36 Unique Hostess Gift Ideas From Our Editors

Next time you attend a dinner party or spend the weekend at a friend's house, show your appreciation with a one-of-a-kind gift.

"I look for unusual out-of-print cooking and gardening books, things my host wouldn’t necessarily buy. Some are classics by authors I know; some just have charming covers or beautiful illustrations.” -- Stephen Orr, gardening editorial director

Vintage books, from $10 each, abebooks.com.

"A bouquet often leaves a hostess scrambling to trim stems and find a vase. Instead, I bring a casual mix of flowers arranged in a pretty vessel." -- Jessica Romm, lifestyle editor

Brazilian hand-cut soapstone vase, $55, rubybeets.com.

"To update the traditional Jewish housewarming present -- salt for spice, sugar for sweetness, and bread for sustenance -- I add a local olive oil and wrap up everything in a dish towel."-- Jodi Levine, crafts editor at large

Sea salt, by Maldon, $11; and demerara sugar, by Indian Tree Gourmet Spices and Specialties, $7; williams-sonoma.com. Extra-virgin olive oil, by Frankies 457 Spuntino, $15, merlinmerchant.com. Hand towel, by Fog Linen, in Navy Stripe, $16, abchome.com.

"I love to give a bottle of refreshing rose in summer. Adding a vintage corkscrew makes it feel special." -- Rebecca Robertson, decorating and home editor

Reverdy Terre de Maimbray Sancerre Rose 2011, $25; and brass key bottle opener and corkscrew, $48; pasanellaandson.com.

If you're lucky enough to have a bumper crop of tomatoes this summer, share them with your hostess. Put them in a basket with pasta and the basic ingredients for a traditional sauce: olive oil, fresh basil, garlic, and a wedge of Parmesan.

Use overripe fruit, such as peaches, to make flavored vinegars for green salads. Decant the vinegar into a pretty glass vessel or jar.

Give your hostess two of her favorite bottles of wine, wrapped in an attractive cotton tablecloth that doubles as a carrier.

A tasty quick bread makes a thoughtful hostess gift when artfully wrapped with linen or striped cotton and neatly tied with colored, waxed-linen thread.

When done with a little flair, a small gesture is much more meaningful. Look, for example, at the quick bread. It takes almost no time to make -- quick breads don't require rising or kneading -- but can be a wonderful gift for a hostess or a neighbor.

Use scraps of fabric to wrap the pots of herb plants -- turning them into a hostess gift that keeps on giving.

Leave the wine behind and show up with something hot -- like homemade hot sauce. Depending on how much spice your host likes, you can infuse vinegar with mild long peppers, spicier Thai peppers, or five-alarm habaneros. Decorate with our clip art tags.

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

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 your hostess' day happier.

Use a crepe-paper wrap -- inspired by amaryllis petals -- to dress up an amaryllis plant.

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.

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

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 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 that can come 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.