Do it Yourself: Favor Ideas

Fancy wrapping makes your gift stand out.

At weddings, bridal showers, birthdays and many other festive occasions it is customary to give special parting gifts to attending guests. These are called favors. In some instances, party favors can constitute a large percentage of your budget. Purchase favor-creating supplies from dollar stores, website favor suppliers, craft stores, party supply stores and bookstores. You'll save money and have fun assembling your party favors---hold a party that makes the assembly fun, instead of a chore.

Favor Bars

Offer customized favors to your guests that they assemble themselves. Set up a scented favor bar with lotions, massage oils, essential oils, candles and potpourri in various scents and colors. Set up a choice of edible favors including chocolates, hard candies, mints, individually-boxed petits fours or miniature pastries. Give each guest a small basket, bag or box and let them serve themselves.

Takeout Treat

Takeout boxes are available in many colors and materials.

If you're looking for a party favor idea that is always useful, try edible treats. Pick up bulk packages of fortune cookies from your local Asian market and dip half of each cookie in melted chocolate. Sprinkle the dipped half of the cookie with colored, edible dust from a baking supply store and place the plastic-wrapped treat in a miniature Chinese takeout box. Place a sticker on the outside printed with the wedding couple's or birthday boy's name.

Mood Setting

Send your guests home with chocolate-dipped strawberries for a sexy treat.

Send your guests home with gifts that create a pleasant environment. Use a silver or gold pen to write the wedding couple's names and the day's date on the side of a scented candle. Fill bulk-purchased champagne flutes with scented gel candle wax to match the ceremony colors. For a bridal favor, place small bottles of scented massage oil, potpourri or tea lights in a satin bag and tie with a matching satin ribbon. Place a fresh-picked gardenia blossom in a clear, plastic gift box with a little water sprinkled inside before sealing. The scent will linger even after the flower has dried.

For the Kids

Kids love to make their own take-home gifts.

Set up a favor crafting station for a child's birthday party and the guests can create their own fun gifts. For a little girl's party, lay out plastic headbands and provide a variety of feathers, paste jewels, puff paint pens and glitter glue so each little princess can make her own tiara. On a table in a place away from the party table, provide jars of candies, Mardi Gras beads, party-themed pencils, temporary tattoos and themed stickers for your guests to select and place in a take-home bag. Be sure to provide adult supervision for this activity.

Charitable Gifts

Attach a pink bracelet to a breast cancer research gift announcement.

Print pretty announcement cards to tie on a charitable gift for your parting guests. Give miniature chocolate hearts with a note that a donation has been made to The American Heart Association. Or print up wallet-sized photos of the bride as a baby to announce a gift to the March of Dimes given in the guest's name.

References

• "The Ultimate Bridal Shower Idea Book"; Sharon Naylor; 2003
• "The Everything Wedding on a Budget Book"; Barbara Cameron; 2008
• "The DIY Bride Crafty Countdown"; Khris Cochran; 2009

Resources

• "Make It In Minutes: Party Favors and Hostess Gifts"; Roxi Phillips; 2007