Thoughtful Thank You Gifts for the Cottage

What’s better than having a family cottage? Having family or friends who own a cottage.

And what’s better than having family or friends who own a cottage? Having family or  friends who own a cottage who invite you for a visit.

Depending on where you’re located, some call it a cabin, some call it a lake house. But if it’s a getaway from the city on or close to a body of water, it’s definitely a cottage. And definitely a good place to get invited to! And as with any invitation, you won’t show up empty-handed. You need to contribute to food and drink and thank-you gifts for the cottage.

So of course you’ll bring food — whether you’ll cover specific meals for everyone or contributions to a potluck or family-style way of dining (see our Tips for Feeding a Crowd). And, of course, you’ll bring beverages… both for yourself and perhaps a fancy tipple or two for all the adults to enjoy.

But you also want to bring a hostess gift. But maybe bigger and better than the usual bottle of wine. Since a family cottage is often a special place that people love and have wonderful memories of, thank you gifts for the cottage should also be special and hopefully drum up wonderful memories of you and your stay.

So here’s how to say thank you for the gift of a cottage invitation, so you’ll hopefully be invited back next year and the year after that! These thank you gifts for the cottage are not necessarily expensive, but they do go a long way towards acknowledging the special gift of company and friendship.

Thoughtful & Useful Thank-You Gifts for the Cottage:

Custom Cottage Sign

You can’t go wrong with something custom with it comes to thoughtful thank you gifts for the cottage. And a handmade custom sign that uses natural elements will fit in perfectly with most cottage’s cottagey decor. This design is made of durable and renewable pine wood and finished with distressed flat black paint. The letters are unfinished and show off the beauty of the natural pine. | WHERE TO BUY

Kawartha Tea Towel

It’s one of Ontario’s most popular cottage getaway locations and for good reason; the Kawarthas are lovely. Display your love for The Kawarthas with the Kawartha Tea Towel. It’s made of soft and absorbent cotton with an artfully designed list of Kawartha lakes printed onto white background. It’s machine washable (of course) and perfect for the home or cottage. It’s almost too nice to dry the dishes with!

Also available in Muskoka version. | WHERE TO BUY

Pretty Gifts for the Cottage: Bee-Friendly Seed Collection

Everyone has that spot in their cottage garden that could stand with a little cover from wildflowers. Solve their problem with this thoughtful gift. This bee-friendly seed collection contains nine individual packets of seeds: Lavender, Dwarf Sunflower, Marigolds, Cornflower, Zinnias, Alyssum, Cosmos, Nasturtium, and Chives. This collection of flowers will lure bees and other pollinating insects to your garden as well as provide them with a vital source of nectar. | WHERE TO BUY

Bird Sounds Clock

One of the best parts of cottage life is listening to and identifying the various beautiful birds who make cottage country home. But city slickers don’t always know the different bird calls or even what those birds whose names they are familiar with actually look like. One of my favourite thank-you gifts for the cottage, this charming clock chimes with a different bird call every hour on the hour, except when you program so it doesn’t go off at night, disturbing your blissful cottage sleeps. | WHERE TO BUY

Useful Gifts for the Cottage: Cookout BBQ Tool Set

No one wants to heat up the cottage by running the oven for hours to make dinner. Grilling is THE best way to prep most of your cottage weekend meals! So the gift of BBQ tools means more time eating and playing and less time prepping and washing up. This set features durable sainless steel construction with heat-resistant handles with hanging hooks and a convenient carrying case that is great for storage and camping. | WHERE TO BUY

HBC Pitcher & Tumbler Set

The last think anyone wants to do is interrupt their cottage fun by always having to head inside for refills. The HBC striped pitcher and tumbler set in the classic Hudson’s Bay colours is as practical as it is cute. The shatterproof jug and drinking glasses are BPA-free. | WHERE TO BUY

Farmhouse Ceramic Mugs

No more cottage morning coffee in mismatched, chipped mugs! These ceramic mugs have a vintage feel but are microwave and dishwasher-safe and hold a decent amount of coffee. The vintage design and colours will fit with any decor and are made of durable porcelain that’s lead-free, non-toxic, chip-resistant, and more sturdy than stoneware. | WHERE TO BUY

Cottage Wine Glasses

Life is DEFINITELY better at the cottage and even more so with a glass of wine in your hand. These generously-sized wine glasses come in sets of two and are made from dishwasher-safe etched glass. Toast your hosts’ generosity and warm welcome with a couple of sets and a lovely bottle of rose to go along with them. | WHERE TO BUY

Fun Gifts for the Cottage: Canoe Cribbage Board

Hopefully the weather holds and you’ll be spending most of your time outdoors. But a rainy cottage evening accompanied by classic card games can be just as enjoyable and relaxing. The cute, cottage-y canoe design of this cribbage board looks wonderful as a decor piece on its own, made even better by one of the guests actually knowing how to play Cribbage. | WHERE TO BUY

Wooden Ring Toss Set

Who knew that ring toss had actual rules beyond tossing the ring onto the stick? You can learn together with this lovely wooden ring toss set, featuring classic design and quality wood construction. Players take turns tossing rings at the targets. Where the rings land determines how many points are awarded. Play to 200 or decide for yourselves how many points it will take to win the game. | WHERE TO BUY