As it turns out, the best hostess gifts aren't necessarily expensive or even complicated. Baker, blogger, and cookbook author Joy Wilson, known as Joy the Baker [1], regularly hosts friends and even baking students in her cozy and colorful New Orleans home [2], designed by Laurel & Wolf [3]. Naturally, she's perfected a go-to list of creative hostess gift ideas that never fail to delight. Attending Thanksgiving dinner or a holiday party soon? Here's what Joy has to say about her five favorite ideas:

1. Salt is my favorite hostess gift

"A flaky sea salt, a coarse sea salt that you've infused with fresh rosemary, a salt you've picked up from recent travels . . . most everyone uses salt, but most of us don't splurge on it, so it makes a really lovely gift."

2. A fresh loaf of banana bread

"It's easy to freeze but also really delicious with the next day's coffee."

3. A bottle of your favorite gin

"I love gin and I want everyone else to love gin too."

4. A small bottle of homemade essential oil room spray

"I mix distilled water with vodka and essential oils in a little spray jar and gift it as a pillow spray. It's thoughtful, memorable, and really economical."

5. A coloring book and colored pencils

"They're all the rage right now and actually pretty fun and soothing!"