Useful and or edible party favor
February 7, 2011 1:40 PM Subscribe
Nice, useful, inexpensive baby shower favors? I'm helping to plan a baby shower for my younger cousin. I've been to tons of baby showers and hate favors because I never know what to do with them. So I put them in a draw for a while and then throw them away, feeling guilty about the whole stupid thing.
I don't have a head count yet. Attendees will be male and female. I like the idea of something edible but all I've seen are some nasty hershey chocolate. I've been to a few websites and liked the idea of these notebooks but they also seem boring.
If you've received awesome party favors, please tell me what they are!
I don't have a head count yet. Attendees will be male and female. I like the idea of something edible but all I've seen are some nasty hershey chocolate. I've been to a few websites and liked the idea of these notebooks but they also seem boring.
If you've received awesome party favors, please tell me what they are!
Favors really aren't required. If you decide to just scrap the whole thing, I doubt anyone will notice.
I got a coffee mug at a baby shower a few years ago that I still use.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 1:49 PM on February 7, 2011 [3 favorites]
I got a coffee mug at a baby shower a few years ago that I still use.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 1:49 PM on February 7, 2011 [3 favorites]
Honestly? Stick with edibles. You don't have to make it thematic, just pack it nicely and put a thematic tag on it, and you're gold. No one has to keep it on a shelf and most people will eat it or give it away to someone who will.
Cookies can be made cheaply if you do them yourself. Just buy a cookie-cutter in an appropriate shape and go nuts. If you feel like you can't bake, buy chocolate of some sort, or candy.
I've found that buying small, clear bags (usually like $5 for 100 at places like creativebag.com or whatever's local to you), work really well. Cut tags, hole punch, and finish with a simple and nice ribbon, and you're good to go. Like so.
posted by jlunar at 1:50 PM on February 7, 2011 [3 favorites]
Cookies can be made cheaply if you do them yourself. Just buy a cookie-cutter in an appropriate shape and go nuts. If you feel like you can't bake, buy chocolate of some sort, or candy.
I've found that buying small, clear bags (usually like $5 for 100 at places like creativebag.com or whatever's local to you), work really well. Cut tags, hole punch, and finish with a simple and nice ribbon, and you're good to go. Like so.
posted by jlunar at 1:50 PM on February 7, 2011 [3 favorites]
I once received a tiny organza bag with a travel sized baby powder inside which I use all the time now. Along the same lines you can find tiny travel sized baby wipes, hand creams or sanitizers.
In the edible realm, maybe you can find some fun sized Baby Ruths, Sugar Babies, Junior Mints or Sour Patch Kids.
Try to steer clear of tiny picture frames or novely salt and pepper shakers. Nobody needs those.
posted by mrsshotglass at 1:53 PM on February 7, 2011 [7 favorites]
In the edible realm, maybe you can find some fun sized Baby Ruths, Sugar Babies, Junior Mints or Sour Patch Kids.
Try to steer clear of tiny picture frames or novely salt and pepper shakers. Nobody needs those.
posted by mrsshotglass at 1:53 PM on February 7, 2011 [7 favorites]
Trust your gut: most party favors are just a burden to the person who gets them. Don't feel like you need to give a goodie bag full of dollar store junk.
Edibles are good. You could just make cookies and give baggies of cookies with a nice ribbon. Ditto, candied nuts, or peppermint bark, that sort of thing.
Notepad/post-it notes are good, if they have decorations that guests would not be embarrassed to use. That is, they should NOT have overtly "baby-centric" pictures, since people won't want to use those in most circumstances. See if you can find more generic bird, flower, or just abstract, designs.
A not-overtly-baby-centric votive candle holder with a few tea-light candles (cheap at Ikea) would be ok. But scented or overtly-baby-centric candles are out IMO.
posted by LobsterMitten at 1:53 PM on February 7, 2011
Edibles are good. You could just make cookies and give baggies of cookies with a nice ribbon. Ditto, candied nuts, or peppermint bark, that sort of thing.
