Everyone knows, that when you’ve been invited to someone’s house, there’s an unspoken rule to always get a gift for the hostess. Frankly, right now hostesses should be praised and acknowledged for organizing a get-together after months of social isolation and the inability to meet our friends and family in person. They are our saviors! Yes, we know that these last two years have been all about virtual gatherings, but outdoor gatherings in small numbers are rising — keeping in mind and maintaining the proper safety protocols of course. So here we are, back with a kickass list of last-minute hostess gift ideas for you.
Have you already thought about what you are going to present the hostess next time you attend a house party? If not, don’t worry — take a look at our carefully curated list. The following gifts have the potential to be memorable keepsakes and are an ideal way to show the hostess that you appreciate her efforts in planning a gathering amidst the global pandemic.
With a little guidance from us, you could easily pick a practical and functional gift item she can use in her daily life. There are fun and entertaining gifts too, in case she is someone who is pleasantly surprised with offbeat gifts. So, follow proper guest etiquette and read on to get an idea about some of the gifts that can be presented to her to show that you really appreciate her efforts.
Best inexpensive hostess gift ideas
Table of Contents
Today we have focused on budget-friendly hostess gift ideas so that you don’t burn a hole in your pocket simply to attend a party. Cute aromatherapy candles, kitchen tools, bath and body products, and home décor pieces might be considered some of the best hostess gifts.
You can always make a grand entry with a big assorted gift basket to pamper your hostess because she deserves a lot of love and appreciation. We don’t want to reveal too much already. Walk with us till the end and you will definitely have a winner! Let’s jump right into these last-minute hostess gift ideas list, what say?
1. Electric wine opener
This is quite the gizmo for any gadget-loving wine drinker especially if you are looking for luxury hostess gifts. Pay attention when you are aiming the screw, and watch this electric wine opener uncork the wine bottle in under seven seconds!
This necessary kitchen gadget which comes with 4AA batteries includes an automatic rechargeable corkscrew, a foil cutter, a wine pourer and a vacuum wine stopper. Once fully charged, it has the ability to open up to 80 bottles. If your hostess is passionate about cool gadgets as well as fine wine, she is going to love this!
This stylish electric wine opener might take you down the rabbit hole of hedonism with endless glasses of smooth and sweet wine.
2. Picnic and outdoor blanket
If your hostess has pets or a teething baby who loves to drool, then gift her this blanket. The waterproof material on the back will catch all the fluid! Although this is thin, there is enough cushion which ensures that you don’t feel uncomfortable.
Perfect for the park and beach, this picnic mat has a handy strap that makes it super easy to carry over your shoulders. Even if you are tall, you will be able to curl up here and enjoy a good nap! On a related note, this summer blue and white striped blanket will make the perfect gift for beach lovers too.
This picnic blanket can easily get rid of dirt like wet grass and beach sand; it’s the perfect gift for the outdoorsy sophisticated hostess.
3. Original bamboo tumbler with tea infuser and strainer
Get this original bamboo tumbler with a tea infuser and strainer consisting of modern vacuum technology as a Christmas hostess gift this holiday season. This gift is equipped to keep beverages like coffee and tea piping hot for 12 hours straight or iced cold for a whole day, depending on your drink.
This product holds a good amount of tea and is perfect for anyone who isn’t that much of a coffeeholic. It certainly keeps the beverage warm – just make tea the night before, seal it, and get hot steaming tea to drink in the morning.
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And don’t worry about burning your hands; you can hardly feel the heat when you hold the thermos. It’s very convenient.
4. Cheeseboard and knife set
Is it true that you have married a foodie partner and you are totally enjoying her passion for cooking? There is no doubt that people who love to cook are always enthusiastic about inviting guests over dinner and treating them to delicious meals. In short, they are amazing hostesses. If it is an important occasion and you want to make your very own homely hostess feel special, gift her this wooden cheese board and knife set.
Best for any home party lover, this gift allows you to cut various types of cheese with its super set of knives. Also, this product will make it easier for her to place all the cheese and other appetizers in one place when she is laying out the snacks for the party. Cleaning it is super easy as the board comes out fully when you are washing it. So no crumbs!
The knives are made from stainless-steel and their bamboo handles ensures that you have an easy grip and can cut comfortably.
