There are two groups of people during the holidays: the guests and the hosts. If you’re a guest, the last thing you want to do is show up empty-handed. Depending on your holiday traditions, you can do so much better than a bottle of wine. What about a beautiful coffee table book or a bucket of gourmet French salt? When you show up with something from our Hostess gift guide, you’ll guarantee to be invited back next time.
If you’re going to the house of a master chef, you can bring a gift that they’ll be using in their kitchen after the last dishes are done. My favorite gift to give (and receive!) is this huge 3-pound bucket of fancy French Maldon salt. Fancy olive oil is always nice especially when it’s in a pretty painted rainbow jug or in a sleek glass set with balsamic vinegar. A horn serving set makes tossing a salad that much prettier.
You can always mix and match to create the perfect bundle, too. A small touch like personalized playing cards is always nice, but you take it to the next level when you put them in a beautiful gray faux shagreen box. It’s always nice to bring flowers, but it’s even better when you give them in a ginger jar vase or a tortoiseshell vase that will outlast the flowers. And speaking of a gift that lasts, what about this really cute mini magnolia tree or a mini citrus tree?
Monogramming anything is always a great touch, and on linen cocktail napkins I think it’s especially chic. You can always go for linen guest towels, and maybe even a hand soap set to go with! A candy-colored lacquered, scalloped tray with initials makes serving a little more fun.
Shop the rest of our hostess gift guide below:
All of our recommendations are curated by Susan & the In The Groove editorial team. In some, but not all cases, we receive a small commission for leading you to what, how, and where to buy all this wonderful stuff.
