If you’ve been invited to a party or dinner this holiday season, you will definitely want to say “thank you” by bringing a host/hostess gift.

A host/hostess gift doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive. It’s simply a way to show your appreciation to someone who was thoughtful enough to include you in their holiday plans.

It’s certainly easy to pick up a bottle of wine or flowers on the way to your event — and when pressed for time, I’ve done this very thing. But wouldn’t it be nice to have something more personal to give?  Try the quick idea below. It’s sure to give a warm welcome to your next party arrival.

Cute And Quick Host/Hostess Gift Idea

You’ll need 3 things:

1- edible item such as a bag of coffee or tea, homemade banana bread or cookies, a bag of gourmet chocolates, a bottle of gourmet olive oil, a jar of gourmet jam or preserves, etc;

1- beautiful kitchen or tea towel — either holiday-themed or to match your host/hostess’ decor;

1- small item that matches the edible, such as a coffee scoop, wooden spoon, mug, tea infuser, pretty serving spoon, pretty butter knife, etc;

-Ribbon to match your towel.

How To: Wrap edible (such as a bag of coffee) in towel by setting edible in the center of the towel and drawing up the sides to make a sort of pouch. Tie ribbon around towel to hold ends together. Fluff ends out so that they look open. Tie ribbon around coffee scoop, etc, then tie a large bow around top of towel. Add additional ribbon to finish, if desired.

Tips:

-This is a great make ahead gift.  You can pre-purchase bags of coffee or tea, towels, ribbon, etc and have on hand for a quick gift for a last minute invitation.

-If using homemade items like banana bread or cookies, first put them in a cellophane bag for storage and to preserve freshness.

-You can personalize it! The best thing about this gift is that it can be personalized any way you want. Almost anything — from a bag of coffee to a loaf of crusty french bread —can be the center of your gift

-You can add extras to this gift as you like, such as a beautiful canister to hold the coffee, tea, or chocolates. Or instead of the coffee scoop, tie on a set of measuring scoops, or a beautiful wooden spoon. You could put a bag of coffee inside a mug and wrap with a kitchen towel. You could even include a gift card to your host/hostess’ favorite coffee house or tea shop, too.

-Get creative!  Make your own stamped tea towels for an extra-extra personal touch!  Find a great tutorial at Centsational Girl.

Don’t let holiday invitations catch you off guard.  With this easy host/hostess gift idea, you’ll always be ready to party!