A Guide to Birthday Party Favors

Party favors are an excellent way to thank your guests and to add a personalized touch to any event. There are so many different ways to do party favors these days that your imagination is the limit. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Personal Touch

When thinking of favors for your next party, consider providing guests with items personalized for the occasion. You can customize any candy bag or candy wrapper  - while kids won't turn down a bag of treats if it's presented in a boring lunch sack, it would add an extra touch in taking the time to add special packaging and personalized wrapping. This will help create a memorable experience and make even a few small treats and toys feel like a grand prize. When personalizing, you merely need to pick out something you like, add a saying, date, or name and ta-da! You'll have a unique piece just for your party.   

For a personalized favor, you could collect small items that are meaningful to the party host (e.g., a deck of cards, trading cards, favorite candy, etc.), then hand them out as door prizes. These can often be more practical than traditional favors and will remind your guests of their friend.

Quick and Easy

If you want to keep things simple and buy pre-made favors, consider getting creative by picking up mix and match items or possibly going beyond your local party supplier to a craft store or discount retailer. There you can often find matching items that may not just be stereotypical favors in a variety of styles to suit every guest.

Another easy, though a somewhat pricier option, is to hire a professional to provide a service at the party. This could be elaborate face painting (you can maybe even do it yourself if you’re up for it) or renting a moonbounce. There is no need to always hand out physical items as a favor since these often get lost in the endless shuffle of toys and trinkets.

Cute and Crafty

Although it takes the most effort, homemade favors can be unforgettable. The internet is full of fun crafty ideas to give your guests a gift that they won’t soon forget. Some ideas would be creating personalized doubloons for a pirate party, putting together an outdoor survival kit for a nature-themed party, or making a mix CD of your child’s and their friends’ dance party favorites. The opportunities are endless. Brainstorm fun craft ideas with your child to make these gifts even more special.

Whatever your theme, whatever your budget, there is no wrong way to do party favors. Your guests are there to celebrate with you. They aren’t expecting anything elaborate in return, but will surely appreciate the thought. Have fun with it, and it will surely be a hit.