Help me make the best ever Bachelorette party goody bags.

April 18, 2011 12:19 PM

Help me make the best ever Bachelorette party goody bags.

So, I totally slacked and now I am 2 weeks out from a bachelorette party that I am planning for a very awesome friend of mine. I have the activities for the evening planned, dinner reservation and a hotel room booked but now I am stressing out about goody bags.

Goody bags you say, seems silly right? But this same friend threw my bachelorette party and put together some of the most awesome goody bags ever. She sewed everyone a tote bag in fabric that made sense for the individual, made pins in some sort of pin machine, burned and decorated cds appropriate for the event- it was really sweet and personalized...and now I am feeling a super amount of pressure to at least put in some effort to reciprocate.

Here's where we stand/what I need:

Reasonably priced ideas for items to include in a goody bag for each of 8 women. I guess no individual item over $3, but willing to spend $10 per bag.

No penises or other raunchy items, I promised. Alcohol is good.

I am pretty darn crafty, but I don't own a sewing machine. I am working on some custom labels to put on water bottles and I was thinking mini sparkling wine bottles, but my graphic design skills are total fail.

Ideas for a reuseable bag of some sort, otherwise I will just use some craft paper bags.

Colors are pink and green, these were the invites.

I think I may be past the point of ordering things online, but if you know of reputable, fast companies I would love to know.

Bonus points if you have ideas for an item to wear to make the group look cohesive yet classy- some sort of necklace, boa, light up pin, headband, whatever.

posted by ridiculous to grab bag (19 answers total)

How about a giant candy necklace?
posted by litnerd at 12:35 PM on April 18, 2011

Google "printables." I know Hostess with the Mostess has some great ones you could probably personalize. Also I've found that these things work better if all the items fit into a theme. For Christmas I gave my girlfriends a "spa kit" that had homemade sugar scrub (can find that recipe online - very cheap and easy), some travel sized beauty products from ULTA, and a miniature bottle of vodka for a cocktail. The little touches are what makes it so just put custom stickers or labels on everything and you'll be good.

As far as something to wear, I'd be fine with either boas or fun, cheap plastic bracelets or something.

Hope that helps!
posted by shopefowler at 12:43 PM on April 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

alcohol ... could you have a portable cosmo setup with juice boxes of cranberry juice, and nips of vodka and triple sec, plus a plastic martini glass?
posted by rmd1023 at 12:44 PM on April 18, 2011

boas are awesome for this kind of thing, btw.
posted by rmd1023 at 12:45 PM on April 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

What about little glass jars with cupcake mix, sprinkles and sweets inside? Doesn't have to be big or elaborate - just a make your own serving cupcake in the microwave kind of favor, complete with cute recipe tag. (I'll try to find one in a bit.) basically you could split up a cake mix into equal amounts and let the girls have at it at the party. Set up a frosting station, too! Mmhmm!

If it were me I'd be providing Breakfast at Tiffany's style things: pearls, cheap sunglasses, gloves, croissants, hot chocolate mix, etc.

Honestly, food is always bitchin'.
posted by patronuscharms at 12:56 PM on April 18, 2011

What time of the day are you all starting out? How about brightly colored knock off raybans? You can get them in just about any color, as cheap or nice as you wnat and it's an easy thing to try people together, but less irritating than some other objects. Have fun!
posted by raccoon409 at 12:58 PM on April 18, 2011

For a reusable bag maybe a purse-sized makeup bag like this (no-sew zipper pouch)? Makeup bags are nice to have. Or for a tote bag, this (no-sew tote bag)?

A party pack of flavored lip glosses like this? I see these at the drugstore, you know, the ones that have Dr. Pepper flavor or something fun like that.

Different colors of nail polish so you can all do each other's nails back in the hotel? I think my theme here is "sleepover", haha.

Mini-liquor bottles, definitely. I like the tiny Crown Royal bottles in their own tiny purple felt bags, because mini-stuff makes me squee.

Glow-in-the-dark bracelets like this?
Or if you want crafty, finger-knit jersey bracelets in the party theme colors?
posted by flex at 12:58 PM on April 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

Ooh, spa stuff! Salt scrubs, face masques, cheap nail polish, etc.

And 50s themed candies! Bubblegum cigarettes, classic suckers, maybe some cats-eye glasses with rhinestones, mix-CDs with retro pop music and Grease songs. Little cherry lipglosses, etc etc. :)
posted by patronuscharms at 12:58 PM on April 18, 2011

Some ideas...

