Quick breads take almost no time to make and look beautiful when wrapped with cellophane bags, linen with frayed edges, and a festive gift tag.

For a hostess with an eye for detail: a tapered candle embellished with a lace pattern you've transferred yourself.

Use scraps of festive fabric to wrap the pots of herb plants you've grown over the year or purchased -- turning them into decorations or holiday gifts that keep giving (as cooking herbs), long after the holidays end.

Present homemade pasta to your host or hostess in a cellophane bag topped with our clip-art packaging and a pretty bow.

You only need tiny bits of fabric and some colorful thread to make these machine-embroidered coasters, which make lovely hostess gifts.

For a unique hostess gift, make your own cocktail mixers, then dress them in handmade bottle wraps.

For a hostess gift, wrap tapers in vellum, then dress up with pinecone blossoms or a matchbox covered with paper, florets, and real leaves.

For a warm gift, fill a mug with cocoa mix, then print a "Warm Wishes for the Season" sticker on adhesive paper.

Package homemade bread pudding in cellophane topped with our Kris Kringle clip-art tags.

Wish someone an auspicious new year with a jade plant, an easy-care succulent that's said to bring prosperity.

Put a pretty, personalized spin on a gift of assorted teas. Make sachets to fill with a mix of favorite loose teas (or create custom blends from dried herbs and edible flowers, such as mint and hibiscus). Add tags, and place in a gift box.

Penuche and caramallows, nestled in a brightly colored liner, are sure to make any holiday happier.

Use these crepe-paper wraps -- inspired by amaryllis petals -- to dress up amaryllis plants you give as presents.

Homemade marshmallows in the shapes of snowflakes are a joyful sign of the season. Package them in a clear gift box, and attach a recipe for hot chocolate.

If your hostess has a green thumb, she's sure to love this thoughtful and useful present. Simply pack gardening essentials in a lined wicker basket and decorate however you wish!

Present your hostess with homemade lebkuchen, a traditional German cookie, packaged in adorable clip-art town house boxes.

A set of votive candles makes the perfect compact gift for any hostess, and making them yourself out of beeswax adds a personal touch.

Scented sugar adds a subtle perfume and flavor to coffee, tea, fruit desserts, or baked goods. Mix a small batch in a pretty jar for a creative and aromatic hostess gift.

This special wine-label keepsake kit will allow your hostess and her family to preserve labels from their favorite bottles.

The sweet-smelling herbs in these easy-to-make pouches are the key to this gift's beauty and practicality, turning each sachet into an alternative to mothballs.

Create a handy flower-arranging kit that packs all of the essentials inside a jar that's pretty enough to double as a vase.

Each chocolate-pecan toffee is a small present on its own, but line several in a container for a delicious hostess gift.

Elevate the classic bottle of champagne by dressing up the wrapping. With its airy pom-pom, this sprightly package hints at the effervescence hidden inside.

Trade in your store-bought cashews for these homemade pecans that carry a kick. Place the finished product in a jar and attach the recipe for a hostess gift with some zip.

This small, thoughtful gift is a good way to thank a hostess. Wrap two loaves of your favorite crusty bread (we like French baguettes) in a linen dish towel, and top with a jar of homemade jam. Tie them together with a colorful ribbon to match the towel, securing a wooden spreader in the knot of the bow.

Like well-written thank-you notes, homemade treats are thoughtful gestures. Caramel-vanilla bourbon sauce tastes good over fruit -- or even straight from the jar; cover the top, and secure it with string tied to a small spoon.

Give a botanical hostess gift a creative twist by placing the flowers or herbs in a wooden sake box topped with plastic wrap.

A healthy breakfast is often the last thing on your hostess's mind when she's planning a night of entertainment. Line a basket with vintage tea towels and fill it with everything they need to start the day off right -- coffee, tea, milk, sugar, orange juice, scones, butter, and marmalade. All they have to do is find the kettle and French press to recover from the festivities.

A freshly baked pie is always a welcome gift -- even more so when it comes wrapped inside this unusual but sensible container. A bamboo steamer is the ideal size to transport a pie to your hostess's door and can hold two pies at once. After placing a lid on the steamer, secure with a piece of twill tape tied in a bow.

Present your hostess with a set of luxurious toiletries to help soothe the anxiety and excitement that comes with planning a gathering. Here, a simple box lined with a cloth contains small indulgences such as scented bar soaps, bath salts, bath gel, lotion, candles, and tea bags.