If you’ve been blessed with a creative mind and a knack for frugality, then why squander that talent when you can make a statement with your own homemade wedding party favors? Everyone’s received that generic candle or overpriced custom chocolate wedding favor before. Why not save your pennies to put toward a better band, a nicer venue, a more fabulous dress or a premium cake filling instead? Your favors are meant to be a token of your appreciation, which will be even greater when you spend your time making them. Some unique wedding favors are eaten (candy, cookies, chocolate), some are functional (glasses, soaps, bookmarks) and some can be enjoyed later (CD or seed packet). Whatever you choose, make it an extension of your personality, which your guests will remember for years to come.

Edible party favors are wonderful because you can be sure no one will forget their favor at the end of the night! These tasty treats rarely make it out of the room, yet fulfill a vital purpose of feeding people as they’re waiting for their meals. You needn’t be a stellar baker to pull off delicious edible wedding favors. Consider the following edible favor ideas. There are homemade chocolates, chocolate-covered nuts, chocolate-covered pretzels, homemade candy bars, chocolate spoons to accompany cocoa or coffee, fudge, taffy, hard candy, personalized cookies, homemade jam/jelly/preserves, jars of herb-filled olive oil, custom dry soup mixes, dried fruit and nut mixes or cookies.

If you’re the sentimental type, then you can decorative keepsake wedding party favors that will commemorate this special event. Your guests will treasure these for years to come. If you’ve hired a big band orchestra to play, then a personalized music CD would make a great personalized wedding favor. Or, if you’ve always been the type to take pictures, then why not create magnets, personalized photo CDs, mini photo albums or make a custom picture frame that matches your theme. Writers sometimes like to create custom poems printed on decorative paper, wrapped up like scrolls and tied with ribbon. If you’d like, you can even stick this scroll in a bottle or put it in a decorative box. At www.superweddings.com, you can get instructions to make your own martini gel candle, which is a creative way to save on your deluxe favors. For winter weddings, a decorative ornament, mini wreath or treasure box makes for thoughtful theme party favors.

According to your friends at The Knot Magazine, “making your own wedding cake is a not-so-good idea” but “making your own wedding favors can be a very generous gesture to show your guests just how much you appreciate them.” They say the key to pulling off homemade wedding party favors is to personalize your packaging, set aside plenty of time (at least a month or a week if they’re edible) and enlist friends to help. For instructions and wedding favor ideas, you can check out the following recommended resources for DIY kits and accessories. Visit www.foryourparty.com, www.iomoi.com, www.paperpresentation.com, www.paper-source.com or www.weddingthings.com. For party favor boxes, labels, tags and ribbons and more ideas for favors, visit sites such as www.theknotshop.com, www.bellaterra.net, www.containerstore.com, www.katespaperie.com, www.mjtrim.com, www.myjeanm.com, www.orientaltrading.com or www.wonderfulgraffitiwedding.com.

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