Notepad/post-it notes are good, if they have decorations that guests would not be embarrassed to use. That is, they should NOT have overtly "baby-centric" pictures, since people won't want to use those in most circumstances. See if you can find more generic bird, flower, or just abstract, designs.
A not-overtly-baby-centric votive candle holder with a few tea-light candles (cheap at Ikea) would be ok. But scented or overtly-baby-centric candles are out IMO.
posted by LobsterMitten at 1:53 PM on February 7, 2011
I didn't even know it was de rigeur to have favors at baby showers. I've attended many and never once received a favor. I'd feel free to skip them completely.
posted by anderjen at 1:53 PM on February 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by anderjen at 1:53 PM on February 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
I went to an amazingly non-schmaltzy shower about a month ago; the favors were nicely decorated sugar cookies from an amazing local bakery. (Buggies in blue and pink, since she elected not to find out the sex.) They were about the size of my hand. There was a 'guess how many candies in this jar' contest to take home the floral centerpieces, and that was it.
posted by cobaltnine at 1:54 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by cobaltnine at 1:54 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
I think you can buy affordable favors that are not cheesy.
Phalaenopsis orchids are affordable and beautiful. Check places like Home Depot and Lowes. You can get them for 5 or 7 bucks, or sometimes less. Wrap planter in tulle and tie with ribbon and you have yourself a beautiful favor that lasts.
Take these candles for instance (2 for 10 bucks). Wrap in tulle and tie with pretty ribbon in baby colors, or place in small, inexpensive gift bag with tissue. That is a great favor. You can even go cheaper and buy candles from Target or Walmart.
Walmart often has sampler sets. You can break them up and use as individual party favors. Sampler sets from Target.
At my best friend's shower I got a tin of Burt's Bees cuticle cream. I loved it and repurchased it when it was gone.
posted by Fairchild at 2:00 PM on February 7, 2011
Phalaenopsis orchids are affordable and beautiful. Check places like Home Depot and Lowes. You can get them for 5 or 7 bucks, or sometimes less. Wrap planter in tulle and tie with ribbon and you have yourself a beautiful favor that lasts.
Take these candles for instance (2 for 10 bucks). Wrap in tulle and tie with pretty ribbon in baby colors, or place in small, inexpensive gift bag with tissue. That is a great favor. You can even go cheaper and buy candles from Target or Walmart.
Walmart often has sampler sets. You can break them up and use as individual party favors. Sampler sets from Target.
At my best friend's shower I got a tin of Burt's Bees cuticle cream. I loved it and repurchased it when it was gone.
posted by Fairchild at 2:00 PM on February 7, 2011
Little baggies of Jordan almonds ought to do the trick.
Either that or USB flash drives.
posted by Faint of Butt at 2:00 PM on February 7, 2011
Either that or USB flash drives.
posted by Faint of Butt at 2:00 PM on February 7, 2011
How about a big jar or dish of a yummy candy (jelly bellys?), a scooper, cellaphane bags and ribbon so that people can fill thier own candy bag before leaving. I attended a wedding reception with that for "favors" and I thought it was cute and easy.
posted by dchrssyr at 2:12 PM on February 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by dchrssyr at 2:12 PM on February 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
I love those tiny notebooks that use the attached pen/pencil to close them. That being said, I don't think a favour is necessary at all.
posted by variella at 2:23 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by variella at 2:23 PM on February 7, 2011
One I went to gave tiny pots of african violets as favors. Some kind of flower or other plant would make nice gifts.
posted by bluefly at 2:32 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by bluefly at 2:32 PM on February 7, 2011
I don't think I've ever gotten a favor at a baby shower, either. I've seen little dishes of pink-and-blue candies on the tables and whatnot, but not a one-thing-per-person-take-it-with-you-when-you-leave favor. I have, however, gotten lots of crap gifts for winning the awful games. The only gifts I've gotten I've liked were notepads (can't have enough of them!) and gift cards to a local cafe ($5--enough for a bagel and a coffee).
