How to Choose Party Favors
We’re obsessed with making events memorable, so you know that we love talking about party favors!
A thoughtful party favor is a way to say thank you to your guests for taking part in your celebration – after all, a special occasion is only “special” if it’s with the people you care about! Whether the favor is big or small, you’re giving them something that will remind them of you and your special day every time they see it.
We’ve created a step-by-step guide to choosing the best party favors. You won’t want to miss step #4, which is one of the most important ones (that a lot of people miss)!
1. What’s your event?
Party favors make every event better, but considering your specific occasion is the first step to choosing the right favor.
Some events that usually call for party favors are:
But don’t feel like you’re limited to only those! Any time you have a cause to celebrate, you can add party favors into the mix to make things even more enjoyable. Here are some other ideas:
- Holiday parties
- Workplace events
- Graduations
- Galas or benefits
- Anniversaries
2. What’s your theme?
Sometimes “theme” is very specific, like when your child is asking for a UNICORN-themed birthday party, not just a MAGIC-themed birthday party – you don’t want to get that one wrong!
But sometimes “theme” is a little more general. It can refer to the general atmosphere of your party, like style and color.
Style
There’s a lot of definitions for style, but one helpful way to think of it is: what objects, symbols, or patterns are you using to decorate?
For example:
- Tropical: fruits (like pineapples or coconuts), leafy plants and flowers, island animals (like parrots or sharks), flip-flops, palm trees, bold patterns
- Elegant: delicate patterns like swirls or stripes, small birds, butterflies, simple shapes (like hearts, circles, etc.)
- Vintage: old-fashioned objects like record players, rustic/homey objects like teapots, long-lasting materials like wood or brass
You can find theme inspiration all over the internet, or build your own by simply listing the kinds of patterns and objects you want to incorporate.
You can also mix and match themes!
For example, if you love tropical, elegant, and vintage styles, you can use all of them together – how about a vintage item that evokes the idea of island travel, in an elegant color?
Our Vintage Airplane Bottle Opener is perfect for this!
Color
Some people love to know exactly what colors they’re using, and some people like to be more flexible. There’s no right way to do it, so you can do what feels best for you!
However, something that combines structure and versatility is deciding: how saturated do you want your colors to be, overall?
The great thing about thinking about saturation is that you’re free to choose different kinds of colors, so you don’t have to feel limited. But you also have a little guidance about what to look for, so you don’t feel like you’re facing too many options!
3. What’s your budget?
A smaller occasion means that you have more flexibility in how much you can spend per guest. You can consider a wider range of keepsake options, and spend some more time deliberating what would be the best choice.
If you’re expecting a big crowd, you’ll want to set a low maximum price limit per guest – that way you can be sure that everyone gets something special, but you’re still taking care of your wallet!
It’s important to keep in mind that low-cost doesn’t have to mean low-quality! There are so many great options that are still budget-friendly.
4. What kind of favor do you want?
This is the #1 most important thing to decide, and a lot of people don’t know to consider it!
“Party favor” is a very broad term – it’s an item to thank your guests for coming, but that item can be anything! To make it easier to decide, we’ve broken favors down into two categories you can consider.
Decorative
These are items that can be used to add a little personality to someone’s environment or wardrobe. If they’re home décor, they shouldn’t be too difficult to install, and if they’re something guests can wear, they should be one-size-fits-all.
The main idea to consider with decorative items is: is this something that could easily blend into my guest’s style?
While your favor can (and should!) incorporate your theme, you can make it easier for your guests to display or wear decorative favors by making them versatile in a broad range of different styles. For this reason, we really recommend using neutrals, metallic tones, or clear/crystal materials for these items.
Some ideas of decorative items are:
- Framed pictures
- Magnets
- Small items like statues, figurines, or candles
- Simple accessories, such as a bracelet, cufflinks, or sunglasses
- Keychains
Our choice: keychains! They’re endlessly customizable, and easy to include on your guest’s key ring.
Practical
Practical items are things that you want your guests to use on a day-to-day basis, instead of displaying somewhere.
The great thing about practical gifts is that you can be a little more creative with the style. Because they’re getting a use out of the item, it can be a bit of a novelty item that they pull out when they need it, and they can smile when they see it’s yours!
Here are some ideas:
- Glassware or tea sets
- Flasks
- Single-use items like food or candy
- Cosmetic items like lip balm
- Notebooks or stationery
- Bottle openers
Of course, you can find things that are both decorative and practical – these personalized slate coasters are the perfect mix of classy and fun, and add a little personality to your guest’s home! They’ll remember your event every time they need a place to set their drink.
You can also choose a mix of items to give your guests a bigger range of exciting favors!
We love the idea of a gift bag including:
- something they can enjoy right away (like candy)
- something they can add to their style easily (like a keychain)
- something they can use over and over (like a bottle opener)
5. How do you want to package your favors?
Once you know what you want, you can decide how to package it.
Some people prefer disposable packaging, like paper bags or boxes. This keeps things simple and budget-friendly, and lets you choose something with a standout effect, seeing as your guests don’t have to worry about what to do with the packaging.
Or, you could package your gift in a longer-lasting material like cardboard, plastic, or wood. Containers like these can be reused in your guest’s home, like decorative objects, so it would be a good idea to keep these fairly neutral in style.
Either way, remember that you can easily amp up anything with bows or ribbons for a little extra excitement!
You can go through this list any time you want to figure out the perfect party favor for your special event, and we guarantee your guests will love what you choose.
We have a great selection of favors and favor boxes to choose from, so dive in!
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