There are a couple of loaves of homemade bread to go in here too, but they are in the oven right now.
We are heading out this weekend to visit with the city cousins. They’ve recently moved into a new home, so I though we should take along a housewarming gift of some kind. I remember a neighbour giving us salt, bread and wine when we moved, so I’m going to do something similar.
First, I looked it up to find the right wording to put on the card. I found that there are more items that were traditionally given as housewarming gifts as well.
| Bread | May those in your home never go hungry. |
| Broom | May your house always be clean and free of evil spirits. |
| Candles | May you always have light through the darkest times. |
| Coins | May you receive luck and good fortune. |
| Honey | May you always enjoy the sweetness of life. |
| Knives | May your home always be protected from intruders. |
| Olive Oil | May you be blessed with health and well-being. |
| Plants | May your home always have life. |
| Rice | May the love in your home multiply. (fertility) |
| Salt | May there always be flavor and spice in your life. |
| Wine | May you always have joy and never go thirsty. |
| Wood | May your home have stability, harmony, and peace. |
I have salt, candles, honey, wine (one of the bottles is from a local vineyard) and some homemade cuban bread that I am going to take with me. The honey is from an apiary in our neighbourhood – he keeps bee boxes on my in-laws property and presents them with a case of honey each year, so we have lots. I may have to purchase another bottle of wine because, well, we like wine. And the bread – I will post a recipe in the next few days. Stay tuned for a recipe for bread that is so quick and easy that even my 8 year old has made it.
Linking to A Turtle’s Life for Me, Frugally Sustainable, The Delectable Home, Sorta Crunchy, Boogieboard Cottage, The House in the Roses, Cozy Home Scenes, Mod Vintage Life, Learning the Frugal Life, Knick of Time, Farmgirl Friday, A Pinch of Joy, Sumo’s Sweet Stuff, Skip to My Lou, Tatertots and Jello, Our Delightful Home, Homestead Simple, GNOWFGLINS, Cheerios and Lattes
lightlycrunchy 
this is such a wonderful idea! I love gifts like this – something that has meaning, tradition, and is heartfelt, but also is really practical and you don’t have to worry about it clashing with their new decor.
And who doesn’t love homemade bread and wine?
*does not raise hand*
Ohohoh! I want homemade bread and local wine!
Oh, me too. I can’t believe that I have to smell this all day and not get to eat any.
I baked cake too. I’m nearly going out of my mind. It’s unbearable.
A friend gave my husband and I a basket very simlar to this but the first thing on the card said a basket for prosperity .. just thugh I would share.. I kinda like that one.. and I have given this gift a lot of times and people seem to really like it.. I know we did/
What a lovely idea! Whether it is for a house-warming gift, birthday present or gift for some other celebration, I think this gives it that personal touch. It comes from the heart, rather than from the local convenience store;)
I love this post!! I’m saving it to my “keep forever” file. Totally awesome.
Wow, thanks!
Looking forward to the bread recipe.
I wonder if the updated version of
“Knives May your home always be protected from intruders”
would be guns and just how would one arrange those in a gift basket…?!
I LOVE this idea (not the knives/gun reference specifically) and I want a neighbor with an apiary.
Oh and cake – I do admire you self control!
um.. I live in Canada with strict gun control.. So I guess we stick with knives.
Neighbors with apiaries are handy when you have a swarm of wild bees in your tree too – so we found out last year.
Ah, I see. Living in the US where guns are (frighteningly) accessible guess my warped sense of humor couldn’t help herself…;)
And a jar of peanut butter, that you may always be slightly nutty.
But seriously, a delicious looking basket. Inspiring for me to do the same in the future.
haha love the pb idea!
Beautiful basket! I got a little cracked up thinking about taking a broom and some knives to a new neighbor 🙂 Thanks for linking up!
I had a friend that took a housewarming gift like this. She had a reason for each thing. I thought, “How do you know all this stuff? Are you making it up?” Turns out, she wasn’t! 🙂
Did you fit that beautiful bread in there?
i did. There’s a pic at the end of the post now.
It’s always so fun getting housewarming gifts. Sounds like you have put a lot of thought into yours, so thanks for the suggestions of what to put in them. I’m sure the family who gets your basket will love the goodies.
The most memorable housewarming gift we got was when our then neighbor brought us half a watermelon. We didn’t have the heart to tell her we did not have a fridge to put it in. It was only after she left that we saw she had taken the time to carve it like a basket, then using a melon ball thing, filled it with watermelon balls. Let’s just say we ate a LOT of watermelon that day.
Bread and pies have been favorites too. Sadly, I think a housewarming gift is a forgotten tradition as people come and go in subdivisions all the time. Most people don’t even talk to their neighbors, so I think nobody thinks of the gift. Too bad, since it’s such a thoughtful thing to do.
Thanks for reminding us to be kind to our neighbors and for linking to my party!
What a wonderful idea! We have so many friends who are moving and this is such a personal way to christen the first visit to a new home. (That and I was especially happy to read how your honey comes to you…)
What a great post. I only wish that I could smell your homemade bread.
amy @ whilewearingheels.blogspot.com
Thanks! It did smell good and it was hard not to do the usual taste test, but I managed to hold off.
[…] Lightly Crunchy comes this traditional housewarming gift. Check out her post to see what else to include in a […]
This post is featured this week on Busy Monday at A Pinch of Joy! Stop by to check it out and grab a Featured Button. Can’t wait to see what other project you’ve been working on — hope you will link again soon!
Thanks for the feature! I already linked up again.
Homemade gift baskets! Every time we are invited to a housewarming gathering, we would default to giving them a mug or so, that they can use immediately. If we have more time, we would like to bake some cookies, and a cake, to put together a great personalized gift basket just like what you did.
Bread and wine……just add cheese and (maybe) good company! Sounds like my kind of gift!
[…] wrote about traditional housewarming gifts a while ago when we were visiting the city cousins in their new home and I wanted to take a […]
A delightful housewarming gift basket! I think I shall follow your lead…
Lovely! This reminds me of the list of foods to be blessed in an Easter basket, also a Seder menu, with symbolism for each dish. Clearly these things come with love and the promise of supportive friendship, the best part! 🙂
love this! what a lovely gift to give and receive! thank you!
ps here via pinterest 🙂
You’re welcome. I know, I enjoyed getting it before too.
I love this and am going to keep this list, not just for housewarming presents but for any. My lovely neighbour brought us some honey from her holiday in Crete – she’ll be very happy to know what a gift of honey means! 🙂
Honey is always a nice gift!
Oh my gosh. I love this! Thanks for sharing
[…] seen this basket of goodies idea on Pinterest. Of course. I have no original thoughts anymore. This woman in her blog provides a reason for every item in the basket. I really like being able to give a gift that can be […]
my girlfriend is inviting me to attend their house blessing., am gonna meet her parents and relatives and it really makes me scared… but thanks for sharing this stuff now i know what to do and what to bring. 🙂
[…] had seen a Pinterest pin featuring a “traditional” housewarming gift- a basket of useful items that all […]
Love this idea , looks like it would make a great Bridal Shower gift . No time to bake ,add a gift card to local bakery to use at a later date.
I love giving the bread wrapped in a new, clean dish towel and tied with a piece of twine. They have cute dish towels at IKEA for 99 cents that would be perfect!
[…] Photo Credit: https://lightlycrunchy.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/traditional-house-warming-gifts/ […]