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 2:42 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 2:42 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
I've received handmade soaps and votive candles at showers. In the case of the candles, we were all instructed to keep them at hand as the baby's due date approached so that we could light them when we heard that the mother was in labor. That may be a little woo-woo for you but it was a nice sentiment.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 2:43 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by otherwordlyglow at 2:43 PM on February 7, 2011
I did little soaps once, molded into baby-related shapes. I think the molds were actually for candy, which of course you could do too.
posted by lakeroon at 3:25 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by lakeroon at 3:25 PM on February 7, 2011
One baby shower I went to had tins of customized M&Ms. Edible, not nasty Hershey's and people can keep the tins as a memory if they like that sort of thing.
posted by Joh at 3:58 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Joh at 3:58 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
A small goodie bag or tin of fudge/candies/cookies is nice, but not required. If you can find inexpensive small vases, a vase with a flower or 2 is kind of nice. All of them together would make a nice centerpiece. Favors and lots of other stuff are ways for the party industry to Sell More Stuff. I'd love a baby shower where everybody stenciled onesies for the babe, but I'm craft-ish, and probably an outlier. Really, I just think it's fun to see all those adorable cute clothes and tiny shoes, have a mini-meal, visit with friends and get that hormonal blowout. Everything else is icing.
Oh, and all showers must have cupcakes. I think it's the law now; for once, Congress gets it right. mmmmmm, people could take home cupcakes; now that's a plan.
posted by theora55 at 4:38 PM on February 7, 2011
Oh, and all showers must have cupcakes. I think it's the law now; for once, Congress gets it right. mmmmmm, people could take home cupcakes; now that's a plan.
posted by theora55 at 4:38 PM on February 7, 2011
Check out Etsy. I got almost everything for the shower I threw there, from invitations to party favor bags to the favors themselves: bath bombs (for bubble baths), chocolates, lip balm. You can probably find a few vendors who will customize a lot of the products that people mentioned here, especially if you buy more than a handful.
posted by paindemie at 6:25 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by paindemie at 6:25 PM on February 7, 2011
For my daughter's shower, we gave out little mini potted african violets. She's turning seven now, and is always thrilled when we go to someone's house and they still have them! A bow under one chair at each table decided who won the centrepiece (potted azaleas). We also sent guests home with a nice sugar cookie.
For a friend's shower, we also did little votive candles (simple, unsecented white), and when she went into labour, asked our friends to light them for her and wish her well; or to light it when they heard the good news to welcome the baby. Most people thought that was sweet, and happily did so, as far as we know.
We also gave out flower seeds (native, non-invasive, hardy perennials) and asked people to guerilla garden with them in the area (there are a lot of opportunities for that in their gentrifying neighbourhood - abandoned street planters, crappy parking lots with weeds, overgrown medians) and then send my friend the address, so that for years to come when the family was going for walks, they could point out the flowers to the little girl and say they were for her. I still see some around, though I don't know where they all are.
Another friend who happens to own a seed company gave out packs of seeds - we got a lovely thyme.
posted by peagood at 7:46 AM on February 8, 2011
For a friend's shower, we also did little votive candles (simple, unsecented white), and when she went into labour, asked our friends to light them for her and wish her well; or to light it when they heard the good news to welcome the baby. Most people thought that was sweet, and happily did so, as far as we know.
We also gave out flower seeds (native, non-invasive, hardy perennials) and asked people to guerilla garden with them in the area (there are a lot of opportunities for that in their gentrifying neighbourhood - abandoned street planters, crappy parking lots with weeds, overgrown medians) and then send my friend the address, so that for years to come when the family was going for walks, they could point out the flowers to the little girl and say they were for her. I still see some around, though I don't know where they all are.
Another friend who happens to own a seed company gave out packs of seeds - we got a lovely thyme.
posted by peagood at 7:46 AM on February 8, 2011
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And I know it's not really the season for it anymore, but maybe some Christmas Tree Ornaments? You may be able to find those cheap now. Little toy trains and/or ballerina shoes, or whatever the theme of the baby shower is. (not baby's first ornaments, those are reserved for your own baby).
posted by katypickle at 1:46 PM on February 7, 2011