Birthday Party Favors - Some Crafty Ideas

We have had many fun birthday parties and love to give party favors to our guests. My favorite things to give are those items that I can incorporate into the party as an activity, something that the party guests can use their creativity with.

1. Potting flowers is a fun and easy activity and take home favor, painting the terra cotta pots and then either transplanting a seedling or planting seeds.

2. Spin Art is an inexpensive item in the craft store, we have purchased two of them for less than twenty dollars and love to create spin art, if done at the beginning of the party the spin art has time to dry and makes a great favor.

3. Modeling clay - Simple pinch pots are fun to make, easy for the smallest of hands and interesting for the older child and if done with white model magic by Crayola can be decorated with markers and dried by the end of the party.

4. Painting Pumpkins - One of my children has a birthday near the end of October and we love to pick up either the jack be little pumpkins which are very small or the baby bears which are a little larger and paint them. Poster or tempera paint peels off after it is dried, acrylic works best

5. Painters caps - An inexpensive craft store or hardware store item which can either be painted by hand using craft fabric paint, or placed into a box and spray painted, we have also used sponge cut out shapes, stars and hearts to dip into paint and press onto the cap.

6. Cookie Cutters - If the party involves decorating cookies or cupcakes I like to give a few cookie cutters in a bag with a recipe and possibly a child sized rolling pin

7. Dollar store costume jewelry and beads for making necklaces, bracelets or key chains

8. We have give out gift certificates, movie money, dunkin donuts, chuck e cheese or local arcade tokens, sometimes I am just too tired to come up with a crafty party favor and these are always appreciated and often not much more than the craft supplies.

9. Origami - Following along with directions found online or in a library book we have had origami making at birthday parties and the fun and folded final project is a nice favor to take home.

10. Pez Dispensers - My boys love these and their friends do too, they are available in bulk through many party goods catalogs.

11. Hot Wheel Cars - While the girls love to make their jewelry the boys usually enjoy a few hot wheel cars in a goodie bag and can usually be found on sale sometimes two for one dollar, I watch for them throughout the year and tuck them away for party favors or grab bag gifts.

12. Picture Frames - using craft foam which comes in wonderful bright colors and patterns I cut out picture frames that the party goers may decorate with markers, glitter glue or foam stickers. While the party is going on take photographs of the kids, load them into the computer and print out a photo that they may tape to the back of their personalized frame and take home as a favor and memory of the party.

I hope you enjoy these crafty, easy and fun party favor ideas, stop by my article about birthday party games and have a great time at your child's next birthday party.