on being a party guest

It’s official, The holiday party season has begun and I’m going to two holiday parties this week. When invited to a party, I always like to show my appreciation to the party host for all the effort put in to having a party. I do this in 3 ways: 1) Be on time to the party. There is nothing worse than being a party host and a half hour into your start time and only 1-2 people (out of 30) are there. I’ve been there and talk about major anxiety! So I always get there on time and offer my help with any last minute preparations. 2) Bring a host / hostess gift (more on that to follow). 3) Send a thank you note the next day.

At a recent casual gathering, the topic came up of hostess gifts and the consensus among this group was that these token gifts were an old fashioned and wasteful tradition, best left for Mom. Really? I turned to the group and asked them when the last time was that any of them hosted a party themselves. As I suspected, the answer was never or that they could not recall when the last time was. Anyone who has hosted a party themselves, knows how much planning, energy, effort and expense goes into the shindig. The giving of a hostess gift is an acknowledgement of that.

Here are some of my favorite go-to gifts for the party host or hostess:

1) A plant, artfully wrapped. I like to keep these birch bark tubes on hand for small plants. I got these from etsy seller SmallStump. Plants are better to bring than a bouquet of flowers since they won’t require your host to fuss with finding a vase. Here I used our faux bois gift tag to finish off the wrapping.

2) A beautiful tea towel. Most people will not splurge on one for themselves, so it makes for a much appreciated gift. I like to collect vintage ones throughout the year at flea markets and such and have them on hand for gifts when needed. So many crafters are making beautiful and unique ones right now. I particularly like this one with appliqued lollipop flowers by etsy seller annajoyce.

3) Something Yummy. A delicious treat is always a go-to gift as long as it is something that doesn’t need to be eaten right away. On a recent trip to my local farmer’s market, I picked up some jars of locally produced honey and these preserved kumquats. A little scrap of fabric and a ribbon makes it look extra special!

4) Something Personal. If you know the host / hostess well, I like to bring something for them that I know they collect or have a personal interest in. For the crafter, a spool of beautiful ribbon or a few fat-quarters of some great fabrics. For the cook, a special ingredient or a vintage cookbook. For the kitsch-lover, a funny, wacky thrift store find. 

5) Coasters. Instead of just picking up a bottle of wine on the way over to the party. Why not pair it with some cute coasters and make a great gift out of it? Coasters are readily available in all sorts of materials from wood, fabric, plastic and paper. You can definitely find something that works for your party host!  

My final tip: Always include a gift tag or card with your gift. Most of the time the party host is so busy when people arrive they easily loose track of who has brought what. I cannot tell you how many morning-afters I’ve spent trying to remember who brought that beautiful gift basket or the nice bottle of wine. In the aftermath of a great party, you definitely want to acknowledge the beautiful and thoughtful gifts you receive!

-Susie