With family members to visit, new cities to explore and backyard soirees to attend, you may be busy packing your bags and arranging your packed summer schedule. But through all of the partying and traveling, there is one thing you mustn’t forget: your lovely hostess. She’s the one who fluffed the pillows, stocked the fridge and scrubbed the bathroom tile until she got finger cramps—all in preparation of your happy arrival.
The hostess gift is, quite simply, a sweet thank you for all the work she put in behind the scenes. So whether the rest of your summer includes plans for attending afternoon barbecues or crashing in a friend’s spare bedroom for a weekend, keep a few gifts handy to ensure that you never show up empty handed. All 10 of the BurkeDecor.com faves featured here are summer-budget friendly—just in case you don’t have a lot left over after purchasing airfare or filling your gas tank!—and sure to get you invited back next summer.
1. Set of Four Scrimshaw Dessert Plates, Thomas Paul (burkedecor.com): This set of four nautical-themed plates is so summery and fun. I know what you’re thinking: china in checked baggage—bad idea! But these dessert plates are melamine, which means they’re awesome travelers. Aside from the anchor and lighthouse designs shown here, the set also includes two plates that feature a pelican and a sail boat.
2. Tea Leaf & Wild Honey Soy Candle, Lucia (burkedecor.com): Don’t know enough about your hostess’s style to pick out a gift? This Lucia candle is a no-brainer. It’s environmentally friendly and fair trade. And the packaging? Yeah, it’s pretty darn chic as well.
3. Cherry Tomato & Basil Soap, Lucia (burkedecor.com): Perfect for grabbing on your way out the door before attending a party and stuffing into your purse, this gorgeously packaged bar of soap requires no wrapping and no fuss—just present it to your hostess as is upon arrival. She’ll love the clean, fresh fragrance and the fact that it’s handmade using 100 percent organic Shea butter.
4. Small Bamboo Bowl with Spoon, Sagaform (burkedecor.com): If your hostess is known for throwing dinner parties that last well into the night, give her something that reminds her of you every time she fills it with another one of her culinary showstoppers. This bowl and spoon set, which is crafted in Sweden using ecologically grown bamboo, is gorgeous in its simplicity.
5. Neko Containers, Imm Living (burkedecor.com): Aside from being utterly adorable, these containers (available in pink or blue) are said to bring prosperous wishes to your environment. Such a sweet parting wish for your host or hostess!
6. Eyeglass Case, Thomas Paul (burkedecor.com): Perfect for a fashionable hostess or bespectacled host, this hand-silk screened case is made of heavyweight canvas. A stylish and memorable present for any lover of vintage shades.
7. Kennet Kitchen Drawer Kit Print Tool Kit, Wild & Wolf (burkedecor.com): Your miss-fix-it hostess will absolutely coo over this set of tools, which is the perfect marriage of utility and pretty feminine appeal. The graphic floral print that envelops the scissors, tape measure and six-in-one screwdriver is inspired by 15th Century Italian fabrics.
8. Stoneware City Thermo Mug Two Pack, Sagaform (burkedecor.com): When you stay the week with your Big Apple bestie, leave these mugs (smashingly designed by Lovisa Wattman) on her kitchen countertop to say, “Thanks for pretending to not hear my snoring.”
9. Sunflower Salad Set in Blue, Sagaform (burkedecor.com): Oh, the summer salads that could be tossed in this stoneware looker. Don’t you think this beautifully shaped bowl looks like it just washed ashore with a pool of frothy sea foam?
10. Set of Three Hummingbird Safety Matches, Hawthorne (burkedecor.com): Those who show up bearing a small token of gratitude—especially luxurious little extras like this three-box set of matches—are sure to be remembered fondly (and added to all future guest lists).
(Images by: Elizabeth Ulrich)
