Hostess gifts for the holidays

The holiday season is here, bringing with it invitations to dinners and parties. And the need to find the perfect little gift for your host or hostess.

For those looking for an alternative to another bouquet of flowers or box of chocolates (which can be delightful, make no mistake), shop around. Local stores up and down the South Fork are full of interesting gifts that are a bit off the beaten path.

A hostess with a sense of humor might enjoy the “Ho Ho Hostess” line at Gone Local Hampton Goods and Gallery in Amagansett. Owner Susan Seitz-Kulick figures she makes about 70 percent of the creative, eclectic items in the gallery.

Among the items Ms. Seitz-Kulick makes are aprons from vintage dresses, including one snazzy number that looks like a little black dress ($28). Or how about a pair of fancy rubber gloves, the long cuffs bedecked with “jewels” ($15)? To lend a little elegance to the drain board, there are long-necked bottles of dish soap with labels fashioned from vintage postcards ($15).

Writing It Down

Even in this day and age of electronic correspondence and social networking, some people still like to use paper, at least sometimes. A handwritten thank-you note or, rarer still a letter, is a more personal expression than any e-mail message or tweet. Additionally, a journal that holds private thoughts feels more intimate when kept in a paper notebook instead of in an online blog.

For written communication, The Elegant Setting in Southampton offers notepads imprinted with the ZIP code of your favorite Hampton ($18). There’s stationery, too, along with chic—and eco-friendly—bamboo pens. At Simply French, also in Southampton, there are leather-bound notepads to keep handy on a desk or bedside table ($28). Choose one in red or green for the holidays.

The Fair Trade Market, upstairs at the Hamlet Green center in Hampton Bays, offers goods crafted by local artisans around the world who are paid fair prices for their work. The market is staffed by volunteers, and all proceeds benefit orphans in Africa. Here you’ll find “tree-free” papers from India made from recycled cotton rags ($16) and sets of eight note cards and envelopes in fun patterns ($14). There are also journals made of paper handcrafted by women’s crafting groups in Zimbabwe ($10).

Good Things To Eat and Drink

Since the host or hostess is the one treating their guests for the occasion, why not treat them back?

East Hampton’s own Barefoot Contessa has a line of scrumptious mixes for making your own Outrageous Brownies, Sinful Hot Chocolate, Homemade Marshmallows, Lemon Bars, Sour Cream Coffee Cake and Chocolate Ganache Cake, all in the $10 to $15 range. Find varying selections at Hildreth’s Department Store in Southampton or the General Home Store in East Hampton.

Or how about a tin of coconut Montauk Beach Cookies from the Carriage House in Montauk ($14)?

Sylvester and Company in Sag Harbor has Oreos for Grownups. These decadent desserts are dipped in white, milk and dark chocolate and run $24 a box.

There’s also local honey (yes, there are still honeybees in the Hamptons, thanks to the efforts of some dedicated local beekeepers) at Gone Local in Amagansett ($12 a jar).

Enjoy those sweet treats with a cup of Oprah’s favorite tea—Tea Forte´. Hildreth’s has the beautifully packaged Bombay Chai ($28) and a Green Sampler of teas packaged with a diffuser ($18.98).

For those who wish to give a gift of wine, make sure it’s from a local vineyard. Stephanie at The Elegant Setting suggests giving a wine carafe along with a bottle of North or South Fork wine for an extra-special touch.

Or, to inspire a competition—or just some good-natured fun—test a favorite oenophile’s knowledge with a set of Wine Quiz Cards from the General Home Store, which contains 240 viniferous questions and answers ($37).

Aficionados of cocktails can get updates on the classics in The Art of the Bar by Jeff Hollander and Rob Schwartz ($24.95) at the Carriage House in Montauk.

Help with Cooking and Serving

A nifty kitchen aid might be the perfect gift for someone who loves to cook. The Grid is a handy silicone device that can serve as a pot holder, trivet or jar opener. It comes in assorted colors at General Home Store in East Hampton ($10).

Environmentally friendly bamboo cutting boards and boxes in a variety of sizes and prices can be found at In Home in Sag Harbor.

Country Lane in Sag Harbor also sells spice-filled hot pads in several pretty fabrics for $18.50.

Cocktail napkins can be a good bet. On the high end, there are linen ones embroidered with seasonal motifs—autumn leaves, pheasants, pinecones or Christmas trees—at The Monogram Shop in East Hampton (set of 4 for $35).

Or for a picnic or informal party, maybe the hostess would appreciate disposable paper cocktail napkins with a monogram or an elegant floral or festive print. A great selection is available at O’Suzanna in Westhampton Beach ($5). Put them in a woven straw basket ($16) or a sleek metal one ($44). Add a decorative weight to hold the napkins down for a party on the deck. O’Suzanna has crowns, spades, fish and more ($14 apiece).

Corral dinner napkins in colorful hand-painted napkin rings from Indonesia, available at the Fair Trade Market in Hampton Bays (set of six for $25).

Pewter mermaid napkin rings are at the Carriage House in Montauk (set of four for $40). The store also carries monogrammed coasters ($20 for a set of four).

Salad servers are another good idea. O’Suzanna has a great selection of patterns ($40).

Thinking ahead, seashell-themed servers are fun for summer parties. Hildreth’s in Southampton has seashell-topped canapé forks ($14.99 for a set of six) and seashell place card holders (set of six for $17.99).

At Simply French, shoppers will find a set of seashell hors d’oeuvres servers in a lovely box ($38), or a golden or Lucite seahorse wine stopper ($38).

Susan at Gone Local in Amagansett makes fluted bowls, perfect for serving popcorn or chips or other munchables, from old vinyl LP records—a great deal at $9. Susan said that shoppers can even pick the band for a special fan—she’ll find the right record and make a bowl to order.

For cleanup time, The Elegant Setting in Southampton offers absorbent, machine-washable waffle hand towels with a seashell or grass spray motif at $38 each.

More home gift ideas for the host or hostess to come next week. Happy shopping!