Bridal showers are so much fun: the anticipation of the upcoming event, the laughs, the gifts, the food! (Who doesn’t love party food? That’s the best part!) One detail of planning a shower that often gets overlooked until the last minute is the favors. It’s always a good idea to send your guests home with a little something to thank them for coming. Sometimes the idea of favors is overwhelming, especially if you have 50+ guests in attendance. Not only is that a lot of work, but it can get pricey as well. But, you can make it happen with very little effort, AND it can be affordable! Here are three unique and easy bridal shower party favors that you can easily pull off. Plus side: your guests will think you spent hours on these!
1. A Painted Wooden Spoon and Personalized Recipe Cards
Photo by Painted Furniture Ideas
Everyone loves recipes and uses wooden spoons!
Supplies needed: Wooden spoons, craft paints in assorted colors, brushes/sponges, hole punch, cardstock, ribbon, scissors, and a recipe card template. Optional: paper trimmer.
First, gather as many wooden spoons as you need according to your attendance list – Amazon is a great place to find them in bulk, or you can find some inexpensive options at IKEA, Walmart, or Dollar Tree. Next, paint the handles of the spoons. Have fun with it! Get together some of the bridesmaids and have them help you. You can do designs like polka dots, stripes, or swirls. You can paint the handle a solid color or multiple blocks of color – the possibilities are endless! Lay them all out to dry on newspaper or paper towels.
Next, choose a recipe of yours that you love – it can be a family recipe that’s been passed down, a Pinterest find, or one you tore out of a magazine years ago. Just pick one that you’ve made and enjoyed. BONUS points if it’s something you’re serving at the shower. For example, if you’re giving a brunch shower, you can serve fresh blueberry muffins and offer the recipe for the muffins. Lunch shower? Serve chicken salad and include the recipe. Can’t decide? Every shower needs a delicious dessert – brownies are always a crowd-pleaser.
Here’s an easy recipe card template you can use! You can either handwrite your recipe on the printed cards or you can use a PDF editor to type the recipe in a fun font and print it right onto the cards. Simply print them on cardstock, cut them out using scissors or a paper trimmer, punch a hole in the top corner, and tie one to each wooden spoon using a pretty ribbon. You can use a color-coordinated ribbon to go with your party decor, or baker’s twine is always a great choice! Display the spoons and recipes in nice glass pitchers or mason jars near the party’s exit and voila, a beautiful arrangement, and an easy favor! Don’t forget the signage – a mini chalkboard with a note like “Thank you for coming! We hope you had fun, please take one!” is a can’t-go-wrong choice that goes with every decor.
2. Handcrafted Soap
Photo by Handmade Weekly
Check our your local farmer's market to find some delicious-smelling soaps that make a beautiful displace as well! (Tip: Most local vendors will cut a deal if you're buying in bulk.) Or, make your own using this recipe.
Supplies needed: Soap bars, clear plastic favor bags, labels, and something to secure the bags: ribbon, baker’s twine, or wood clothespins.
First, print or purchase labels for your soap. A clever option could be “From [Bride’s Name] Shower to Yours!” Brown kraft paper is a great choice for these labels.
Next, assemble! Place the soap in a clear bag and secure it with your item of choice. If you use clothespins, you can go for an extra personalized touch and paint some custom details such as the bride and groom’s initials, polka dots, flowers, etc. Wrap and either tape, glue, or staple the labels to the plastic favor bags. Easy, peasy!
3. Locally Roasted Coffee Beans
Photo by Zazzle
Find a coffee shop in your area that roasts their beans! If you're not a coffee drinker, tea is also a great choice.
Supplies needed: Coffee beans or teabags, paper satchels, clothespins or stapler, and staples, or stickers like ones from Zazzle above
First, measure out two tablespoons of coffee per satchel. This is enough for one cup of coffee. If you want to give your guests more so they can brew a full pot, that is an option too! Also, decide if you want to offer whole beans or pre-ground coffee. Put the coffee in the satchels and secure them shut using either clothespins or staples. Again, it would be a great touch to personalize the clothespins! You can find pre-printed satchels or stickers that say something catchy like “Love is Brewing”, maybe with the bride’s name and shower date listed as well. You might want to include a cute card that says the name of the coffee bean and where it’s from. Another nice touch would be to include brewing instructions.
All three of these bridal shower favor ideas are inexpensive, quick, easy, AND something your guests will appreciate. Not only are you providing local, thoughtful items, but they’re all useful things that most people will love using. Everyone remembers the bridal shower where they went home with some candy that got placed on the kitchen counter and promptly forgotten about. Instead, send your guests home with something that conveys a personal touch and one that they will enjoy using. They will think about you and your shower whenever they use it!
