In this article
Quick answer: The best olive gifts mix something to taste with something to keep. For the eating side, try an olive tasting assortment or a bottle of good olive oil. For the keeping side, an olive wood serving board, olive-print kitchen towels, or a fun piece of decor like our Martini Olive Plush Pillow ($19.99) lasts long after the jar is empty.
Who counts as an olive lover?
You probably know one. They pick the olives off everyone else's pizza. They keep three kinds of olives in the fridge. They say "olive you" and mean it.
Olive lovers come in a few types, and it helps to know which one you're shopping for:
- The snacker eats them straight from the jar, any time of day.
- The cook puts olives and olive oil in everything.
- The decor fan loves olive green, the color, as much as the food.
- The joker has turned olives into a personality, and likes gifts that play along.
Many people are two or three of these at once. That's why a small bundle often works better than one big gift.
If your olive lover mostly loves olives in a martini, we wrote a separate guide for that: gifts for martini lovers. This one is about the olive itself.
Olive gifts at a glance
| Gift idea | Best for | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Martini Olive Plush Pillow | The joker, the decor fan, anyone with a couch | $19.99 |
| Olive tasting assortment | The snacker | Low to mid; check current prices |
| A good bottle of olive oil | The cook | Varies a lot; check current prices |
| Olive wood serving board | The host, the cook | Mid; check current prices |
| Olive-print towels or apron | The cook, the decor fan | Low; check current prices |
| Small olive tree | The plant person with a sunny window | Varies by size |
| "Olive you" card or pun gift | The joker | Low |
The cozy pick: an olive plush pillow
Here's our favorite olive themed gift, and yes, we make it, so we're biased.
The Martini Olive Plush Pillow is a green olive with a red pimento center, about 11 inches wide and 9 inches tall. It's an olive blown up to throw-pillow size. Even though "martini" is in the name, you don't need to drink anything to love it. It's simply the most recognizable olive there is: green, round, with that red center.
Why it works as a gift for olive lovers:
- It's the olive they can't eat. Every other olive gift disappears in a week. This one stays on the couch.
- It's decor with a sense of humor. It looks great on a sofa, bed, reading chair or kitchen bench, and it starts conversations.
- It's all soft. Ultra-soft polyester outside, non-toxic hypoallergenic polyester fill inside, with no plastic eyes or hard parts.
- It's easy to care for. Spot clean or gently hand wash, then air dry.
- It ships free. $19.99 with free standard US shipping, and 30-day returns if it isn't right.
It has a 4.60-star average from 20 reviews. It also pairs well with every other idea on this page, so it's an easy add-on if you're building a bundle.
Looking for an olive plush toy?
If you searched for an olive plush, olive plushie or olive plush toy, you're in the right place. Ours is pillow-size rather than a tiny keychain, so it works for hugging, propping up on the couch, or sitting on a shelf as decor. Since there are no hard parts, it's a soft, simple plush. Check the product page for age guidance, and as with any plush, keep an eye on pets that like to chew.
There are other olive plushies out there in different sizes and styles, so pick the one that suits the person. If they like big, squishy, couch-ready plush, ours is a good fit. For more snack-shaped options, see our guide to the best food plushies, or our tips on styling food-shaped pillows at home.
Tasty olive gifts
The olive oil and gourmet shops have this side well covered, so we'll keep it short and practical.
An olive tasting assortment
Most people buy the same jar of olives every time. A tasting set lets them try a few new ones. You can buy a ready-made sampler, or put one together yourself with three or four jars from a good grocery store or deli counter.
A few well-known varieties to mix in:
- Castelvetrano: bright green, mild and buttery.
- Kalamata: dark purple, rich and a little winey.
- Manzanilla: the classic Spanish green olive, often stuffed with pimento.
- Niçoise: small, dark and earthy.
- Stuffed olives: garlic, almond, jalapeño or blue cheese fillings add variety.
Add a small bowl for pits and some crackers, and you have a snack gift that feels thought-out.
A nice bottle of olive oil
For the cook, a good bottle of extra virgin olive oil is a treat they may not buy for themselves. Look for a harvest date on the label (fresher is better) and a dark bottle or tin, which protects the oil from light. Prices range widely, so set a budget first and compare a few shops.
