58 Unique Hostess Gift Ideas from Our Editors

It's an age-old adage: Attending a party? Whether it's a birthday party, Thanksgiving get-together, or annual Christmas soirée, it's good etiquette to bring your hostess a gift. While her go-to bottle of wine will definitely be appreciated, we think you could do even better, and that's exactly where we come in.

Ahead, you'll find a roster of curated selections chosen with your hostess in mind: She's a natural entertainer, one who is not just the source of the party, but the heartbeat of it, too. To show your gratitude (and guarantee an invite back to next year's celebration) present her with one of these thoughtful gifts. Whether you're looking for entertaining-centric options that she can use at her next event—including healthful culinary manuals and baking books penned by our founder, the best-possible chef's knife, a prize-worthy roaster-turned-serving pan—or elevated, just-for-her presents to encourage a little self-care once the party has ended, there are plenty of guaranteed winners in the slides ahead.

We're particularly fond of the gifts that err on the side of the unexpected. She likely didn't know that she needed fragrant taper candles, for example, but she won't know how or why she lived without them once you introduce her to these entertaining essentials. As for our other favorite didn't-see-that-coming options? A gorgeous spice collection and sparkly sugar cubes are both unique ideas that will get put to good use on the big night and beyond. Ahead, more inspired, elevated, and delicious gifts for your very own hostess.

She'll fill her new hand-blown bud vase trio with a few sprigs and—voila—her party's centerpieces are set.

Shop Now: Elysia Home Hand Blown Bud Vases, $98 for three, elysiahome.com.

Inside, she'll find nostalgic 19th-century scenes from florals to fruits. Her holiday gifts will be wrapped to perfection, all thanks to you.

Shop Now: John Derian Paper Goods: Wrapping Paper & Gift Tags, $19.95, amazon.com.

Laundry day is officially handled thanks to this set, complete with detergent, conditioner, and fabric spray.

Shop Now: The Laundress "No.723 Collection" Laundry Set, $50, thelaundress.com.

Your hostess' favorite fragrance house makes tapers, too. These entertaining essentials infuse her space with subtle, seasonal notes of grapefruit, rosemary, peppermint, and pimento.

Shop Now: Jo Malone London Holiday Luxury 4-Piece Dining Candle Set, $70, saksfifthavenue.com.

Martha's latest line of Dutch ovens have a modern aesthetic, and we're loving this barely-blue mint colorway.

Shop Now: Martha Stewart Five-Quart Non-Stick Cast Iron Round Dutch Oven, $65, wayfair.com.

If she can't get a reservation at Carbone, bring Carbone to her. All she has to do? Stir these sauces into some bucatini to be transported.

Shop Now: Carbone Sauce Variety Pack, $39.96, carbonefinefood.com.

This fan-favorite tequila bottle has her name on it—literally. Engrave it with a sweet sentiment or her nickname for a personalized keepsake.

Shop Now: Casamigos Blanco Tequila with Engraving, $95, reservebar.com.

This cruet set bundles the beloved New York City eatery's artisanal Italian olive oil, red-wine vinegar, and hand-thrown Perugian ceramic cruets.

Shop Now: Il Buco Vita Cruet Set, $150, ilbucovita.com.

This luxurious gel hand wash, packed with royal jelly and vitamin E for added moisture, has a scent that melds red currant, vanilla, velvet plum, and black amber with sandalwood, jasmine petals, and musk.

Shop Now: Preston Kondrad Home "Highrise" Hand Wash, $28, prestonkonrad.com.

Will it last all eight nights? With fragrant notes of olive and incense that will make her want to burn this Chanukah candle night and day, we'd be surprised if it makes it to four.

Shop Now: D.S. & Durga Chanukah Candle, $65, dsanddurga.com.

Kick her spice collection up a notch with this set from ILA—it's so beautiful, she'll keep it on the counter full time.

Shop Now: ILA Spice Collection Gift Set, $180, bergdorfgoodman.com.

After a long night of entertaining, she'll turn to this set, complete with a dry brush, massage body bar, and shea butter, to unwind.

Shop Now: Thirteen Lune "The Spa at Home" Body Set, $110, thirteenlune.com.

The maple syrup in this set will transform pancakes—or even a scoop of fresh snow—into something transcendent.

Shop Now: RunAmok Maple Syrup Large Gift Box, $70, runamokmaple.com.

Golden-rimmed coupes give celebrations extra effervescence.

Shop Now: Martha Stewart Collection Coupe Glasses, $70 for four, macys.com.

Perfect for water, wine, or batch cocktails, this carafe adds a modern touch to the tablescape.

