Arriving at an evening dinner party with a little something for the host is always nice.
It doesn’t have to be an expensive gift but it can be something special that shows a little creativity. Here are a few affordable and creative ideas for your next soirée.
Outdoor Lanterns
Warm summer evenings are wonderful to sit outside and enjoy the ambience candlelight provides.
This season there are beautiful outdoor lanterns everywhere on store shelves. The tall varieties are wonderful to place on corners of decks and patios, whereas the smaller ones will sit pretty on corner tables and dining sets.
Place a colourful bedding plant inside for a pop of colour and add the candle separately. Or, use the lantern as a container to fill with the recipient’s favourite cocktail ingredients or seedlings for their garden.
Homemade Lemonade Pitcher
I saw this idea at a daytime summer party last season and thought it was very clever. A simple, clear pitcher is filled with fresh lemons, sugar and a lavender sprig. The handle is tied off with a pretty ribbon and a lemonade recipe card. The hostess can choose to make the lemonade later or that afternoon for everyone to enjoy.
Potted Herb
I’ve always loved the simplicity of receiving a potted herb as a hostess gift. This is probably one of the most versatile gifts you can give a hostess because not only does it look pretty sitting on a window sill but there is a good chance the host will pinch a few leaves for their dinner that evening. Look for simple pots such as terra cotta, aluminum and ceramic. All may be found in department stores and nurseries at the moment. Fill them with sterilized soil and simple herbs such as basil, chives or rosemary.
Tie the herb with a small, chic label card using raffia or garden twine. For an added twist, pick up a few colourful, patterned, plastic Chinese food container boxes at Michaels. These work wonderfully for this idea.
Beach Towels
Who doesn’t appreciate beach towels for the summer? I love purchasing a few of these and wrapping a magazine and sunscreen around them with a pretty ribbon. Or place a couple of towels inside an inexpensive beach bag (which can be found at dollar stores) and tie off with a pair of swim goggles.
Barb Lunter is a freelance writer with a passion for home decor, entertaining and floral design. She also runs Blu Dog Staging & Redesign. bludogstagingandredesign.com