-Instead of bags, use boxes (reusable to put other trinkets or things in). Look at a craft store or dollar store for some that can be in different designs.
-Alternatively, consider different wrapping for each person, as appropriate. I have given gifts that were their own wrapper. For example, I once wrapped a gift in an apron (for someone who likes to bake) and another time, a boxed set in a gag-t-shirt. Also, I've wrapped baked goods in nice tea towels.
-Pink and green makes me think of watermelon. Maybe something watermelon-flavoured/-scented? (water? candies? hand lotion etc?)
-You can make a lot of neat stuff with just clip art and cool fonts--don't worry about hand-drawing.
-Go with the retro theme that's on the invite and extend it to little items like bookmarks, magnets, gag movie posters with all of you, etc. (Try printing them at Kinkos or Michaels, places like that.) I like retro kitsch stuff. One of my favourite fridge magnets has a smiling 50s housewife saying "Wow! I get to give birth AND do diapers!". Google "retro magnets" to see examples.
-Another kind of magnet (can be for fridges, the office whiteboard, whatever) is DIY "glass marble" magnet. Make them out of pictures of yourselves, or cute little icons, anything you want!

Also--I think it's more important to customise each one, than for some kind of unifying theme. So if the themes/colour schemes etc. aren't working out, don't sweat it!

Good luck!!
posted by methroach at 12:59 PM on April 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

Vibrators.
posted by madred at 1:04 PM on April 18, 2011

Sorry, I couldn't resist. Seriously though, the theme seems to lend itself to some kind of classy-Vegas ideas. Maybe these 50's style headbands. Red lipstick is always good. Or oversized, pink or green cocktail rings or brooches.
posted by madred at 1:11 PM on April 18, 2011

You should make these gumball necklaces!!

How about these bra and panty cookies too?

I think it would also be good to put little packets of Advil in there for the next morning.
posted by elvissa at 1:11 PM on April 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

You folks don't know how much of a relief these answers are. I think I was definitely over thinking this!

Seriously considering the no sew duct tape makeup bag- awesome!

Love the marble magnets- I remember when they made the rounds of the craft blogs, but now I finally have an appropriate occasion!

I am also in love, love, love with the gumball necklaces!

Now, I am excited- I was overwhelmed before!
posted by ridiculous at 1:15 PM on April 18, 2011

Craft stores have big bags of dyed feathers for real cheap, and short spools of ribbon for a buck. Glue some of those to a comb-style barrette, maybe with some glitter or scraps of tulle or assorted crap you have lying around the house, and you've got yourself some fascinators to wear out on the town. You can make them as classy or tacky as you want.

For something subtler, cheaper, and reusable-r, get a whole bunch of bobby pins and paint them with fun-colored nail polish. If you don't have any colorful polish already on hand, Sally Beauty Supply sells little nail polishes for $1 each (you can also buy these just to put in the bag). Maybe attach a handmade organza flower to one.

Check out Claire's, Forever 21, and the kids' favors section of party supply stores for cheapo jewelry/accessory ideas. I've also had a lot of success finding nice mini shower gels, accessories, etc. for insanely cheap in the clearance section of Pier 1 Imports.
posted by Metroid Baby at 1:28 PM on April 18, 2011

Make everyone a personalized luggage tag, with their name and address. It's something they will definitely use, and will remind them of the party and bride!
Some ideas:
- Don't Touch!
- You Won't Look Good in My Clothes!
- Or some kind of theme - mixtapes, records, cds (for the music loving bride), or retro maps from the bride's favorite locations, or something to do with each guest. Tons of great tags at Flight 001.

Passport covers are cute too - one example here.

Keeping with the travel theme, if you can swing it, these GoToob travel containers for lotions and liquids are AMAZING. They don't spill or explode ever. You could get a few packs of 3 and split them up between bags. It's always nice getting something incredibly useful!
posted by barnone at 1:51 PM on April 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

These DIY vintage tin candles are pretty cute.

Or a DIY magnetic spice rack - is the bride traveling somewhere exciting for the honeymoon? Or does the wedding incorporate some particular ethnicity/nationality/type of food? You could incorporate that into the spices....

What about following the theme of "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue"?

TONS of great craft supplies at Save On Crafts. You could include one peacock feather, or make small fascinators. Lots of great twine and boxes there too.

Are the guests all flying in for the event or are they all local? Terrariums are dead simple and so much fun! There are tons of glass jars and vases and cookie jars, etc. at the flea market or thrift store. Buy some moss online and maybe a few little gnomes, and voila! You can even make tiny ones with small jars.

Or how about an air plant in a gorgeous vintage mug or dish?

It might be best to go with a theme of some kind: retro, glam, the 4 seasons, something special to do with the bride and groom, a particular place or travel, the 5 senses, natural world.
posted by barnone at 2:11 PM on April 18, 2011

Bath and Body Works has five liplicious lipglosses in a gift set; you could put one lipgloss in each (duct tape makeup?) goody bag. These smell fabulous.
posted by misha at 2:21 PM on April 18, 2011

Record bowls could be incorporated into some really cute packaging, they're functional, and they literally take about 3 minutes to make per bowl.
posted by kro at 2:56 PM on April 18, 2011

Sally's Beauty Supply has their own line of makeup/lotions/tiny nail polishes for $1. You could get 4 or 5 for each bag so people could swap/trade colors and still have some money left over for other things. If you want to stay really on theme, you could try to keep what you buy in the pink/green family but that might be a little over the top. Sparkly green polish might be fun though.
posted by stray thoughts at 4:53 PM on April 18, 2011