23 Ultra-Cool and Unique Housewarming Gift Ideas

Housewarming gift guides are peppered with simple-enough ideas like a reed diffuser, a plant, a scented candle, or a frying pan. Sure, they work for everyone, but they aren’t exactly memorable.

The housewarming gift ideas in this guide say more than “welcome home” — they say, “I get you.” They go beyond the ordinary, from cherry-shaped measuring spoons and neon kitchen tongs to the best smart lightbulbs and the yummiest freezer meals.

Housewarming Gift Ideas for the Maximalist

Your color-obsessed friend will love any of these quirky dopamine decor finds. They’re unique housewarming gifts while also being beautiful and functional. They’re the coolest response to a “We’ve Moved” card.

1. Blue Bodum Toaster

Who knew a toaster could act as home decor? Toast really pops against this bright blue toaster with green and red accents. It also comes in yellow or red. 

2. Striped Trash Can

One of the best housewarming gift tricks is to ask yourself: What would I not want to spend money on, but I’d use every day? Enter this stripey Dunsen Dunsen trash can, which is cuter than a bathroom trash can has any business being. 

3. Neon Tongs

These neon tongs will have the new homeowner asking the question: Why did we ever get boring silver tongs? With hot pink, neon green, and gold stainless steel, these happy-face-bedecked tongs will bring your loved one some serious happiness in the kitchen.

4. Pink Electric Kettle

Every house needs a kettle, and an electric one makes the process quick and easy. This glossy ceramic electric kettle looks like a glass teapot and comes in pink or blue. 

5. Colorful Flameless Lighter

Candles make even a room full of moving boxes feel cozy. Lighting candles becomes an act of joy with this USB-powered flameless lighter. These dual-toned ones from Botanica come in all sorts of cute colorways.

6. Cherry-Shaped Measuring Spoons

Dopamine-decor lovers will be obsessed with these adorable cherry measuring spoons that make each step of a recipe feel fun. And as a bonus: The leaf of the bunch is an egg white separator.

7. Heart Cocktail Shaker

Upgrade their at-home bar with a pink and red glass cocktail shaker topped with a heart. The set comes with a shaker, strainer, and stirring spoon.

For the Friend Whose Move Is Driving Them Crazy

We all know how annoying it is to move. These gifts will make their new space feel like home even though they’re swimming in cardboard boxes.

8. The Gift of Time

The perfect housewarming gift? You! Come hang photos, paint a wall, rearrange living room furniture, unpack boxes, do a house project, or organize a cabinet. With so much to do when you move to a new house, it’s a massive relief to have an extra set of hands. The best part about this gift is that it’s free, and it’ll be remembered for a long, long time.

9. Fresh and Frozen Meals

Whip up a big batch of your friend’s favorite food and include a few portions in freezer bags so they last throughout the next few weeks as they settle in. We love the ”What to cook for a Meal Train” post on the What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking Substack — they apply to new homeowners, too. May we suggest the addictive and perfect Peanut Vegetable Curry to start?

To squeeze an extra thoughtful gift in there, serve your dish in a (new) big stockpot or cast-iron skillet that they can keep.

Feeling extra housewarm-y? Make some cookie dough, form it into balls, and have them toss it into the freezer, too. Fresh cookies on a future night of unpacking!

10. Gift Cards to Local Restaurants

Help your loved one feel at home in their new neighborhood by grabbing a gift card (or a few) to some restaurants near them. Send them a digital congratulations card through a service like Greenvelope, where you can include a restaurant gift card.

11. Cleaning Service

Pitch in with friends to get them a few months of a cleaning service. That way, they can focus on settling in and know that someone will clean up after them (at least for now).

12. Grocery Store Gift Card

This is one gift that will not get thrown away and will definitely be used. Bring them a grocery gift card so the first big shop is on you!

13. Go Grocery Shopping for Them

Even better than a gift card? Do the shopping for your friend. Pick up their favorite Trader Joe’s easy meals or the ingredients they’re always cooking with. Throw in a frozen pizza for a guaranteed slam dunk meal. 

For the Friend Who Is Always Sending You Recipe Videos

If your loved one likes to be in the kitchen trying out recipes, go with one of these cooking-centered housewarming gift ideas.

14. Checkered Cutting Board

A foodie friend’s cutting board has certainly seen better days. This checkered upgrade doubles as a cheese board for charcuterie nights and looks stunning on the countertop. The deep grooves catch errant juices, and the grooved handles and rubber feet make it ultra-practical.

15. Olive Oil & Spices Gift Basket

Pull together a kit with some high-quality olive oil, common kitchen spices, and some fancy salt from Jacobsen Salt Company. After a thorough decluttering at their old house, your friend will much appreciate some fresh oils and spices.

16. Electric Wine Opener

The Rabbit Automatic Electric Corkscrew is kinda life-changing. Instead of wrestling with a manual corkscrew and hoping for the best, this gadget removes the cork seamlessly with one touch of a button. Pair this gift with some new wine glasses.

17. Colorful Beaded Coasters

Gift your barista pal with a playful set of beaded coasters to rest their handcrafted drinks on. Each coaster in the set of four has a different design — a cherry, an olive, an “ooh lala,” or a “très bien.” 

18. Cool Cookbook

Instead of a coffee table book they’ll probably never look at, gift your friend a cookbook. Our most loved (aka most-splattered) cookbooks are Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over by Alison Roman and Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat, both available on Amazon.

Add to the gift set with a cute monogrammed hand towel, linen napkins, or a stoneware salt well.

19. Lodge Dutch Oven

We love the affordable price point of the Lodge dutch oven, but we might love the bright colorways even more: Apricot, Cornflower Blue, Island Spice Red, Lilac, Poppy, and more. A good dutch oven can last a lifetime, so sneakily check if they have one already before bringing this cookware to the housewarming party!

For the Friend Who Loves Their Label Maker

These are the best housewarming gifts for the practically minded. This friend might have a cleaning schedule that they actually stick to and their pantry items are decanted into jars. Pick one of these for a practical and handy gift.

20. Fire Blanket

It’s not glamorous, it’s not cute, but it’s life-saving. A fire blanket is easier to deploy than a fire extinguisher and has a slim profile to save space. If they need it, they’ll be extremely grateful they have it.

21. Seriously Good Carpet Cleaner

This little green machine will save your friends from wine stains, pet stains, kid stains, and more. It’s shockingly affordable for such a magic carpet cleaner.

22. Custom Address Stamp

Your pal will feel like they’re in the Bridgerton world marking their correspondence with a custom address stamp. This Etsy shop has aesthetically pleasing fonts and a swath of colors for their custom stamps. Seeing their new address on a stamp will say “welcome home.”

23. Smart Lightbulbs

We are indeed living in a time when you can ask your house to turn off the lights and it will. Gift your loved one a pack of Bluetooth color-changing smart bulbs that will make them feel like they’re in the Disney Channel Original Movie “Smart House.”

Home Sweet Home

Matching Design: Blooming Congratulations Card

When you drop off the housewarming gift to your friend or loved one, offer to stay and help unpack some boxes. After all, the best gift we can give one another is our time and attention.

If you’re strapped for time, send along a digital congratulations card through Greenvelope to share your warm wishes in just a few clicks.