Homemade Wedding Favors

Offering your wedding guests a small favor to thank them for their attendance is a simple courtesy...

You don't need to leave an expensive trinket on the table to thank them, but it's nice to offer something by way of thanks.

Be a little creative and you can find plenty of ideas to make your own homemade wedding favors.

It's curious to note that at many weddings, the mass-produced store-bought favors are usually the ones still sitting on tables after all the guests have left.

Thoughtful, personalized homemade wedding favors are always the ones that are appreciated, enjoyed or taken home by your guests.

Below are some ideas for homemade wedding favors your guests can enjoy, followed by some interesting videos and last minute ideas.

Homemade Edible Wedding Favors

You will need:

Cellophane
Curling ribbon
Chocolates
Paper or Card stock

Method

Choose some of your favorite chocolates and divide them into equal portions for each of your guests.

Cut your cellophane into squares large enough to wrap around your chocolates.

Place your chocolates inside the cellophane, draw the corners of the cellophane up to form a little bag and tie your ribbon around it.

Create little name tags from your card stock and punch a hole in one end.

You'll need to write the name of each guest on the tags.

Tie one end of your ribbon through the hole and leave each favor at the table setting for each of your guests.

You can personalize your favors by matching your ribbon to your wedding theme or you can create interesting name tags by using a shaped paper punch.

You can write a simple 'thank you' on each name tag to let your guests know you appreciate their participation in your wedding.

By the end of the night, your guests will have enjoyed your chocolates!

Homemade Seed Packet Wedding Favors

Offering seeds as homemade wedding favors suggests new growth, the same way your wedding represents the growth of a new family and the start of your new lives together.

Seeds can be put to good use by the majority of your guests. Those who don't plant them will often take them home for people they know to benefit from them too.

When you choose your wedding favor seeds, try to choose something that guests can either enjoy or appreciate, but it should also be something very simple to grow, like wildflowers, herbs, ornamental grasses or vegetables.

Remember to print out some simple planting and care instructions so your guests will know what to do with the seeds and how best to care for them.

Your options for presenting your seeds is limited only by your imagination and creativity!

Here are some suggestions you might try:

Tie up your wedding favor seeds in small squares of colored fabric, organza or silk that matches your wedding theme. Use a ribbon in a complimentary color to tie the seed bag and to attach your planting instructions.

Make personalized paper envelopes to hold your seeds and the printed planting instructions. Decorate your envelopes with wedding stamps or use a little tacky glue to sprinkle a little gold glitter around the edges.

Wedding Cookie Favors

If you're on a tight budget, then wedding cookie favors can be a big hit with your guests and they'll help keep your spending limit under your control. Cookies are easy to make yourself and most people just love the smell and the taste of freshly baked cookies.

Find some basic drop cookie recipes that you can amend to suit your tastes. The base cookie recipe for a simple chocolate chip drop cookie recipe can easily be changed by taking out the chocolate chips and adding M&Ms or white chocolate chips or walnut pieces or macadamias. This way you can make batches so your guests can choose their favorites.

Here are some suggestions that may help:

Cookie dough can be frozen for 4 or 5 days, so you could make the dough the week before the baking day and then spend a few hours making your cookies the day before you need them.

Remember to make your cookies a little smaller than regular size so your dough will stretch further. Smaller cookies are also easier to fit into boxes for your guests to take home.

Present your cookies in cute bread baskets or woven straw baskets at the end of the reception. Create labels that tell your guests what each type of cookie is and also let them know you want them to take some home.

You can buy very cheap take-out boxes, similar to the type you get from Chinese take-out stores. You can decorate the boxes with ribbon or stick on a simple thank you notice from you to your guests, showing that you appreciate them being a part of your special day.