The house warming party invites are out. All of your friends are going, you cannot say no. You would look like an antisocial misfit. You cannot say you never got any of the house warming party invites in the mail, because you have already talked about it with those friends. But you never like going to house warming parties because you never know what to bring. Everyone else finds the best house warming gifts, and you bring a gift card to Bed, Bath and Beyond.
But gifts for house warmings can be fun and clever and creative and personal. They do not have to be super expensive. If you can personalize a gift, and make it something useful and meaningful, it will have much more value than the rich guy who shows you up every time by buying people a new vacuum.
A simple, yet elegant, approach is calligraphing a housewarming saying onto some very nice paper stock, then framing it. Try to find out the style in the house prior to picking the stock or the frame so that they do not clash with what is already established, but do not be afraid to give it a touch of your own style as well. Sayings about how important homes are, and that love is in the heart, you know the ones, are the best. The sayings that are just slightly over-sentimental, that really tug at the heartstrings and get the emotions going, are the ones that will make your hosts appreciate your gift over the new Dyson that the other guy brought.
Some particular favorites of mine that you can use are literary, but poignant. Robert Montgomery is quoted as saying: “Home, the spot of earth supremely blest, a dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest.” And Charles Dickens once penned: “Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration.” And there is an anonymous quote of: “The ornaments of your house will be the guests who frequent it.”
Show your friends how much they mean to you, and how important their happiness is to you as well. Give them a thoughtful, meaningful gift that shows that you care. Granted it is not the best vacuum money can buy, but it will keep the house with love longer than the vacuum will keep it clean.
