1
Let people cut their own damn cheese—and give your host one less thing to worry about—with this
acacia cheese slicer.
$19.95 at Crate and Barrel. Want to be an extra-awesome guest? Bring along the tasty Pleasant Ridge Reserve, a semifirm cow’s milk cheese.
$10.99 for a half pound at Pastoral.
2
Wow, your host sure didn’t expect that gang of Hells Angels to show up to her bash. Good thing you brought the foldable, stackable
ROY stool from IKEA. Bonus: When it’s not being used as extra seating, it makes a great side table for things like, say, motorcycle helmets or brass knuckles.
$12.95 at IKEA.
3
“
Belt buckle bottle opener” is fun to say, and just as fun to use. This contraption should give your host a good laugh, as well as a quick and easy way of opening beers for thirsty guests without having to search around for an opener.
$22.95 at beltbuckleshop.com.4
The British government commissioned posters with a message from King George VI—keep calm and carry on—with the intention of hanging the posters around the United Kingdom at the start of war with Germany in 1939. More than 60 years later, the monarch’s message of calm lives on in these
tea towels. The smart swabbers are sure to come in handy for wiping the inevitable spills on the floor or serving as an impromptu apron—and King George’s message will keep your host from getting too frazzled in the face of a raucous horde.
£10 (about $20.80 at the current exchange rate) at larkmade.com. 5
There’s nothing more daunting for a hung-over host than the morning after a party. When the living room is littered with red Solo cups and beer bottles stuffed with cigarette butts, and the dog is licking dried hummus off the floor, your hosts will be glad to enjoy some delicious
apple-cheese strudel with their coffee before they have to start sweeping bottle caps out from under the couch.
$20.95 at Dinkel’s Bakery. 6
Your host’s house is as bright as an interrogation room, meaning he forgot one essential element for a good bash: mood lighting. You can come to the rescue with these cute
Petits Fours Tea Lights—these candles will give the room that party vibe, as long as you persuade your friend to turn down the wattage elsewhere.
$15 at MCA Store.7
We think the inherent awesomeness of the
D.I.Y. Swan Ice Sculpture Kit speaks for itself. Oh fine, we’ll go on: Add water to the 11.5-inch-tall mold, freeze overnight, and then surprise your host and make your fellow guests green with envy when you walk through the door bearing this icy, elegant bird (and the mold it was formed in, wrapped up for giving). Sure beats bringing a leaky bag of ice cubes from the gas station on the corner.
$20 at fredflare.com.
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