Looking for a thoughtful hostess gift you can make quickly before heading out to holiday parties? Here are easy DIY hostess gift ideas you can create in no time.
The holiday season is one of the busiest times for entertaining, with gatherings and parties almost every week. To make gifting simple and special, I partnered with Martha Stewart Crafts® to design three hostess gift projects that are quick to make and delightful to receive.
If time is short, you don’t need to make every element from scratch. Embellishing a store-bought item with a handmade touch can be just as meaningful. These DIY ideas strike a balance between fully handmade creations and enhanced store-bought gifts—easy, personal, and festive.
DIY Hostess Gift Ideas
Below are three starter ideas, and each can be adapted in many ways. Pair your DIY item with complementary pieces for a thoughtful bundle.
Consider a stenciled greeting card tucked into a box of homemade cookies or elegant meringues for the hostess with a sweet tooth. A stenciled café-style apron looks lovely when paired with a baking book, like Martha Stewart’s Cookie Perfection, or a homemade treat. I used one of my mustard-colored half aprons as a base for a similar project.
Reusable wax fabric wraps stenciled with a seasonal pattern are a practical and eco-friendly gift. A matching set of stenciled napkins or tea towels tailored to the hostess’s style, or a stenciled wine tote paired with a bottle, also make excellent options. The possibilities are endless and adaptable to any skill level.
All the projects shown here use the same stenciling technique, so I’ll walk through the steps using one example—the stenciled napkin set. The same method applies to cards, aprons, wraps, and more.
Alongside the winter greens napkin set, I also made a variety of greeting cards and a stenciled village café apron. Below are materials and step-by-step instructions to personalize gifts for the holidays.
Materials Needed for Hostess Gift
- Martha Stewart Winter Greens Stencil (used for napkins and greeting cards)
- Martha Stewart Adhesive Stencil, Holiday Christmas (useful for cards and aprons)
- Martha Stewart Snowflake Wreath Stencil (great for cards)
- Martha Stewart Family Friendly Multi-Surface Satin Acrylic Craft Paint in Seaweed
- Martha Stewart Family Friendly Multi-Surface Satin Acrylic Craft Paint in Snowball
- Martha Stewart Metallic Gold Paint
- Martha Stewart daubers or foam pouncers for applying paint
- Item to embellish (napkins, apron, tea towel, card stock, etc.)
Martha Stewart’s Family Friendly Multi-Surface Satin Acrylic paints work on wood, glass, canvas, metal, paper, terra cotta, and fabric. The stencils and silkscreens are washable, reusable, and work on many surfaces, making them versatile for different projects.
Adhesive Silkscreen vs Adhesive Stencil
I’ve used both silkscreen stencils and adhesive laser-cut stencils. The silkscreen material is more flexible and fabric-like, while adhesive stencils are firmer. Both produce excellent results, and the application process is essentially the same.
Instructions for Personalizing Hostess Gifts
Stencils and silkscreens are beginner-friendly and also convenient for experienced crafters who want a fast, polished result.
Step 1: Wash and dry any fabric items (napkins, aprons, tea towels) to remove finishes or coatings. Iron if needed so the surface is smooth and ready for stenciling.
Step 2: Remove the adhesive backing from the silkscreen or stencil. If the silkscreen contains multiple motifs and you only want to use one, trim it away from the rest before applying.
Step 3: Press the silkscreen or stencil into place on the fabric, smoothing it down with your hands to ensure full adhesion before painting.
Step 4: Squeeze a small amount of paint onto a palette or paper plate. For the napkins shown, Seaweed was used. Dip a dauber into the paint, blot off excess, and pounce a thin, even layer across the stencil. One light coat is usually sufficient.
Step 5: While the paint is still wet, carefully peel the stencil away to reveal the crisp design.
Step 6: Repeat the process across the napkin in different positions until the desired pattern is complete.
Additional Painting Techniques to Try with Stencils
Once you’re comfortable with single-color stenciling, try a two-tone or ombre effect for added depth. For an ombre look, apply one color at one end of the stencil, then switch to a second color and blend where they meet. I used Seaweed and Gold for a subtle two-tone effect on some greeting cards.
You can also use multiple distinct colors without blending by carefully applying each color only to the stencil windows where you want them. Work one color at a time, letting sections dry if necessary, until the design is complete.
Cleaning Your Silkscreen or Adhesive Stencil
Clean stencils and silkscreens immediately after use with soap and water while the paint is still wet. Allow them to dry completely before reattaching adhesive backings or storing them to preserve their shape and usability.
Note: Martha Stewart products used in these projects are available at Michaels.
Do any of these hostess gift ideas appeal to you? Which one would you try?
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I partnered with the Martha Stewart team and Plaid Crafts for this post. All opinions and experiences are my own.