Your friends just bought their first house, and they have invited you to their new home to celebrate. And of course, you would bring them a little something to celebrate their new home, right? Housewarming gifts are easy to come by, but many of us struggle to buy just the right item for our friends’ housewarming.
A lot of things make it very hard to find just the right gift, even with the best of intentions. Everyone has a different decorating style, a unique taste, and unless someone is moving into a new house straight from their parent's home, they likely have plenty of household items too.
Thankfully, there are some foolproof ways in which you can gift your loved ones something that they will go crazy for, no matter their taste.
Mistake Gift: Wall Art
It is highly unlikely that your friends are on the lookout to decorate their home with art that screams “you” and not “them.” Unless a specific piece of art has been catching your friends’ eye of late, you will probably end up getting them a gift that is geared more toward your tastes than theirs. Generally speaking, what people choose to hang on their walls should be left up to them and them alone.
Great Gift: Personal Art
Whereas wall art gifting is likely to be an issue because of differing tastes, personal art means that the items you choose will be designed and made especially for your friends. Personal art can include things like custom-made couple’s typography prints, personalized throw pillows with their new address, or a custom wall decal with your friends’ favorite quote. These are all ways to express to your friends how much thought you put into getting a gift made specifically for them.
Mistake Gift: Flowers
While flowers are beautiful and a pleasure to look at, they have a very short lifespan. They can smell lovely one day and awful the next, and they can become very messy once they have begun to wilt. Everything about flowers screams “temporary,” so when you are choosing a gift to friends who have made a huge step toward their future, you may want to choose a gift that can grow with them.
Great Gift: Indoor Herb Garden
A countertop or windowsill herb garden is not only a beautiful change of pace from traditional flowers, but these living plants are equally attractive. Herb gardens have the added bonus of being useful on a daily basis, and they are super easy to care for. Better still, you can choose to give them grown plants, seed sets with pots, or premade herb garden kits—whatever you think they might like best.
Mistake Gift: Kitchen Gadgets
Unless you’re really splurging on your friend and get them that one perfect kitchen gadget that they have been dying to get for themselves, kitchen gadgets are the kinds of choices that every person should make on their own. A sushi rolling set may seem like a great buy, but not if the implication to those who receive it is that they now have to throw a sushi rolling party too. When you gift a kitchen gadget that wasn’t directly requested, it can feel more like a challenge than a gift, as people will look for ways to use the items so that they don’t simply take up cabinet or counter space.
Great Gift: Custom Cutting Board
Cutting boards are a must-have in every home, so why not elevates your friends’ kitchen and replace their regular old plastic cutting board with a beautiful, wooden, custom engraved one that will be the shining centerpiece of their kitchen. Custom cutting boards range in price, size, and intricate details, but you can never go wrong with a good solid wood cutting board that will last them decades. Engraving something personal for them will only make them love it that much more, and they can enjoy it every time they prepare a meal.
Mistake Gift: Wine and Wine Glasses
Wine is the go-to gift for everyone, and if you check around at the end of the housewarming party, you’ll probably find that quite a few people got your friends the exact same thing. Having to choose from thousands of wine flavors, varieties, and vintages means that you are probably not going to buy the wine that suits their palates. Wine glasses are also something that the individual should purchase for themselves according to their own tastes.
Great Gift: Wine Decanter or Carafe
Instead of getting the identical gift that everyone else got them, why not get them a container for serving whatever wine they choose? A wine decanter or carafe are excellent gifts, especially for friends who love to entertain. A decanter lets the wine breathe as it should, and it will also create the perfect addition to a beautifully set table at their next dinner party.
