The holiday gifting season is here! I’ve spent the past few weeks poking around the internet for gift ideas to satisfy every person on your list. From hosts and guys to kids and in-laws, this 2026 holiday gift guide is chock-full of ideas for all the people that bring a little magic to your life. Part two is coming to W&D soon… stay tuned!

Let’s get into part one of the 2026 holiday gift guide.

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13 Gifts for Your Favorite Host

These selections are generally under $100 and come with both practical use and beautiful design.

1. Through Sunday by Lisa Hackwith, $24. A four-part menu series designed for the weekend, using minimal ingredients with maximum impact. 

2. Notcoy Glass Drink Dispenser, $120. A drink dispenser with personality! Year-round use.

3. Metal Cookbook Stand, $19. Not for displaying books you never use. Says I’m serious about cooking. Multiple colorways, utilitarian design.

4. Leather-Bound Guest List Book, $120. Every host wants a place for guests to leave a note, but they never want to ask. An heirloom piece to keep for decades.

5. Sophie Lou Jacobsen Spiral Coasters, $75. Nothing says you “respect wood” than someone who gifts a coaster set like this.

6. East Fork Thistle Tumblers, Set of 4, $72. My favorite glasses to reach for when a friend is hanging out in my kitchen. Works for juice, water, cocktails, you name it.

7. Obakki Candle Gift Box, Salt, $85. For the host fluent in mood lighting and understated elegance.

8. Autumn Sonata Ingrid Napkins, Set of 4, $98. Want them to think of you when the meal calls for “the good napkins”? Gift them a set of these. 

9. Craft Society Onion Basket Kit, $75. Everything you need to weave your own onion basket in an afternoon. A gift and a project in one, and it ends up hanging in their kitchen.

10. Personally Selected Cookbook. Add notes and mark favorite recipes. Pick something that aligns with their interests and add to their growing collection. This one is a favorite right now.

11. One-of-a-Kind Candle Holder, $225 $135. Something special to use for their next dinner party. 

12. Obakki Ruffle Bread Plate, $41. Bread plates double as a catch-all. These are cute. 

13. Tiny Checks Ruffle Pillow, $98 $83. The sweetest lumbar pillow to add to dining chairs or their favorite armchair.

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14 Gifts for the Guy Who Says He Doesn’t Need Anything

We all know that guy. I specifically bookmarked these gifts over the past 365 days for the moment you panic about what to get him.

1. Museum of Peace & Quiet Publishing Dept. Dad Hat, $55. For the one who is always asking us to use our indoor voice.

2. Redecker Shoe Cleaning Hedgehog, $99. Friendly little hedgehog that doubles as a brush for his yardwork boots.

3. Camp Snap CS-8 Video Camera, $199. Bring back the dad who was always holding the camcorder! Produces vintage-inspired clips that add nostalgia and warmth to everyday moments. Plugs straight into a laptop. 

4. The Anarchist’s Workbench by Christopher Schwarz, $37. I love the approach to creating and the writing of this how-to book for makers who hate following “how it’s always done.”

5. Portable Air Pump and Tire Pressure Monitor, $89. For bikes and cars and all the times you text about needing a little air in them.

6. A Very Good Man Soap, $20. This soap seems a little silly until you use it and the name makes sense.

7. Fancy CD Player, $109. A good-looking CD player that can be paired with a curation of his favorite CDs from the glory days. Dig them out of storage and wrap a curated stack of his old disks. Or start hunting thrift stores to collect a handful. This is a gift you can keep adding to over the years as you come across new additions for the collection.

8. Toyo Toolbox, $101. Japanese brand, iconic design, the only toolbox for a guy who cares about utility and aesthetics. 

9. Kids Drawing Catch-All Tray, $26-$60. A really sweet way to personalize something he’ll look at on his desk daily.

10. Groovy Golfer Doodle Headcover, $45. I love a dorky headcover. This one is great for the golden doodle dog dad. 

11. DedCool Room & Linen Spray, $40. A very Gen Z-coded brand that my husband loves. He has no idea it’s “cool”. It just smells really great, and the scent lingers for days. 

12. A Field Guide to American Houses by Virginia Savage McAlester, $45 $41. A wealth of information for architecture and design geeks. 