5. Teabags sampler
So, I hear the old lady in your building invited you to her fun game night followed by dinner, and you completely forgot about it until now. And this is where our last-minute hostess gift ideas comes to your rescue. If the hostess is a tea connoisseur, definitely gift her this herbal and green tea bags sampler.
This teabag collection comes with 6 packs of teas like chamomile, white hibiscus, turmeric, ginseng and more. They go perfectly well with breakfast, kitty parties, and evening snacks. With this gift, your hostess will have a refreshing variety to choose from…she can sip on the flavor of passionflower one morning and the cranberry and lime the next.
Tease any chai maniac you know with this inexpensive hostess gift. You know, you could consider getting a teapot for her to complement your present. What a super Christmas hostess gift for the holiday season
6. Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails With A Literary Twist
One of the best hostess gifts, this book is ideal for anyone who loves simple, complex, sweet, tart, or bitter cocktail recipes with a dash of literary puns. Tequila Mockingbird presents you with sixty-five mouthwatering drink recipes with a humorous take on history’s best novels.
This book will blend in perfectly at a party or a drinking game. The drinks have such delightful names, such as Romeo and Julep, A Rum of One’s Own, Love in the Time of Kahlua, and The Last of the Mojitos are sure to tickle your funny bone.
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The recommended games at the end are quite funny and entertaining and the illustrations just enhance this book’s appeal all the more.
7. Ecstasy soap bars gift set
If you know your hostess practices self-love and loves to pampers herself at a soothing spa or take long bubble baths, we have the perfect hostess gift idea for her. Gift her this soap set which comes with nine kinds of scented soaps.
These cute and small soaps have a beautiful aroma and are very soft and silky on the skin. They are free of toxic ingredients like parabens and ethyl alcohol, and absolutely safe for all skin types. They froth easily and don’t leave your hands dry at all. Of their many benefits, exfoliating and hydrating, removing dark spots and preventing acne, are all worth mentioning.
Since these are small, they would be an ideal companion for traveling as well! Use them in your bubble bath to feel like a queen.
8. Scented candles
Are you attending a colleague’s housewarming party tonight? That sounds pretty good, and with a little asking around, you’ve found out that the hostess is into yoga and aromatherapy. If you are looking for last-minute hostess gift ideas based on this much information, fragrant candles may go a long way.
These scented candles which are a combination of 7% essential oil and 93% soy wax, are best suited for yogis and meditators. This candle gift set of four fragrances like lavender, lemon and Mediterranean fig, makes you relax instantly. Each of them will last up to 25-30 hours. The fun part is once the wax is burnt, your hostess can use these beautiful containers as decorative storage pieces.
And don’t worry about black smoke and harm to the environment. Show off your good taste in gifts with this one!
9. Funny coasters for drinks
If your hostess digs music and makes super cocktails, then how about this set of 12, fun, quirky coasters that resemble a vinyl record? These super cute yet inexpensive hostess gifts will appeal to the inherent musician in her. The coasters would be perfect for parties, especially 80s themed ones
A nonslip rubber grip at the bottom helps these coasters sit tight on the table surface and ensures that your precious furniture is protected from damage due to the hot and cold drinks.
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If you are a sucker for nostalgia, then definitely opt for this one. This will remind everyone of those days gone by and all the partying you perhaps did in college.
10. Stemless wine glasses
We can’t imagine a party without wine, can we? And that is exactly why wine glasses are the best hostess gifts of all time. Get these functional wine glasses for parties, the dinner table, or just the couch!
Impress your hostess with these stemless wine glasses which look both elegant and sophisticated. They fit your hand perfectly and washing them is hassle-free! Being both durable and versatile, these wine glasses can hold up to 15 ounces of wine or any other beverage of your choice.
Enjoy wine in these glasses with your guests and friends or simply all by yourself on a quiet night when you are trying to find some me-time. These are elegant and really different.
11. Guacamole and salsa serving dish sets
Does Mrs. Smith, your next-door neighbor, always takes good care of you, especially since you are all alone in the city, away from home? And, she never forgets to save you some of her famous guacamole whenever she prepares it? Well, isn’t she a peach!
