Bringing a hostess gift is a thoughtful and customary gesture to express appreciation and gratitude to someone who invited you into their home. It’s considered good manners to bring a little something and a polite way to acknowledge the host’s efforts.
Hostess gifts can range from small, inexpensive tokens of appreciation to more elaborate and personalized items, depending on the occasion and your relationship with the host. The key is to choose something considerate and thoughtful to convey your gratitude for the host’s kindness and hospitality. These suggestions for inexpensive holiday gifts are perfect when you can’t go empty-handed but don’t want to bring yet another bottle of wine.
Inexpensive Holiday Gifts (Clever Ideas That Won’t Break the Bank)
Inexpensive holiday gifts for a hostess (or white elephant gift exchange) can be both thoughtful and fun without breaking the bank. Keep in mind the key to a successful gift is the thought and effort you put into selecting something meaningful. Here are ideas to consider that are both clever and affordable.
Scented Candles: A nice, scented candle can make a lovely and affordable gift.
Flowers or a Potted Plant: A small bouquet of fresh flowers or a potted plant can brighten up a hostess’s home.
Homemade Treats: Baking cookies or making homemade jams is a personal and cost-effective gift.
Wine or Champagne Stopper: A stylish bottle stopper can be both useful and decorative.
Tea or Coffee: A nice box of tea or coffee is a thoughtful and practical gift for many hosts.
Dish Towels: Decorative dish towels or kitchen linens can be a nice addition to a host’s kitchen.
Gourmet Chocolate: A quality chocolate bar or a box of chocolates can be a sweet gesture.
Serving Platter or Tray: Look for affordable but stylish serving platters or trays.
Coasters: Fun and creative coasters can add a touch of personality to a host’s coffee table.
Handmade Soaps: A bar of artisan soap can make for a charming gift.
Funny Mug: Look for a quirky or humorous coffee mug.
Desk Toys or Stress Relievers: Fidget spinners, stress balls, or mini desktop games can be entertaining.
Indoor Plants: Small succulents or cacti are easy to care for and add a touch of green to any space.
Board Games or Card Games: Look for small, affordable games that can provide hours of fun.
Looking for Specific Budget-Friendly Gift Ideas?
Here are some affordable holiday presents we found that are sure to be a big hit! Our readers provided these ideas for inexpensive holiday gifts.
Cherry Wood Utensils with a Smile
SOLID CHERRY WOOD! Set of five multi-functional Spurtles – Kitchen utensils for all true cooking lovers! Lovely face cut-outs are professionally designed and perfect for so many different purposes like stirring, mixing, scooping, or tossing salads! Leave your cookware and dishes scratch-free! Comes wrapped in craft paper, ready for gifting!
Wordle The Party Game (Board Game)
Know people who love to play WORDLE on their phones? Now they can play in real life with friends! Inspired by the popular digital version, Wordle: The Party Game features the same gameplay fans love, but players compete in real life to solve the Wordle. Swap solo play for social!
Heart-Shaped Acacia Serving Cutting Board
This cutting board, made from rich-grained dark acacia wood, is loaded with rustic charm and elegance. No dyes or stains are used; these boards are seasoned with all-natural olive oil. So pretty! Size is approximately 10.5 x 11 x 5/8 inches.
Giusto Sapore Pasta Gift Set – Imported from Italy
Perfect for the 50Plus foodie, this gift set is a must-have for every household! Gift these classic Italian egg pasta for the hostess with the mostess so they can experience an authentic taste of Italy. Giusto Sapore’s premium assortment of egg pasta is imported from the beloved Piedmont region, where the pappardelle, tagliolino, and tagliatelle are made using 100% Italian durum wheat semolina and local farm-fresh eggs. Each beautifully finished nest or ribbon is dye-free and carefully packaged by the hands of local Italian artisans.
Mud Pie Terracotta Bread Warming Set, Brown, 8 1/2″ x 12 1/2″
This pretty two-piece set consists of a water hyacinth basket and engraved terracotta stone. Great way to serve warm bread as the stone holds heat very well!
Yamslam Family Game
Here’s another fun game people love. Yamslam is a fun family dice game of chance and strategy for 1- 4 players. It’s similar to Yahtzee, but more fun because it has chips – you roll the dice up to 3 times, then grab the chip that best matches your combination. Self-contained in a metal tin, we love to bring this game with us to the beach or any family vacation for hours of fun. (Love to play at home too!)
Retro Vinyl Record Coasters with Vinyl Record Player Holder -Set of 6
Adorn your coffee table with these stylish retro vinyl record coasters. Perfect for music lovers or to add to retro decor! These coasters make great conversation starters in addition to protecting your furniture surfaces!
DIY Holiday Gifts on a Budget
There are lots of resources online if you want to make DIY holiday gifts on a budget. The lucky recipient is sure to appreciate the effort put into making the gift for them! Try searching for instructions and ideas on these sites:
Pinterest is a great resource for discovering DIY gift ideas. You can search for specific gift categories and find a wealth of creative and crafty projects.
Etsy
Etsy, known as a great source of inspiration, is also frequently visited for the handmade and unique gifts you can purchase online. Many sellers share DIY project ideas, patterns, and tutorials in their shop blogs or on social media.
YouTube
YouTube has countless DIY channels that offer step-by-step tutorials on making various Christmas gifts, from handmade cards to decorations and more.
Instructables
Instructables is a website dedicated to DIY projects and offers a dedicated section for holiday and Christmas-related projects.
Martha Stewart’s Website
Martha Stewart is known for her craft and holiday expertise. Her website features a wide range of Christmas DIY projects and ideas.
AllFreeChristmasCrafts
This website specializes in Christmas-themed craft projects and has a vast collection of DIY gift ideas.
Country Living
Country Living often shares holiday DIY ideas and crafts on their website.
In addition to these types of sites, many craft bloggers share detailed tutorials for making homemade gifts for the holidays You can find these blogs through search engines or social media.
The Bottom Line
It’s considered bad manners to show up empty handed at someone’s house. A small gift goes a long way to show your host you appreciate them. Have other inexpensive gift ideas? Please add your thoughts in the comment section below.
Check out our other curated gift guides on 50PlusToday!
Leslie Farin is the Publisher and Founder of 50PlusToday. She is an experienced communications and marketing professional passionate about working with older adults and their families. She works with a team of writers to provide essential and cutting-edge information related to the 50Plus community.
