Bringing a gift to Friendsgiving?
Yes, bring something with you unless the group has already banned it. The host pays for the food and spends the day cooking. Thank you for both with a small gift.
If the group does a swap, your swap gift will go into the drawing and the host will still receive a separate thank you gift. Agree on a spending limit in the group chat a week in advance. This keeps every gift in the same price range.
Why a Friendsgiving gift is worth it
Gifts used after dinner share four characteristics:
-
Matching the cap: It corresponds to the amount agreed upon by the group.
-
Useful after the party: It will be released again in January and the rest of the year.
-
Personal: It has a name, a date, a photo or an inside joke.
-
Finished on time: You prepare it the night before or order it a few weeks earlier.
Friendsgiving gift ideas for hosts
The hosts spend the day shopping, preparing and washing up. These five gifts will be used again once the guests go home.
1. A custom apron with their name on it
A tailored apron suits the friend who hosts every year and runs the kitchen all day. Print out their name, the date of dinner, or a drawing of their dog. Printful ships most aprons in 2-5 days, and you can order a single one.
2. A trio of hot sauce or olive oil
Three small bottles in one box are suitable for hosts who cook all year round. Attach a handwritten label with the name of the corresponding dish to each bottle. The trio takes up little counter space and gets used up.
3. Breakfast for the morning after
A Friendsgiving gift basket filled with coffee beans, good butter, and a jar of jam suits the host who wakes up to a sink full of dishes. It covers breakfast the next morning without the trip to the store.
4. Cloth napkins and a few candles
A stack of plain cloth napkins and a set of beeswax candles are suitable for hosts who entertain often but still purchase paper napkins. Both appear again at every dinner after this and the unscented candles suit every table.
5. A printed copy of your own recipe
Take the dish everyone is asking for, design the recipe in your own lettering and order it as a custom poster starting at $6.75. It suits a host with a typical dish and a bare kitchen wall. Order it a few weeks in advance.
Friendsgiving gift exchange ideas
Choose the exchange format in the group chat before anyone purchases, along with a spending cap for the entire table. Each of the following formats suits a different group size and budget.
6. A secret raffle with a theme
Everyone draws a name and buys just for that person, with a theme to narrow the field. For a mug-only raffle, a custom mug printed with an inside joke from the group fits both the theme and the cap. This format is suitable for groups of six or more people who know each other well.
7. White elephant with a hat for the room
Everyone brings a wrapped gift, players draw numbers, and later players can steal from earlier numbers. A custom tote bag with an unflattering group photo gives the room something to steal. Set a cap for each to keep the stack even.
8. A purely handmade exchange
Everyone gives the gift they bring, which eliminates panic buying along the way. Jam, prints, knitted hats and hand-labeled spice jars are suitable. Announce this format a month early to give everyone enough evenings to work.
9. A favorite things swap
Each person brings three copies of something they already use and love into the agreed upon cap and then draws three names. Everyone goes home with three gifts, and no one has to guess anyone else’s taste. The format is suitable for larger groups.
10. A blanket if the cap is higher
If the group sets a larger budget, the main gift would be a customized blanket printed with a map of the neighborhood where you all met. Printful offers fleece and sherpa styles. This choice is suitable for a small, close group where each person receives a larger gift.
Friendsgiving gift bag ideas and party favors
Each guest takes home a gift bag. Favors work best when they are small, cheap per capita, and the same for everyone. Pack the bags the night before and write a name on each one.
11. A leftover kit in every bag
Pack a foil container, a rubber band, and a card with warm-up times. This set is suitable for any dinner where the host is cooking for double the guest list. Write each guest’s name on the lid with a marker so no one walks away with the wrong cake.
12. Place cards to go home as favors
Place a kraft paper sign with the guest’s name on the front at each seat, then tuck the gift under the plate. One of your autumn table decorations doubles as a promotional gift.
13. One spice or salt jar per guest
Fill small jars with mulling spices, a salt mixture or dried herbs and then seal them with cloth and twine. One batch fills each glass, suitable for a table of eight or more people. Label each jar with its contents and use.
14. A printed photo of the table
Take a group photo early in the evening, then order small prints for everyone and send them with a note. It is suitable for groups that meet every year.
Small Friendsgiving gifts for a maximum of $10
For a table with eight or more people, the price per head determines the choice. These four gifts stay small, pack flat, and are easy to repeat. One afternoon covers every seat.
15. A glass of cocoa mix
In a glass, layer cocoa powder, sugar, a pinch of salt and mini marshmallows. It suits every guest, even those you hardly know. Make a large batch, filling as many jars as you need and attaching the measuring guide to each lid.
16. Seed packets or a paper-white onion
A paper white bulb in a paper bag suits friends with window sills and seed packets suit everyone else. Both are available in several versions, which are suitable for groups of eight people or more. Write the planting month on the bag.
17. Hand-lettered recipe cards
Write down the three dinner dishes that people have asked for, one per card, and tie a set together with string for each guest. It is suitable for cooking groups and costs one game of cards and one evening.
18. One good candle each
A single beeswax or soy candle, unscented or similar, suits guests whose tastes you don’t know. Buy the same thing for everyone and wrap each one in brown paper with a name tag. By purchasing in multiple quantities, the cost per head remains predictable.
DIY and last minute gift ideas for Friendsgiving
Printed gifts must be ordered in advance. When the party approaches, make the gift at home. Two of these come in one evening along with what’s already in your kitchen.
19. Hand-lettered thank you cards
Fill out a card for each guest, naming a specific thing they did this year, and then place it in their seat. It suits every group and costs one pack of blank cards. Write them the night before dinner.
20. Herb butter chunks or infused honey
Soften the butter, fold in the chopped herbs and garlic, roll in parchment and chill. Honey with chili or lemon peel works the same way. Both suit friends who cook and eat an evening with what’s in the fridge.
21. A framed photo from last year’s dinner
Take a photo from last November, print it out the same day at a photo booth, and hang it in an inexpensive frame. It is suitable for groups that meet every year. Write the date in the corner.
22. A playlist with a hand-drawn cover
Make a playlist of songs from recent meetings, draw a cover on a postcard and write the link on the back. It suits friends who met over music and lasts one evening.
Here’s how to make your own Friendsgiving gifts with Printful
Making the gift yourself requires three steps:
-
Choose a product: Open the product catalog and select a mug, tote bag, apron or blanket. Check the print area before you start drawing.
-
Add your design: Upload your artwork in Design Maker or enter a line of text, select a font and drag it to the correct location on the product.
-
Order one per friend: Add any personalized piece to the order. We print, package and ship every item.
You only pay for the pieces you order. Only 0.24% of our orders need to be re-shipped due to quality issues.
Designs that get the most laughs at the table can also go on sale. Connect a Shopify or Etsy store and we’ll process every order as it comes in.
Give a gift that only you can give
Bring a hostess gift, add a swap gift if the group does an exchange, and leave a favor at each seat. Arrange the cap a week in advance and order the printed pieces a few weeks before dinner.
Create a personalized mug, tote bag, or apron with Printful this Friendsgiving.