Now, if you are looking for a meaningful Christmas hostess gift to surprise her with, this guacamole and salsa serving dish set would do the job beautifully. This product comes with a ‘Holy guacamole’ stamped silver-plated spoon which is 6” long. You can make a 4 avocado guacamole and fill the bowl, leaving enough space so that you can still read the cute quote! This gift will definitely fetch you a lot of affection from your lovely neighbor.
Tip: While most of Mud Pie’s ceramic pieces are dishwasher friendly, handwashing with lite soap and warm water is encouraged especially if it contains metal.
12. Turkish hand towels
When you have no time at all to go shopping and you urgently need a present for the upcoming family get-together, we have a quick last-minute hostess gift idea to save your face. If a person hosts frequent dinners for family and friends, they will always run short of good-quality kitchen towels.
As she opens your gift box and unwraps the exotic Turkish hand towels, it will make her day! Crafted from 100% organic cotton from Anatolian yarn, these towels are super soft, lightweight and highly absorbent. They come already pre-washed and with each wash, you will find them softer.
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These towels are not necessarily just kitchen tools. Feel free to use them as hand or bath towels, carry them while you are traveling, or bring them to the gym! Use it however and wherever it seems fit to you!
13. Ceramic cupcake stand
My friend Anne has mastered the art of baking like a pro. It is her passion, her most favorite thing to do with boyfriend at home. Together they make quite a team, I must say. To thank Anne dearly for all the mouth-watering cupcakes and brownies, I decided to get her a delightful Christmas hostess gift.
And here it is – a quirky cake serving tray. But it’s not like our regular wooden trays. A cute bunny is lying on his back, holding up the beautiful white ceramic tray. Can you think of a more unique design? The tray has a glossy finish and it’s big enough to hold an anniversary cake or up to 4-5 muffins.
Bring this cute and funny tray out at a family party and the kids will adore Mr. Rabbit even more than the yummy cupcakes.
14. Lavender scented candle
I am sure you will be able to relate…whenever you visit your grandparents, don’t they just spoil you with so never ending delicacies and yummy food? And sometimes you wonder, “Why can’t they just live next door? Imagine if I could come over to their place every day!”
You can tell your grandparents these exact same words with this beautiful jar candle. It’s a 9-ounce soy wax candle that will fill their house with the smell of lavender during their mediation and yoga sessions. You can expect this candle to last for at least 50 good hours. Guaranteed they’ll think of you whenever they light it.
The candle has a therapeutic quality to ensure deep sleep and provide relief from anxiety and stress.
15. Gratitude gift basket
Although we do suggest planning your gifts ahead of time so that you get to put enough thought into finding the right one, but just in case things didn’t work out the way you wanted, we will wrap up our list with one of the most perfect last-minute hostess gift ideas for you.
A basket full of appreciative small presents to show your utmost gratitude for the hostess will win her heart in an instance. It contains an eco-friendly soy candle with the smell of eucalyptus extract, a pretty beverage tumbler with a straw, and a natural almond scrub soap. And the cherry on top, a pretty yellow thank you card!
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This gorgeous gift basket will fulfill your search for luxury hostess gifts. So, go ahead, make her feel like the best freaking hostess in the whole world!
Buying Guide
You need to show gratitude to your hostess irrespective of who she is. Hosting a party or a get-together takes a lot of effort, after all, and someone’s hard work to entertain or host shouldn’t be taken for granted. So, here’s a little gift-giving guide to help you out:
If the hostess is someone close to you personally – say your sister, friend or co-worker, then it is safe to assume that you already know about their likes and dislikes quite well. If she is a boss or a new neighbor, then forget subtlety and ask them directly what would make their day. Keep in mind that the size of the gift is the least important factor here; what is important is if the gift can make the life of the hostess convenient and/or make her happy and brighten her day.
Pay attention to what kind of party it is. Is it a dinner party, a housewarming, or a holiday get-together? Say, for example, you are invited to a dinner party and you know the hostess loves to serve wine and food and is a sucker for beverages. Then you should select gifts that would align with her likes – in this case, go for the stemless wine glasses, funny cocktail book, or electric wine opener. In case it’s a holiday gift – say you are meeting for Christmas celebrations during the day in a park or garden, then gift her the outdoorsy blanket. In other words, put a little though into it and make the gift count!
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