Everything Else

This past week one of my good friends purchased her very first home (congrats again Chris!). Being a homeowner already myself, I wanted to get her a really great house warming gift. Not another picture frame, or another candle, or a plant – but something actually useful (although all 3 of those are great gifts!) I wanted to get her something that she wouldn’t necessarily think to buy for herself right away, but something that would be GREAT to have when she wanted it. I searched around and around and came up with a million great ideas which I will share at the bottom of this post, but ultimately I landed on two different DIY gift basket ideas. A Drink Dispenser Sangria Gift & A Crock Pot Gift Both were fun to buy for, fun to make and even more fun to give! Check out these two gifts that I made below plus another EIGHT great ideas that I thought would make for perfect gifts as well. Crock Pot House Warming Gift I’m a sucker for a great slow cooker meal – who isn’t? The ease of most recipes combined with the clean-up process makes them a no brainer in our house. As a new homeowner, a crock pot probably isn’t on top of your list of “things to buy” right away but it’s definitely something super useful to have in the house. Especially when you have kids and work a full time job. Now gifting a crock pot by itself is nice, but why not fill it up with a bunch of kitchen and slow cooker essentials? No need for a gift bag here, the gift itself is the bag!Contents: Crock Pot Magnolia Table book by Joanna Gaines (OR a crock pot recipe book would be great!) Slow Cooker sauce packets (these can be found in the spice aisle at the grocery store and come in all kinds of delicious flavors) Salt & Pepper Shakers (add some more to “spice” it up – think oregano, basil or onion powder) Collection of wooden spoons and spatulas Oven Mitt & Dish Towel Now, I only gifted a small crock pot (4-5 gallons) because the person that I was giving it to lives alone and that’s all she needs. BUT if you wanted to buy a larger crock pot, here are some other neat ideas that I’ve thought of and seen before. Crock Pot Liners Measuring spoons and cups Dish soap and sponges Spoon rest Grocery store gift cards   Sangria Drink Dispenser House Warming Gift A good glass of sangria is also something that I’m a sucker for. With the weather getting nicer out too, I’m getting more excited to have friends over for outdoor parties so having a drink dispenser in the house really comes in handy. This super simple DIY makes for the perfect spring/summer house warming gift. And again, no gift bag needed! Contents: Drink Dispenser (needs to be big enough to hold a bottle of wine) Bottle of red or white wine Mixture of fruits (lemons, limes, apples, grapes or cranberries) Wooden Spoon Some ribbon to tie the spoon around the top! And that’s it! Bonus points if you gift a set of wine glasses to go with it!   8 More DIY House Warming Gift Basket Theme Ideas Keeping first time home buyers in mind like my friend Christine, I wanted to share with you all 8 more house warming gift basket “themes”. Any of the below would make a new homeowner smile 🙂  Cleaning Supply Theme: You can NEVER have too many cleaning supplies. Try to think out of the box and go for the toilet bowl brush and cleaner, the stainless steel wipes, the Tide pen. Coffee Theme: If you have a bigger budget, buy a Keurig or coffee pot with all of the essentials. If you’re running on a smaller budget, just stick to the essentials and maybe throw in a bottle of Bailey’s! Bar Theme: Similar to the coffee theme and my sangria gift above, create a gift basket with all of the essentials that you would need to make drinks when guests come over. A wine opener, a martini shaker, coasters, etc.  Junk Drawer Theme: This one is SUPER practical, especially for new homeowners. Think of all of the things that wind up in your junk drawer: batteries, candles, scissors, playing cards, you know what I’m talking about. Throw all of these together in a cute box and label it “JUNK”. It’s a fun way to gift the essentials and everyone will get a laugh out of it. Tool Theme: Do you ever wonder how homeowners (especially ones with a garage) somehow end up with 8 screwdrivers, 4 hammers and 10 tape measures? Me either, but I’m definitely guilty of it. You can never have too many tools around the house and a nice toolbox makes a great gift to that friend who lives alone and never thinks she “needs” tools…until she needs them. Gardening Theme: Nothing says a new home like a fresh garden! Fill up a 5 gallon bucket with rubber gloves, some seeds, a mini shovel, a new hose nozzle and some weed killer. Top it off with some bags of soil or go fancy with a cute gnome! Picture Frame Theme: I know, I know…I said at the beginning of this post that picture frames weren’t that “useful” as a house warming gift. While they may not be useful, they are definitely welcomed. Do you know how many people are guilty of having picture frames in their houses with NO pictures in them? (insert girl raising her hand emoji). Gifting picture frames that ALREADY have pictures in them is a super thoughtful gift. Car Cleaning Theme: While this last one doesn’t relate entirely to a new home, it’s still a great gift idea. Most new homes have parking spots where you can run a hose or vacuum to for a DIY car wash. Grab a bucket and fill it with some soap, a sponge, tire cleaner and window wipes. Again, things that you don’t know you need until you need them. What do you think of the above gift basket themes? Which one is your favorite? 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