Ask an Editor: What are Some Unique Hostess Gift Ideas?

Dear Editor,

My friend absolutely loves hosting seasonal dinner parties for our friend group and I’m looking for a way to thank her. She’s an avid home-chef and enjoys baking, so she’s eager to share her delicious treats with us. Her parties are always so special – she goes all out with decorating and themed beverages – and they’re something our friends look forward to every season. I really want to do something nice for her in return but I don’t know what to get her!

I think she deserves something more than a typical hostess gift like a bottle of wine or bouquet of flowers, but I’m not a very creative gift-giver. I thought about getting her something for her kitchen but she already has every baking accessory under the sun. She also loves gardening, traveling, and spending time with her two kids. I want to get her something unique that speaks to her personality, but I’m at a loss. What are some thoughtful hostess gift ideas for someone who has everything?

Sincerely,
The Well Fed Friend

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Dear Well Fed Friend,

You enjoy your friend’s seasonal dinner parties, so why not return the favor by showering her with seasonal goodies and accessories to enjoy? Personally, some of the best and most heartfelt gifts I’ve received are the ones that take creativity and a bit of effort to put together. So put on your hunter gatherer hat, it’s time to put together a seasonal gift basket!

Start with a small wicker basket or tray to hold your items, you’ll fill this with all the seasonal items she loves and you can wrap it in cellophane and ribbon after for a special touch. Here are some ideas for gift basket items by season:

• Spring: The season of blooms, rain showers, and pastel colors! Put together a floral arrangement or faux flowers or real seasonal blooms if you can get your hands on them. Put them in a small vase (without water) so she can take them out and water them once she opens the basket. Gift a floral scented candle, my favorite spring scents are lilac, lavender, and peony. Help your friend welcome pollinators to her yard this spring with a bird feeder and small bag of bird seed or hummingbird nectar. A rain chain is another great gift to help her enjoy the season even through spring showers.

• Summer: Summer is all about getting outside and enjoying the season. Fill this basket with a picnic blanket and some outdoor dinnerware so your friend can enjoy picnics in the park with her kids. Add some local jams and spreads she can add to her picnic basket and some fresh in-season fruits like peaches or cherries. Tuck a fruity or fresh-scented candle in the basket so she can enjoy the scents of sumer inside as well. You can also incorporate some cute garden accent decor that she can place in her garden this summer.

• Autumn: The coziest season is perfect for making a gourmet harvest basket. Fill a small kitchen storage jar with local honey or homemade jam, preserves, or apple butter. Place a cozy fall throw in the basket so your friend can stay cozy while sitting around the fire. If she likes tea, you can place a mug, tea infuser, and a bag of gourmet loose leaf tea – perfect for enjoying on a chilly autumn night. Fill the empty space with some freshly picked apples, figs, maple candies, and other fall delicacies, and don’t forget a harvest scented candle.

• Winter: This basket should provide comfort and warmth for your friend over the long winter months. Start with a plush knitted or heated throw blanket and a pair of fuzzy socks. For this season, pair a mug with some gourmet hot cocoa or holiday-flavored coffee. Add a set of holiday string lights to the basket so she can add some winter ambience to her home. Since your friend loves to bake, give her a hand by putting a dry cookie mix in a mason jar and including some fun cookie cutters for a family-friendly activity..