Housewarming Gift Ideas

By Lisa

A reader recently wrote asking for fabulous housewarming gift ideas for a dear friend. I love giving gifts. And who doesn't love receiving them? Here are some ideas in a variety of effort and price levels.

1. A batch of cookies. Make them yourself. Choose a variety you are really good at, or find a fabulous recipe on the Internet. Bake a couple dozen for your friend and wrap them up in a box, so they don't get crushed and ship it off. Who doesn't love homemade cookies? And when she's unpacking the 79th box at 11:30 at night, a couple cookies will really hit the spot. One tip is to avoid a cookie with chocolate so they don't melt in the mail. Some ideas are sugar cookies (in the shape of a house?), molasses, lemon, or snickerdoodle.

2. Gift card to a useful store. Target, Home Depot, Lowe's, CVS, etc. Everyone, I mean everyone, inevitably needs to make a Target run after they move. New broom? Extra spray bottles, welcome mat, whatever. This gift is practical and will absolutely be appreciated.

3. Return address stamp or labels. I really love having a personalized return address stamp. And I really detest hand writing my return address on bills, letters, and cards. So stamps or labels are just so handy. If you know your friend's taste, how cute (and useful!) would it be for her to open up the box and find a sweet little timesaver all ready for her to use? You could even tuck in a little pack of note cards with her initial if you're so inclined (and if she is the note card type).

4. Magazine subscription. I rarely subscribe to magazines. I love them, I just get cheap when paying for them. But wouldn't a subscription to Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, or Better Homes & Gardens be a fantastic way to welcome a friend to their home? As they set out to renovate, decorate, or just get settled, they can enjoy a whole year of ideas and inspiration from your gift. There are great deals on subscriptons on both Amazon and eBay. Don't forget to send the card notifying your friend. I'd probably ship her the current issue with a cute note and a ribbon, letting her know 12 more months are on their way!

5. Drink kit. If your friend is into martinis, margaritas, wine, tea, or coffee, you can put together a really cute and fun "kit" online and have it shipped. I think this would be easier than buying the components yourself but you could certainly do that too. Crate and Barrel has some nice options with various glasses, drink mixes, and accessories. What a nice way to start enjoying her new home, with a cocktail or a mug of tea.

You know your friend, and her tastes, interests and lifestyle best but I bet one of these will fit the bill. And do it up so it's really special. Fill the box with tissue or shredded paper. Wrap up the gifts (or gift cards as it were) with separate ribbons (I prefer fabric over curling ribbon). Enclose a card and write a nice note wishing her many happy years in her new home. The whole welcome package will mean the world to her.

{photo credits: tastykitchen.com, tinyprints.com, crateandbarrel.com,}

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When we moved into this house, we got a nice basket (which I now store my towels in) with a cake baked into a nice cake pan (the pan was part of the present), a thing of frosting, a jar of sprinkles, and a set of towels.

I also got a beautiful wooden salad bowl as a housewarming gift once. Which wasn't a particularly great gift, except for the fact that it is a really great salad bowl and I love it and still use it all the time.

Posted by: HereWeGoAJen | August 24, 2011 at 02:32 PM