel very appropriate for Maine!)
Or maybe this napkin set for any dog lovers!
A GAME OR ACTIVITY
If you're visiting a household with kids, it can be fun to bring a family-friendly activity that everyone can enjoy.
In our house, we love the wooden jigsaw puzzles from Liberty Puzzles. If you have not tried these before, I highly suggest them; they are tricky but fun thanks to the uniquely cut wood puzzle pieces.
‘The Beach Board’ is such a fun summer gift for anyone who loves backgammon, chess or checkers.
We have the backgammon version and just used it the other day at the beach!
This crown kit could be a fun little something to bring along if your hostess has little kids.
A COZY BLANKET
I know a blanket could seem like an odd gift during the summer months, but who doesn’t need an extra throw blanket to cozy up with on a breezy summer night?!
This option feels similar to a ceramic vase or pitcher — a nice option when you can not think of something more personal (ie, what you gift your best friend’s mother-in-law, whom you have never met before…)
If the family you are visiting has kids or dogs, I would lean towards a Chappy Wrap blanket because these cozy blankets can be easily washed at home in the washer/dryer!
If you're looking for something that feels a bit fancier or more elevated, I also love these Lands Downunder throw blankets. They come in countless solid colors and are oh-so-soft!
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