13. Snakes of Wrath Game, $50. An addictive abstract tile-laying game that looks great on the coffee table. 

14. Pendleton Modern Heritage Throw, $250. A high-quality classic that can live draped over his favorite chair. 

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13 Gifts for Kids (and Kids at Heart) That Aren’t More Plastic

Items I’ve enjoyed with my own kids, along with a few things I’ll be purchasing this year. 

1. Build-Your-Own Little Guy Kit, $15. Our kids had the world’s best nanny when they were little, and I still have a basket of little people they made during those years. This kit makes it easy to craft your own.

2. Cyanotype Kit, $18. A staple for any ‘80s kids that still is a joy to create today.

3. Papercraft World Axolotl 3D Model, $29. A fun project to work on with your young ones! They can be converted into lamps!

4. Zoom Vintage RetroShot Camera, $93 $47. Pocket-sized and cute, with vintage captures.

5. ChompSaw with Hole Punch and Scoring Tool, $249. This was on our list last year, and I regretted not buying it sooner.

6. Nova Natural Rainbow Prism, $12. A beautiful piece to keep on the coffee table, and durable enough for the whole family to use instead of grabbing a screen during downtime.

7. Radio Flyer Kid’s Wheelbarrow, $47. Because yard work is a family affair and everyone feels better after being outside.

8. Hugg-A-Planet Classic Earth, $44. I had one as a kid and can still hear my dad’s finger drag across it while showing me far-away parts of the world. Doubles as a stuffy.

9. Extra Large Metal Slinky, $10. Everybody loves a slinky. This one is massive.

10. North Spore Pink Oyster Mushroom Growing Kit, $34. Because mushrooms are amazing. 

11. Four Rabbit Never Bored Bandana Board Game, $42. Tie it to your tote and throw the dice in your bag. The times I could have used this little game are countless!

12. Miniature Canvas Painted by Rats, $30. Exactly what it sounds like. Print out the picture of the artist and tuck it into the wrapping. 

13. Owl Pellet Dissection Kit, $10. Because it’s gross and cool and fun.

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15 Gifts for the In-Laws Who Have Everything

A wide variety of games, conversation pieces, luxury wellness items, and gifts that say I knew you needed this before you did. 

1. Kaaterskill Market Gardener’s Long Basket, $55–$75. For the in-law who comes in from the garden with tomatoes in their shirt. Handwoven, and it only gets better the more you use it.

2. Edie Parker Heirloom Table Lighter, $350. A lighter pretty enough to leave out on the table, for the in-law who lights candles before every dinner.

3. THINK Conversation Cards, $29. Dinner with the in-laws, minus the small talk. Set a few of these on the table and let everyone surprise each other.

4. Literary Clock, $209. Every minute, it shows a line from a book that mentions that exact time. Perfect for the reader who has read everything.

5. NYT Games Queen Bee Sweatshirt, $75. For the one who texts the family group chat their Spelling Bee score before 7 am.

6. Saturn Press Coastal Getaway Gift Box, $35. Letterpress cards for the in-law who still sends real thank you notes. Eight of them, so they are set for a while.

7. Porcini Hand Lotion, $45. Yes, porcini. A really good hand lotion for dry winter hands, with a name that starts a conversation.

8. The Mahjong Line Travel Mahjong Set, $375. Small enough to pack for the cabin or a long weekend, so the game night comes with them.

9. Fringe Full Body Red Light Mat, $749. The splurge. For the in-laws who are into wellness and already own every gadget except this one.

10. Byer of Maine Pangean Lounger, $89 $79. Perfect for lawn hangs and fireworks watching, and easy enough to pack up and use for Little League games.

11. Craighill Match Striker, Brass, $78. Every candle lover needs a place to strike a match. This one is solid brass and good-looking enough to leave out.

12. UME Jasmine Ylang Ylang Bar Soap, $62. A bar of soap that feels special. Jasmine and ylang-ylang, and it looks beautiful sitting by the sink.

13. The Paris Review Subscription, $59. A year of The Paris Review for the in-law who always has a book going and wants to talk about it.

14. Art Life Practice Sketchbook, $24. For the in-law who keeps saying they want to start drawing again. Low pressure, and a nice nudge.

15. The Complete Calvin and Hobbes, $225. Every Calvin and Hobbes strip in one set. The kind of gift that gets read out loud at the kitchen table.

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Editor’s Note: This article contains affiliate links. Wit & Delight uses affiliate links as a source of revenue to fund the operations of the business. Wit & Delight stands behind all product recommendations. Still have questions about these links or our process? Feel free to email us.