Shop Now: Ferm Living Still Carafe, $55, burkedecor.com.

During parties, she'll muddle these festive cubes into her signature old-fashioned cocktails.

Shop Now: Classic Cocktail Sugar Cube Kit, $32, anthropologie.com.

Every hostess has a to-do list, and you can help yours keep track of her day-of timeline own with this pocket-sized planner.

Shop Now: Letterfolk Today Pocket Planner, $10, letterfolk.com.

A slew of nourishing ingredients—anti-inflammatory coneflower extract, exfoliating pumice particles, soothing St. John's wort extract, and hydrating hyaluronic acid—work together in this body-polishing scrub.

Shop Now: Susanne Kaufman Body Scrub, $76, dermstore.com.

A knockout for cooks who appreciate a good browning, this pan roasts chicken, sears chops, achieves the perfect socarrat on paella, and looks glorious on the table.

Shop Now: Smithey Carbon-Steel Round Roaster, $275, smithey.com.

Have your cake and display it beautifully, too, on this handblown glass stand, which comes in 10 colors.

Shop Now: Estelle Cake Stand, $225, estellecoloredglass.com.

This neutral ceramic crock keeps butter creamy and spreadable, but safe.

Shop Now: Sawyer Ceramics French Butter Keeper, $44, parachutehome.com.

Handmade from supple leather, this backgammon set unfurls into a handsome 15-inch board that makes every match, win or lose, a delight. She'll roll it out across the coffee table ahead of every party—and take it on the go when she travels.

Shop Now: Sabah Travel Backgammon Set, $195, sabah.am.

If she's searching for a new way to break the ice at gatherings, she'll appreciate these superlative place cards (so fun!) from Dear Annabelle. 

Shop Now: Dear Annabelle Superlatives Place Cards, $60 for 24, dearannabelle.com.

These cocktail napkins will be instant heirlooms.

Shop Now: RW Guild Passiflora Cocktail Napkins, $14 each, rwguild.com.

Consider these dates nature's candy from California's Coachella Valley.

Shop Now: Rancho Meladuco Medjool Organic Dates, from $19.95, williams-sonoma.com.

Soothing sea extracts and botanicals infuse this face, body, and hair wash.

Shop Now: Jack Henry Cleanse+, $28, verishop.com.

Crafted in Japan from the finest organic woods and essential oils, this incense offers fragrance without the smoke.

Shop Now: Bodha Smokeless Incense, $35, anthropologie.com.

Farmed in India using organic, biodynamic, and sustainable methods, this blend steeps an ultra-smooth floral cup.

Shop Now: Alaya Darjeeling First Flush Black Tea, $22, alayatea.co.

The culinary herbs she grows out of this handy kit will end up in the salads and dishes she puts in front of you come summer.

Shop Now: Williams Sonoma Herb Garden Seed Kit, $30, williams-sonoma.com.

Every soirée needs wine—and Martha has your host's party covered.

Shop Now: Martha Stewart Wine Co. Subscription, from $69, marthastewartwine.com.

Your host will use these statement-making display jars to hold everything from sweets and snacks to décor.

Shop Now: Etu Home Bon Bon Jar, $80, etuhome.com.

This chef's knife is fully forged, handles effortlessly, and holds a sharp edge.

Shop Now: Opinel Les Forgés 1890 Eight-Inch Chef Knife, $179, opinel-usa.com.

These reusable cloths are an eco-friendly alternative to wrapping paper. She'll pull them out to cover party favors at her next event.

Shop Now: Furoshiki Block Print Wrapping Cloths, $24, us.toa.st.

Ensure mouthwatering soups, dals, and curries are perfect by gifting your host this ground spice set.

Shop Now: SpiceWalla Indian Essentials Ground Spices, $33 for six, spicewallabrand.com.

These sculptural candles come in six colors.

Shop Now: Greentree Home Cone Tapers, $36 for two, greentreehomecandle.com.

Step up her stemware game with these uniquely shaped pieces made from recycled glass.

Shop Now: Soho Home Country House Cocktail Glasses, $76, sohohome.com.

It's cold-pressed hours after harvest for delish drizzling.

Shop Now: Herdade do Esporão Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, from $17, portugaliamarketplace.com.

Keep her socks warm all season long—especially on long, cold nights when she is recipe testing in the kitchen—with these jacquard socks.

Shop Now: Nishiguchi Kutsushita Wool Jacquard Socks, $28, cultiverre.com.

Warped with the perfect patina, this petite wooden serving spoon will fit right into her collection.

