As the days get longer and warmer, it gets easier to entertain outside. Sometimes when you throw a party, it’s fun to offer your guests favors to take home to remember what a great time they had at your party.
If your event has a theme or if it’s a children’s birthday party, it is best if your favor matches your theme. Some easy ideas for party favors: if it’s an ice-cream party, how about a Mason jar filled with colored sprinkles? For a pool party, each guest can take home a pair of flip-flops, maybe some sunglasses or a bucket and shovel. Bath bombs are great for a spa party.
If you’re hosting a little girls’ birthday party, a summer fiesta, a tea party, or maybe a bridal shower, you could make your own headbands and give them as favors.
My favorite kind of party favors are those that you can use or wear after a party. Flower headbands are a great favor for many different themes. They are really easy to make and customizable to match your party, and the best part is your guests can wear them over and over and remember what a great time they had.
MATERIALS NEEDED
• 1/2-inch headbands pre-wrapped with ribbon.
• Hot glue gun/hot glue.
• Silk flowers with stems removed; silk leaves if you want them.
• Felt (white to match the flowers, or green to look like leaves).
• Fabric scissors.
1. Wrap the headbands with ribbon. Cut the felt into small circles (about a half inch in diameter); the felt circles will back the flowers.
2. With the hot glue gun, attach the silk flowers, one at a time, to the top of the headband, starting from one side (make sure to leave enough room for around the ears).
3. Attach leaves under the flowers before you attach the felt circles.
4. Cover your felt circle with hot glue and immediately place it around the back and sides of the headband, covering the back of your flower (this will hold your flowers in place).
5. Isabella Jimenez-Macuil, 3, models how the headbands will look when you are done.
You can put the finished headbands in a basket at a check-in table as guests arrive, or hand them out as they leave. You will be sure to get a wow from your guests.
Nicole Macuil lives in Palo Alto and is the owner of wishesandwows.com, a party-planning platform.