The 5 Best Host / Hostess Gifts for Thanksgiving

Posted by Gwen Watson on Nov 13, 2015

Are you invited to someone’s home for Thanksgiving? If so, the right thing to do is to bring a gift. The problem is, it can be hard to find one that is simply perfect! Here are some of our favorite ideas:

Food for the Meal

If you want to bring something to contribute to the meal, you should ask what to bring as you accept the invitation. Savvy hosts and hostesses understand that people may ask, and if they want help with parts of the meal, they won’t hesitate to tell their guests what they can bring. Feel free to set some boundaries, otherwise you may end up bringing a dish that is too complicated for you to make. For instance, if you want to bring a dessert, ask, “Is there a particular dessert you’d like me to bring?” If there is, you’ll be given suggestions based on what is needed.

Bottle of Wine

A bottle of wine is always a classic hostess gift. The nice thing about wine is that there’s no pressure to put it out for the meal or for dessert. If he or she chooses to open it and serve it at dinner, that’s perfectly acceptable. However, it can also be stored to drink it later. If you want to go the extra step, bring a bottle that will go with the Thanksgiving meal, just in case it’s served with dinner. Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Gewürztraminer wines are all classic choices for the Thanksgiving meal.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Do they love to bake? If so, they’ll love this homemade vanilla extract! Sterilize a small jar by running it through a cycle in the dishwasher. Let it dry thoroughly and then add a vanilla bean. Fill the jar with vodka and seal it. If you do this a few weeks before Thanksgiving, it can be used for Christmas baking! Once the vanilla extract is used up, tell them that they can add the vanilla bean to a sack of granulated sugar to give the sugar a delicious, vanilla flavor.

Box of Chocolates

The nice thing about giving your hosts a box of chocolates is that they don’t need to serve it for dessert if they don’t want to. It can always be saved for another party or eat them whenever they want. To make this gift extra special, try making your own chocolates. If you make them yourself, you might want to warn them that they do have a shelf life.

Homemade Jam

Do you want to give a gift that can be enjoyed for months? Homemade jam is a thoughtful gesture, especially if it is in a unique flavor. This strawberry jam recipe, for example, is easy to make and looks beautiful when packaged in a pretty jar. You can also give an assortment of baked treats, such as scones, to enjoy with the strawberry jam.

These host and hostess gift ideas will show them how much you appreciate being part of the Thanksgiving feast!