Olive gifts for the kitchen and home
An olive wood serving board
Olive wood has a striking swirled grain, so every board looks a little different. A board is great for cheese, bread or, of course, olives. It's the kind of gift that sits out on the counter.
One tip to pass along: wooden boards should be hand washed, not put in the dishwasher, and oiled now and then with a food-safe oil. You can find olive wood spoons, bowls and small dishes too if a board feels too big.
Olive-print kitchen textiles
Tea towels, aprons, oven mitts and cloth napkins with an olive print are an easy, low-cost gift for the cook. They get used every day, and they make the kitchen look like it belongs to an olive person.
A small olive tree
A potted olive tree is a lovely, lasting gift for someone with a green thumb. Know before you buy: olive trees need a lot of light. Indoors, that usually means a very sunny window with several hours of direct sun a day, and soil that dries out between waterings. Dwarf varieties are often sold for pots. If the person lives somewhere dim, a different gift on this list will be easier for both of you.
Olive-green decor
Some olive lovers love the color as much as the food. Olive green throw blankets, pillow covers, vases and candles fit right in with earthy, natural home styles. Pair one with the olive pillow and you have a little olive corner on their couch.
Olive themed gifts for her
You don't need a special "for her" category. Shop for her habits and her style. A few combinations that tend to land:
- For the one who hosts: an olive wood board, a tasting set and a pretty bowl for pits.
- For the one with a perfect living room: the Martini Olive Plush Pillow and an olive green throw.
- For the cook: a good olive oil and an olive-print apron.
- For the plant lover: a small olive tree, if she has the sunny window for it.
- For her birthday or a girls' night: an "olive you" card tucked next to the olive pillow.
The same ideas work for olive lover gifts for him, a parent, or a coworker. The olive doesn't care who's hugging it.
Funny olive gifts
Olives might be the most pun-friendly food there is. "Olive you" cards are everywhere around Valentine's Day, and you'll see "olive you so much," "olive my heart" and "olive the other reindeer" around the holidays. A punny card is cheap, easy and makes any olive gift funnier.
A few ways to lean into the joke:
- Write the pun on the gift tag. "Olive you" taped to a big plush olive does most of the work for you.
- Give the pillow with a straight face. It's a giant olive. That's the joke.
- Bring one to a gift swap. An olive pillow is a solid pick for an office swap. For more ideas in the same price range, see our list of funny white elephant gifts under $25.
Build an olive gift bundle
A bundle covers more than one kind of olive lover, and it doesn't have to cost much.
- The Martini Olive Plush Pillow for the keepsake (and the laugh)
- Two or three jars of olives they haven't tried yet
- Something for the kitchen: an olive wood board, olive-print towels or a bottle of olive oil
- An "olive you" card to finish it off
If you're shipping it, send the pillow from us and buy the jars and oil locally. Nothing fragile has to travel far, and the olives stay fresh.
FAQ
What are good gifts for olive lovers?
Mix something tasty with something lasting. An olive tasting set or a good olive oil covers the eating side. An olive wood board, olive-print kitchen towels or an olive plush pillow gives them something to keep.
What are some olive themed gifts that aren't food?
Olive wood serving boards and utensils, olive-print kitchen textiles, olive green home decor, a small olive tree, and plush like our Martini Olive Plush Pillow.
What are funny olive gifts?
Pun cards ("olive you" is the classic), and a pillow-size olive plush. Pair the two and the gift explains itself.
What are good olive themed gifts for her?
Think about what she enjoys. A host might love an olive wood board with a tasting set. A decor fan might love the olive pillow with an olive green throw. A cook would use a good olive oil.
Is there an olive plush toy?
Yes. Our Martini Olive Plush Pillow is a pillow-size olive plush, about 11" × 9", green with a red pimento center. It's all soft fabric with no hard parts. Check the product page for age guidance.
Is there an olive gift under $20?
Yes. The Martini Olive Plush Pillow is $19.99 with free standard US shipping. A jar or two of specialty olives or a set of olive-print towels can also come in under $20.
A gift they'll love to bits
Olive lovers are easy to shop for once you know which kind you have: snacker, cook, decor fan or joker. Pick one thing to taste and one thing to keep, and you're done. If you'd like the keepsake to be a big soft olive, you can see the Martini Olive Plush Pillow and the rest of our snack plushies here. Free standard US shipping, and 30-day returns if it isn't quite right.
