Start Your Homestay Farewell Gifts with Name Tags

When you prepare multiple homestay farewell gifts, name tags become important. Even if you choose different items for each family member, things can get confusing once they are wrapped. The thought you put into deciding who gets what should remain visible on the outside of each package.

For someone in their 20s finishing a language program abroad, saying goodbye is its own kind of homework. You want to express personal thanks to each member of the family you lived with. If parents back in Korea are helping with the preparations, a good first step is to write down each item alongside the name of the person who will receive it, all in the same note.

A review that said the contents were clear without unwrapping anything

A customer who purchased 누비컵받침 (nubi cup coaster) ordered several gifts at the same time. She had requested gift wrapping for each item and was worried she would not be able to tell them apart. Her review read: "They wrote clearly what each one was." This was during the time she was preparing gifts to give to her classmates and her homestay family.

The reason this buyer felt reassured was not only the attractive wrapping. She could tell what each package contained without opening it. The gifts she had chosen with different people in mind did not end up mixed together.

If you are preparing different items for each member of a host family, this is worth keeping in mind. Choosing the item and labeling the recipient can be taken care of in one step.

Divide what the whole family will share from what each person will use individually

Start by thinking about whether every gift will be assigned to one person. Another approach is to combine one item the whole family can share with individual gifts for each person. A household item for the host family and a souvenir for a friend serve different purposes. Recalling the daily habits you observed while living together can make the division a little clearer.

[소산당]누비컵받침연꽃태극-원형5종 ([Sosandang] Nubi Coaster — Lotus & Taeguk, Round, Set of 5) is a household item made from nubi (Korean quilted fabric). It combines lotus and taeguk patterns with traditional maedeup (decorative knotting) accents. The patterns carry meanings of harmony and good fortune. If you designate it as a gift for the whole family, you can introduce it as something that will sit on the tea table they all gather around.

View product — product page in Korean

View product — product page in Korean

If you are thinking of a stationery gift, 한국문화4종 책갈피+볼펜세트 (Korean Culture 4-Piece Bookmark & Ballpoint Pen Set) is a candidate. It incorporates hanbok silhouettes, Korean patterns, and obangsaek (the traditional five-color palette). Assigning it to a family member who reads or writes a lot gives your choice a clear reason. It is better introduced as stationery that captures Korean aesthetics rather than as a traditional craft object.

Choosing this way also reduces the pressure of having to find a completely different category of item for every family member. You can simply decide that the shared item goes to the family as a whole, and the individual stationery goes to that specific person. However, if you are thinking of separating the components of a set, you should check the packaging unit first.

Write a name and a farewell message together on the postcard

Once you have assigned each item, write down the name of the recipient. In your preparation notes, add the product name next to each person's name. Writing only the name on the outside tells you who it is for. Writing the contents as well makes it easy to double-check the assignments at the end.

[10장 묶음] 한국의 아침 엽서 시리즈 - 도령과아씨 ([Pack of 10] Korean Morning Postcard Series — Doryeong and Assi) is a paper postcard. It depicts a doryeong (young gentleman) and an assi (young lady) dressed in hanbok in a watercolor style. A postcard is something that can show Korean traditional dress while also carrying a farewell message. It also suits the purpose of writing down 1 shared memory with each family member.

View product — product page in Korean

There is also a way to use this postcard as a kind of gift name tag. Write the recipient's name on the front and leave a message of thanks on the back. A separate note indicating the contents can be attached and kept on until just before you hand the gift over. Separating the postcard with the personal message from the identification note gives each a distinct role.

Rather than writing the same message with only the name changed, write something brief that is meant for that particular person. If a shared meal or a moment when they helped you comes to mind, that is enough.

At the end, arrange everything in the order you will hand it out

Now arrange the gifts you have prepared in the order you actually plan to give them. If the whole family will be together at once, you can place the shared gift first. Then decide on the order for handing out the individual gifts one by one. Also think in advance about who will receive the shared gift on behalf of the family.

If it is difficult to meet everyone in one place, adjust the order to match when you will see each person. Keep the gift for the person you will greet first somewhere easy to reach. Each time you hand one over, check the name and the contents note together. This way you will not have to rummage through the wrapped packages in the middle of saying your goodbyes.

What remained in that review was the experience of feeling reassured after seeing the contents clearly labeled. Dividing the gifts by family member and deciding on the order to hand them out is a way of bringing that same experience into your own preparations. If you want the same kind of labeling, ask about how contents will be distinguished when you place your order. The recipients' names can be matched up separately.

With homestay farewell gifts, there is still preparation left to do after you have chosen the items. Match each recipient to the item inside their package and confirm the pairing. Then arrange everything in the order you will hand it out, and the thanks you have for each family member will each have their own moment.

If you want to compare a broader range of products

The pages below link only to product categories that connect directly to the selection criteria in this article.

• Study Abroad / Homestay / Exchange Student Gifts — A collection of gifts for study abroad and homestay situations. Worth visiting when you are looking for more options to give a host family.
• Postcards / Greeting Cards — A collection of postcards for writing individual farewell messages to each family member. This connects to the step of preparing what you want to say to each recipient after you have sorted out the contents.