When someone has you over at Christmas, a small gift at the door says thank you for the cooking, the washing up and the invitation. The best host gifts are small, useful and create no work on the night: something the host can enjoy once the guests have gone home. Here are ten ideas under £20, how to match them to the host, and a few points of etiquette. Prices were correct when we published this guide, and each product page always shows the current price.
The short answer
Bring something they can enjoy after the party: a wax burner with a scent (£10.45), a pouch of candle sand (£12), or a bud vase on wood with the flowers you bring (£12), so they are not hunting for a vase mid-evening. Around £10 to £20 is plenty. Wrap it simply, add a card and say it is for later.
The golden rule: no work on the night
A host on Christmas Eve or Boxing Day has their hands full. Flowers without a vase send them searching cupboards; a candle handed over as people sit down feels like an instruction to light it. Choose something that can be put aside and enjoyed later, and say so when you hand it over.
Under £10
1. Three crystal wax melts, £9.45
Three 50g snap bars of crystal wax melt, each set with real gemstone chips, come to £9.45 with the automatic 10% off. For Christmas, Carnelian Fire (spiced orange) is the obvious choice, and wax melts get used up, so they never add to the clutter.
2. A mini terrarium, £7.75
The mini terrarium on natural tung wood, about 13cm tall, is a small glass home for an air plant. Plants are not included, so tuck one from a garden centre in beside it.
3. Unscented candle sand, £9.60
A 300g pouch of unscented white candle sand with four cotton wicks, the safe choice when you do not know their taste in fragrance. It needs a stable, heat-resistant bowl at least 10cm across, with at least 5cm of sand.
Under £20
4. Flowers with their own vase, £12
The classic host gift, done properly: the small flower vase on wood holds a single stem or a few sprigs, so bring it with a stem of eucalyptus or a few winter flowers already in place.
5. A vase and tealight holder in one, £16.95
The small vase and tealight holder on wood pairs a bud vase with a little glass dish for a tealight on one piece of wood: a sprig and a candle for their table next time.
6. A wax burner and a scent, from £10.45
A ceramic pebble wax burner (£6.95) with one wax melt bar comes to £10.45; with three bars it is £16.40. Our wax melt gift sets suggest scent combinations.
7. Fragranced candle sand, £12
A 300g pouch of candle sand with four wicks, poured into a bowl they already own. Starlight Elixir (chocolate, caramel and vanilla) suits the season. The same bowl rule applies: stable, heat-resistant, at least 10cm across, at least 5cm of sand.
8. A single candle holder, £11
The single candle holder on wood takes one tealight in an aqua glass dish: a small, lasting thank you for a mantelpiece or dining table.
9. A small glass dish, £14.50
The artfully misshapen bowl on wood is a hand-blown catch-all for keys or rings on a hall table, and no two are quite the same.
10. A small terrarium on tung wood, £10
The small terrarium on natural tung wood, an open glass globe about 13 x 13cm, with an air plant added, is a thank you that lasts well into the new year.
Matching the gift to the host
- The one who cooked for everyone: a wax burner and a scent for the quiet days after Christmas.
- The plant person: a mini terrarium with an air plant.
- The candle lover: a pouch of candle sand or a candle holder.
- The host who has everything: flowers in a vase they keep; see our guide to gifts for someone who has everything.
Giving it well
- Hand it over at the door and say it is for later, so nobody feels they must open or use it that evening.
- Wrap it simply in kraft paper and twine. We do not offer gift wrap or gift messages, so add your own card.
- Never expect a host to light a candle you have just given them, and if they do, it should never be left burning unattended.
Ordering in time
We dispatch within 1 to 2 working days, and UK delivery is a flat £4.99, usually arriving 3 to 5 working days after dispatch. Carriers are busy in December, so order a week or two before the party.
Common questions
What is a good host gift for Christmas?
Something small they can enjoy after the guests have gone: a wax burner with a scent, a pouch of candle sand, a bud vase with a few stems, or a mini terrarium with an air plant.
How much should you spend on a host gift?
Around £10 to £20 is plenty. It is a thank you, not a present to rival theirs.
Is it rude to bring flowers to a dinner party?
Not at all, but loose flowers give the host a job. Bring them already in a vase, such as a small bud vase on wood, so they can go straight on a shelf.
Should a host open a gift on the night?
There is no need. Say it is for later when you hand it over, and let them open it when the house is quiet.
More ideas: Secret Santa gifts under £10 and £20, stocking fillers for adults and our Christmas table centrepiece ideas, or browse every gift under £20.
