Ideas for Affordable Hostess Gifts

Want to give your host (or your simcha hostesses) something they’d appreciate?

Need more hostess gift ideas? See our Gift Guide.

The most popular gift to bring to a hostess over the last few years has been reed room diffusers. I guess everyone figured that they’re an affordable gift, they’re pretty, they smell nice, and at one point they were a new and unique item. However if you’ve been hosting guests over the last few years, especially if you have a guest room and often host other people’s guests for simchas, you may have 20 closed boxes of diffusers and you really, really don’t need another one. 

Hence, you need new ideas of what to bring your hostess. 

Hostess gifts are not only for when you’re eating or sleeping over by someone for Shabbos. In my neighborhood, it’s common for people to prepare 1-3 rooms (often, the basement bedrooms are saved for guests) to host guests when a neighbor makes a simcha. We’re so grateful to those neighbors when we make a simcha and we’re happy to reciprocate when their time comes. 

Still, though, you want to get your hostesses a small gift of appreciation. It’s possible that you took 10 guest rooms. However it’s more likely that you took closer to 20-30 rooms and the expense of those hostess gifts can really add up.

Here is a handy list of ideas that your hostess might appreciate.

Note: 

1. It’s always better to gift food that has a reliable hechsher. Many people have stringencies that you may not keep (i.e. yoshon)
2. If you are buying the book or game in a local store, include a gift receipt so they can exchange it if they already have the one. Many local stores will discount if you are buying “bulk.” 

• Sourdough – see how we used our phomemo label printer to finish the packaging.
• Fruit platter
• Muffins or anything kids like
• Babka
• Guest towels (the nicer disposable napkins for drying your hands), such as these.
• Children’s books
• Game for the kids
• Newly released cookbook 
• Flowers (but please deliver it early in the day or Thursday)
• Havdalah candles. These get used up so your host can’t have too many. This is a beautiful one (currently out of stock). Here’s a similar version that we also like that’s in stock.
• Matches Cloche (This may soon be going the way of the diffuser as frequent hostesses may have been gifted with a number of these. Make sure it’s something your host doesn’t already have).

Thank you Shalva Hoffman for your help.