Shop Now: St Frank Spalted Pixi Wood Mini Serving Spoon, $25, stfrank.com.

She'll use this tiny striker to light up her tablescape ahead of every celebration.

Shop Now: Hawkins New York Fiery Match Striker, $38, hawkinsnewyork.com.

Perfect for the guest bathroom, this hand wash and lotion duo is one of the better options on the market. The cleanser feels cool and hydrating (it doesn't strip!) and the lotion absorbs quickly—no towel wipe-down required.

Shop Now: Grown Alchemist Hydrate & Revive Hand Care Set, $55, net-a-porter.com.

She'll utilize this tote—which can hold everything from pies to casseroles—when she comes to your dinner party with goodies in tow.

Shop Now: Thread & Whisk "Iris" Baker Tote, $126, threadandwhisk.com.

Inspire her future celebrations with this entertaining guide, courtesy of Aerin Lauder.

Shop Now: Entertaining Beautifully by Aerin Lauder, $31.49, amazon.com.

If she's confident in the garden and in the kitchen, this salad serving set is a must.

Shop Now: Houses & Parties Garden Tools Salad Set, $120, housesandparties.com.

Gift her all the holiday cookie—and beyond—inspiration she needs with this beloved Martha recipe collection.

Shop Now: Martha Stewart's Cookie Perfection: 100+ Recipes to Take Your Sweet Treats to the Next Level, $13.60, amazon.com.

Here's a glowing recommendation: Light up her life with an American-made, hand-turned wooden Lostine candle-holder or two, and drip-free dipped tapers by The Floral Society.

Shop Now: Lostine Candle Holders in Maple, Cherry, and Walnut, from $63 each, lostine.com; The Floral Society Taper Candles, from $13, thefloralsociety.com.

With its delicate curves and gold trim, the Martha Stewart Collection Baroque platter takes dinner in an entirely elegant direction.

Shop Now: Martha Stewart Collection Baroque Platter, from $58, macys.com.

Consider this her practical field guide to cooking and healing with adaptogens, courtesy of Amanda Chantal Bacon, the founder of Moon Juice.

Shop Now: The Moon Juice Manual by Amanda Chantal Bacon, $21, amazon.com.

Foodies will buzz about this rare, organic honey from a local Hawaii maker long after the holidays are over.

Shop Now: Big Island Bees Ohi'a Lehua Blossom Honey, from $36, bigislandbees.com.

Even the most eagle-eyed will want to take their sweet time with this 500-piece, illustrated puzzle of an 18th-century farmhouse in Gascony, France.

Shop Now: Rifle Paper Co. Camont Jigsaw Puzzle, $34, riflepaperco.com.

Is her home filled with neutrals? Gift her a pillow, like one of these from Bolé Road, that walks the line between organic and statement-making for balance.

Shop Now: Bolé Road Aman Pillow in Dusty Rose, $345, boleroadtextiles.com.

This handy tool extinguishes candles with ease (no flying wax!) and will have your host asking, "How did I live without this?"

Shop Now: West Elm Brass Finished Snuffer, $15, westelm.com.

Scandi design icon Georg Jensen's stainless-steel, art deco-inspired pitcher lends sleek glamour to any setting.

Shop Now: Georg Jensen "Bernadotte" Pitcher, $149, georgjensen.com.

Martha personally curated each gift basket in her iGourmet collection, sourcing high-quality food items and ingredients from her favorite purveyors. Luckily, there are a myriad of options to choose from, from Italian themed boxes to a Spanish tapas collection.

Shop Now: Martha Stewart iGourmet Gift Baskets, from $49.99, igourmet.com.

There's no cuter way to bake up a storm this holiday than in these darling aprons. Available in blue-and-white gingham, black, or juniper pink, each apron is handwoven out of 100-percent cotton by artisans in Mexico.

Shop Now: Heather Taylor Home Apron in Juniper, $98, heathertaylorhome.com.

Ceramist Marcie McGoldrick's footed bowls are delicate and drop-dead gorgeous—gift her one or a trio in coordinating colors.

Shop Now: Marci McGoldrick Small Footed Bowls, from $58, marcimcgoldrick.com.

These chic vessels have removable toppers that cradle a bulb above water, letting its roots dip elegantly beneath.

Shop Now: Kinto Aqua Culture Vases, from $18.80, kinto-usa.com.

For the weekend jaunter or global jetsetter: These waterproof linen wash bags keep toiletries and makeup beautifully contained.

Shop Now: Utopia Goods Linen Wash Bags, from $38, utopiagoods.com.