This New Neighbor Gift Idea Will Make You The Favorite

Inside: Welcome your new neighbors with some fresh bread and this free printable wrapper. They’ll love the thoughtful gesture.

Do you ever wish that we still lived in the time where new neighbors were welcomed with open arms and people actually got to know each other?

It seems a bit unrealistic these days, doesn’t it?

I know that’s not how I operate.

Most of the homes around us are only seasonal occupants (ie snowbirds) and there’s a significant amount of turnover with the other homes being rentals, but I could certainly try harder to be friendly as well.

It’s not that I’m unfriendly it’s just that I am pretty darn introverted and over-analytical, so while I have the best of intentions to say hi and bring the new neighbors a sweet little gift, I often become paralyzed running the hundreds of potential scenes through my mind a million times.

It goes a little something like this:

Step 1: Knock (yes, I always knock because I’m terrified of waking up any sleeping babies; not a fun way to start off if you interrupt their only peaceful hour in the day!). At this point the heart palpitations have already begun and are in full swing! Ten seconds have gone by and now I’m wondering if they heard the door. Do I risk being annoying and knock again? Just wait here feeling sheepish?

Wait, do I even want them to answer? I think I’d prefer if I could just drop something off with my name on it and a sweet message. Is it too late to bolt full speed from the door? Will they see me before I can get my front door open? Aggghhh!!!!

Just then the door opens. Shoot, too late to run. Hurry, say something fast so they’re not just staring at a stranger in silence. Then I muster the courage to say hi and that I’m their neighbor from across the way and I just wanted to drop this by to say hi. And of course I say it all in one long-run-on-sort-of-sentence way because I’m so nervous I just want to get this thing over with before I sweat to death.

They of course are polite and say thanks and accept the gift, but not before I can wonder whether my face is the same shade as a tomato and whether they can tell how nervous I am.

I make up a quick line about how I better get back to my house now because of all the things I have to do today and say bye. My heart thanks me for ending the torture and I dart back to the safety of my house.

Yeah, that’s the crazy sort of thing that runs through my head each and every time I have to get myself out of my comfort zone.

And it’s so exhausting I just think, “well it’s nice of me to even consider saying hi and dropping by a gift, so that’s enough.”

New Neighbor Gift Idea

So if you’re a little crazy like myself then you’ll love this simple new neighbor gift idea. You can drop it off without having to meet your new neighbors face to face or you can put on your big girl pants and talk to them as well. The choice is yours!

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SUPPLIES:

New neighbor gift idea bread wrapper free printable (below)
Card Stock (this is my all time favorite card stock)
Scissors or paper trimmer
Double Sided Tape
Parchment Paper
Baker’s Twine
Homemade loaf of bread or store bought (I used and LOVE Kneaders bread!!)
Adobe Acrobat Reader (free; download here)

DIRECTIONS:

Print out the new neighbor gift idea bread wrapper on the card stock.
Cut out with scissors or paper trimmer.
Measure a length of parchment paper to fit around the loaf of bread with about 1 inch extra.
Cut the parchment paper and wrap around the loaf of bread, securing the paper to itself with double sided tape.
Wrap the bread wrapper over the parchment paper and secure it to the parchment paper with double sided tape.
Use the baker’s twine to tie a simple bow on the loaf for an extra cute touch!

This is a customizable PDF so you can just click after the heart in Adobe Reader to enter you or your family’s last name. If you want to match the font I chose you will need to have or download the Montserrat font (it’s free to download here). I used the regular thickness.

>>Click here to download your free printable new neighbor gift idea bread wrapper<<

More Ideas For The Family:

Sam

Sam is the crafter and founder of Simple Everyday Mom. She has been featured in Oprah Mag, Good Housekeeping, The Spruce Crafts, Country Living, The Bump and more. Read more.