A present for the host! 18 fun and practical gift ideas for your next cottage getaway

Cottage gifts—9 ideas for crafters

This everlasting bouquet stays pretty without watering

Fun paper flowers are simple to make from colorful cupcake liners. This bouquet looks fresh even when your cottage host isn’t there to tend it!

Make your own eco-friendly cleaning sprays

It feels especially nice to use nature-friendly cleaning products at the cottage. Whip up something like a rosemary–orange spray as a gift, and bottle it up beautifully! Find the instructions for eco-friendly cleaning sprays here [in Finnish].

Birch leaf oil pampers sore muscles

What’s more fitting for a cottage than the scent of birch? This oil, made from linseed oil and birch leaves, soothes muscles aching from chopping firewood or mowing the lawn. Check out the birch leaf oil recipe here and discover more ideas for summery natural cosmetics.

Handmade soap is both pretty and practical

Have you tried making soap? Surprise your cottage owner friend with a lovely gift of exfoliating soap or a more traditional soap using our easy-to-follow instructions.

A beeswax wrap in place of plastic wrap

For the eco-conscious cottage host, a great gift is a homemade beeswax wrap, which can stand in for plastic wrap when packing and storing food.

A lovely scent for the cottage closet or outhouse

Delightfully lavender-scented scent sachets are easy to make if you use small ready-made cotton pouches. They’re fun to slip into the sauna, bathroom, closet, or linen cabinet.

Build some beautiful floating lanterns

Here’s a fun DIY project: floating lanterns [in Finnish]. These lanterns create a magical atmosphere and can be made from wire mesh and a plank. If concrete crafts are your thing, check out the instructions for concrete lanterns [in Finnish]!

A cottage gift that surprises

Kanako Tamminen carves fairy-tale designs into fruits and vegetables for her own enjoyment and to delight others. You can try it, too! A carved melon, for example, makes a gorgeous cottage gift. Read the article about Kanako’s carving hobby here.

Cottage gifts—7 ideas for needlework enthusiasts

A stylish sauna bench towel made with linen yarn

Sauna bench towels are always needed! This is a craft even beginners can manage by knitting and crocheting. The material: lovely linen yarn.

Less effort: embroider pretty motifs on ready-made sauna bench towels

You can personalize store-bought sauna bench towels by embroidering pretty designs on them. Our guide shows you how to stitch leaf motifs and monograms. Check out our embroidered sauna bench towel instructions!

Colorful potholders brighten the kitchen

Potholders shaped like African flowers are a fun crochet project. Following our instructions, you can make three potholders.

A practical gift for anyone: a crocheted dishcloth

Many people appreciate gifts they can truly use. A dishcloth crocheted from hemp yarn is spot on! The cloth’s textured bobbles feel delightfully nubby.

Knitted slippers that bring instant coziness

Cozy slippers are made for padding around at the cottage! These easy slippers use one skein of sock yarn. Also check out our popular house slipper instructions!

Crocheted espadrilles for summer strolls

If you prefer crochet, make a snug pair of espadrilles [in Finnish]. Your cottage host will love them.

Cottage gifts—2 ideas for flower lovers

Plant bold summer blooms in upcycled containers—or decorate a plain clay pot

Does your cottage-bound loved one adore flowers? Plant blossoms in a rustic upcycled container—an old pot, sauna bucket, wooden box, or pitcher—whatever you can repurpose! Another fun option is to liven up an ordinary planter. A revamped pot will likely last longest indoors or out of the rain.

Create a beautiful bouquet from your garden or a summer meadow

Fresh-cut flowers always make a statement! Gather a harmonious arrangement from your garden, or pick a breezy summer bouquet of wildflowers. Check out these ideas from Kreetta Järvenpää’s arrangements, where she artfully mixes garden perennials and wildflowers.