It’s that time of year again. Where gatherings with friends and families become more frequent and we celebrate togetherness.

I’ll admit I’m not a Christmas fanatic, but I LOVE Christmas music. I sometimes listen to Christmas music in July and basically every day starting November 1st to the end of the year. So, I love this time of year!

Back to togetherness, along with get-togethers comes the hostess gift. Although there’s an official etiquette, I’ve never been too proper and I’d say do what makes you happy!

I like to bring a little hostess gift as a “thank-you”. The key to the perfect plastic-free hostess gift is something that’s either consumable and/or homemade.

Consumables

Consumables are a great idea for hostess gifts because they don’t add to clutter. Being a minimalist, I hate clutter. And as thoughtful as people are, unwanted gifts become clutter.

Some ideas for consumable hostess gifts include:

• Wine & Other Drinks
• Flowers
• Fruit
• Cheese
• Bulk Foods

Unless your hostess does not drink, a nice bottle of local wine is a great hostess gift. Who doesn’t appreciate a bottle of wine, champagne, or vodka? These come in a glass bottle and normally have a metal cap or cork. These days, more and more corks are made of plastic. So, while not a completely plastic-free option, unless you can confirm it is cork, it is still a decent option.

You can find fresh flower arrangements or orchids at most grocery stores. Or for a plastic-free bouquet of flowers or fresh fruit, head to your local farmer’s market.

As I talk about in a Simple Guide to Plastic-Free Grocery Shopping, I get blocks of cheese in the deli section of my grocery store. I bring home the cheese in a beeswax wrap. This is an easy plastic-free way to give delicious cheeses.

There are lots of great snack items in the bulk section. It’s easy to grab some sweets, trail mix, or even loose-leaf tea. For a refresher on bulk shopping, check out Bulk Shopping for Beginners. Take the items home and put them in a glass jar and you’re set.

Homemade

If you’re handy in the kitchen and love making goodies from scratch, maybe a homemade hostess gift is more your style. Just make sure it is clear the gift is intended for the hostess and family to enjoy later. You don’t want the hostess to feel obligated to set the items out during the gathering.

Some great ideas are:

• baked goods
• candies
• jams
• granola

If you love baking muffins, bring muffins. Cookies are your jam, bring cookies. Speaking of jam, if your strawberry jam is award-winning, bring that! If you can make salted caramels, please invite yourself over to my house!

Personally, I make a mean granola. I put some in a glass jar and bring that with me. Here is the recipe:

• 2 cup dry oats
• 2/3 cup chopped or sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 t salt

Mix ingredients. Spread across a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 250F for 1 hour.  Stir every 15 minutes.

Let cool to continue crisping.

Your house will smell amazing as this bakes!

I can get all the dry items in the bulk section of my grocery store and the rest come in glass jars.

For your next gathering, do you think you can get a plastic-free hostess gift? What are some of your go-to hostess gifts? Tell me in the comments!

Still looking for more? Check out: Plastic-Free Dental Care or What I Learned From Saving My Trash for a Month.