How To Spice Up a Hostess Gift by KimberlyClaire

The Holidays are coming and that means there will be a lot of celebrations to attend as well as a lot of gifts to give. I always try to "think out of the box" when I put a gift together for someone. In this case, I thought out of the basket. One of the most important parts of being a guest is the hostess gift, and I needed to put together something for a party I attended recently. Here are some tips for getting out of the gift bag and into a thoughtful hostess gift. I make an effort to cater my purchases to what the hostess might like. This time, it was 2 monogrammed coffee cups from Anthropologie and a decorative candle - you can never have enough candles. If you're going to go for candles, stay away from strong fragrances like florals and linens. Once you have your gifts, you're ready for the fun part. -by KimberlyClaire

Be creative with what you already have at home. I chose red burlap, twine, and brown tissue paper.

The one thing you should own if you're into DIY projects is a glue gun.

Finished Product.

As you can see, I took the burlap ribbon and hot glue gunned it around the basket. The secret to a really great looking bow is a glue gun! Although I used an old basket I had lying around the house, I highly recommend Home Goods in case you need to purchase one. I also tied ribbon around the cups and then some twine around the candle.  I then placed the gifts carefully into the basket on top of the brown tissue paper, arranging them in an appealing display. Next time you give a gift, "think out of the basket." You will get more use out of a roll of twine and burlap than a set of gift bags and tissue paper. Your hostess will appreciate a gift that has that extra special touch without knowing it saved you some money at the same time.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

-James 1:17