The 40 Best Host Gifts for Guests Who Never Show up Empty-Handed

Ditch the wine bottle and take one of these instead.

Text by Jennifer Zyman

Showing up at someone’s house empty-handed isn’t necessarily bad manners, but we're big fans of gifting for any occasion and love to show appreciation to hosts. A small gift is a thank you for the hospitality and an opportunity to shower friends with smaller items outside of ordinary gifting occasions such as birthdays and holiday gifting. Sure, you could show up with a bottle of wine — and there are so many great wine gifts out there — however, we’re here to recommend things you might not consider. Some of the most used and memorable gifts are clever items your host might not have thought to buy for themselves.

We polled our food- and entertaining-obsessed colleagues for their recommendations to ensure we suggest the best gifts for the party host who knows how to entertain. There are items for all budgets, from under $10 finds to more splurge-worthy items if you are shopping for a close person in your life you want to spend more on. Whatever the case, you’re bound to find your next party host gift and maybe something to add to your wishlist.

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