Right at home: hip holiday host gifts

The go-to item many people choose for a dinner party is a nice bottle of wine, and it's a good gift, with a long shelf life and versatility. But think about jazzing up your offering with something extra that your hosts can enjoy long after the last glass of wine has been poured.

How about a set of faux yet realistic-looking wine cork candles that can be popped in an empty bottle? You'll find nice ones at Uncommon Goods.

A package of acetate sheets that will remove and preserve a particularly beautiful wine bottle label? A gift set of wine tools, decanter and kitchen towel? Sur la Table has a good selection. The gourmet retailer also offers wreaths composed of herbs like rosemary, bay and sage - a gift that's both decorative and edible.

For a family, a package of movie passes and a tin of popcorn is something the whole gang can enjoy.

Or Red Envelope offers a throw-pillow cover that you can personalise: Add mom and dad deer and as many fawns as there are children, then adorn with the family's name and other details.

With friends, starting a tradition can be fun. One neighbour of mine makes the most delectable 'Kentucky candied pecans' each year.

Janet Dickerson-Daley of Boston said a friend gave her a little foot-high evergreen tree one Christmas; she now has eight in the backyard. "It's been my favourite hostess gift," she says.

Several websites, including Mixbook and Shutterfly, can help you make a personalised calendar; consider taking pictures of a neighbour's house each month, then putting them together.

Personalising stuff

If making a gift yourself doesn't fit your schedule or your skill set, check out community farmers' and holiday markets, and online sites such as Fab.com for limited-edition treats and goods, often at great prices.

Lisa Price, an artist in Grand Rapids, Michigan, makes charming linocut block-printed tea towels, and small pillows with images of pie slices, cabins, snowflakes and squirrels.

New York designer Alexandra Ferguson uses felt made from recycled water bottles for throw pillows with eye-catching typography. 'Welcome Home', 'Bon Appétit', or 'C'est si bon' would make fun host gifts.

Hand-hew, pillar candle holders made from recycled 19th-century Philadelphia wood-floor joists, from Peg & Awl, would appeal to both mid-century-modern lovers and historians.

Is your host artsy? Consider a Frank Lloyd Wright or Eames key ring from Acme Studio. A door holder from MOMA design store is emblazoned with the word 'STOP' in comic book graphics. And from French Canadian e-tailer Iddko, an unusual pillow printed with the old Life magazine logo has a nice retro vibe.