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Holiday season is officially here, which means your schedule is likely filling up fast. While your first thought might revolve around what to wear to all your festive fêtes, hosting gift etiquette should be top of mind, too. After all, you don’t want to show up empty handed. Instead of bringing a generic bottle of wine and calling it a day, though, put a little extra effort into your gift-giving to show your host just how appreciative you are of their efforts to bring everyone together. And remember: a memorable host gift doesn’t haven’t to cost beaucoup bucks. Ahead, find 10 last-minute gift ideas under $50 that any host would love to receive.
11 last-minute gift ideas your holiday party host will love
1. A Set (or Two) of Cocktail Ice Cube Molds
W&P Peak Silicone Everyday Ice Tray w/ Protective Lid — $15.00
W&P Peak Silicone Sphere Ice Mold w/ Cover — $17.00
W&P Petal Ice Tray, Perfect Etched Sphere — $25.00
If your host loves to work magic behind the bar, you can’t go wrong with a set (or two) of high-end craft cocktail ice cube molds. The W&P Peak Silicone Everyday Ice Tray w/ Protective Lid ($15) is a popular option among Amazon shoppers, as is the W&P Peak Silicone Sphere Ice Mold w/ Cover ($17). For even fancier cubes, try the new W&P Petal Ice Tray, Perfect Etched Sphere ($25).
2. The Most Stylish Tea Ever
Irreverant Tea Sampler Volume One: A New Hope — $15.00
Irreverent Tea: Awoke — $15.00
Irreverent Tea: Mint 2.0 — $15.00
Sure, there are many pretty tea tins and sachets out there, but none compare to the work of art that Irreverent Tea is. Sold in a beautifully-boxed Tea Sampler ($30) as well as in individual-flavor colorful Tins ($15), this tea brand is so aesthetically-pleasing that it may just inspire your host to transition their bar cart to a tea cart—heck, I bought a whole ‘nother bar cart for the exact reason! (Psst: the Mint 2.0 and Awoke are my personal faves!)
3. A Well-Designed Bamboo Charcuterie Board
Royal Craft Wood Unique Bamboo Cheese Board — $44.00
Whether your host likes to create charcuterie boards, dessert boards, or butter boards, a high-quality bamboo board is a great gift idea. The Royal Craft Wood Unique Bamboo Cheese Board ($35) is beloved by Amazon shoppers for its spacious design, concave areas (which are perfect for holding nuts, seeds, and smaller items), dip bowls, and hidden serving tool compartment.
4. A Decorative Candle
L’or de Seraphine Billie Candle — $36.00
L’or de Seraphine Tarantella — $36.00
Candles are a classic host gift idea. Instead of picking up a generic candle from your local drugstore, though, go all out with one that doubles as decor. When style is the goal, no candle brand compares to L’or de Seraphine, with its artfully decorated porcelain canisters complete with coordinating lids. Our faves? The warm and cozy Billie Candle ($36), with its gorgeous marbled packaging, and the Tarantella Candle ($36), which is festive and woody, making it perfect for the holidays.
5. A Chic Match Cloche
Skeem Design Helix Fireplace Glass Match Cloche — $38.00
While on the topic of candles, match cloches—delicate glass vessels filled with long, candle-friendly matches—are a sure-to-please host gift. I, for one, have received two and have them proudly displayed on my bar cart and fireplace mantle. The Skeem Design Glass Fireplace Match Cloche Bottle ($38) set the trend and is sold in four colors.
6. A Candle Trimmer Set
Dangshan 3-in-1 Candle Accessory Set — $18.00
Still sticking to the candle theme, a chic candle trimmer is never a bad idea. After all, candle wicks should be kept trimmed to a quarter of an inch and trying to do so with scissors can often gouge the wax. With that in mind, the DANGSHAN 3 in 1 Candle Accessory Set ($18), which is sold in seven colors and comes with a trimmer, snuffer, and wick dipper, is a no-brainer host gift.
7. The Oven Mitt of All Oven Mitts
Ove Glove Hot Surface Handler Oven Mitt — $16.00
To help keep your hosts’ hands and wrists free of burns this holiday baking season, give the gift of The Ove Glove, a fan-favorite oven mitt that is heat-resistant up to 540 degrees. Unlike traditional oven mitts, The Ove Glove ($16) wears like a glove, so it offers much better grip while placing and removing pans in and out of the oven.
8. A Handheld Milk Frother
Zulay Original Milk Frother Handheld Foam Maker — $13.00
Give your host the gift of delectably frothy beverages with a handheld milk frother immersion blender, like the best-selling Zulay Original Milk Frother ($11). The lightweight, battery-operated device comes with a stand and works wonders to create foamy lattes at home. Truly, I have one and use it every morning to whip up cafe-quality iced matcha or coffee lattes.
9. A Set of High-End Hot Sauces
Truff Original Black Truffle Hot Sauce — $27.00
For the host that loves to cook—especially with a touch of spice and zest—look no further than the TRUFF Original Black Truffle Hot Sauce 2-Pack Bundle ($27), which is beloved by over 25,000 Amazon shoppers. In addition to a stellar flavor profile, the bottles are cute as can be, they’ll be happy to display them on their counter while hosting get-togethers and meals.
10. Delicious Chocolates Everyone Will Love
See's, Holiday Joy Box — $30.00
I love gifting hosts some chocolates, because after a long day (and likely night before) of preparing food, your host can open up a box of chocolates and just enjoy some sweets. See’s has the most delicious fillings and flavors (that butterscotch square!), and this assortment comes in cute holiday packaging, too. And if your host is in the sharing mood, they can set it out for other guests to enjoy with the other desserts. It’s win-win all around.
11. A HomeGoods (Home Sense or T.J. Maxx) Gift Card
JP Glassware 4-pack of Luster Finish Coupe Glasses — $25.00
Spark Plug Publishing 7-piece Charcuterie Board Gift Set — $25.00
Cupcakes & Cashmere 50x60 Knit Leopard Patterned Throw — $25.00
While some people will say that gift cards are the laziest gift around, when it comes to wowing hosts, few things elicit as much gratitude as a HomeGoods gift card. The reason? The homeware store has everything under the sun a host could hope for, including dinnerware, drinkware, platters, seasonal table decor, decorative throw pillows, and more—all for hard-to-beat prices.
That said, if you don’t want to solely slip your host an envelope with a $50 gift card inside, you could cut the card to $25 and pair it with a stunning set of coupe glasses (I personally own the JP Glassware 4-pack of Luster Finish Coupe Glasses, $25, and have received endless compliments on them), a high-end charcuterie board (like the Spark Plug Publishing 7-piece Charcuterie Board Gift Set, $25), or the ultimate Barefoot Dreams blanket dupe (seriously, the Cupcakes & Cashmere 50×60 Knit Leopard Patterned Throw, $25, is so good that I own three, as well as baby-sized versions for my pup, Cash. It’s my favorite blanket ever and I bet your host would agree).
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