DIY Wedding: Homemade Budget Wedding Favors for Any Theme

Although many couples are opting to not give wedding favors to save money at their budget weddings, there are a number of options for budget wedding favors that will work with any wedding theme.

Budget Wedding Favor: Homemade Photo Frame

Although you can purchase small frames for wallet-sized photos, guests will enjoy having a homemade frame that fits with the color scheme for your wedding and reflects your personality. You can give the frame to them empty, perhaps with a note where the photo goes saying "wedding photo to come," and then you can mail a favorite wallet-sized photo in each thank you card to go in the frames.

To make a homemade photo frame wedding favor, you will need cardboard, thin sheets of plastic or mylar, thick cardstock in the color of your choice, glue, a cutting knife, and any decorations or embellishments you may want. The decorations should match the color scheme and feel of your wedding, and they can include ribbon, tulle, and scrapbook supplies.

Cut the cardboard and cardstock into rectangles about 3 inches larger than your photos will be on each dimension, and then cut a hole in the middle of the cardstock slightly smaller than your photo (it will have 1.5 inch borders on each side). Glue these pieces together with a thin strip of glue on the edges, leaving the top edge open. Cut the sheets of mylar into pieces 1 inch larger on each side than your photos, and insert them through the top edge of the frames. Then you can decorate the frames however you want!

Budget Wedding Favor: Homemade Photo Tile Coasters

These wedding favors are coasters made from simple kitchen countertop tiles, which you can purchase in bulk at any home improvement supply store. Buy tiles that are the right size to be coasters, along with small felt "feet" for the bottoms so they won't scratch surfaces (either the self-stick variety or sheets of felt for you to cut your own and glue them). You will also need prints of a photo or two of the happy couple that are small enough to fit on the coaster while leaving a border around them. You will need glue that will dry clear and be water-resistant to hold it all together.

To make your photo tile coasters, gluing the photos to the top of the tile, both with some glue under the photos, and a thin layer of glue painted over the tops of the photos and the tile to coat the top of your coaster. When that has fully dried, flip the coasters over and put at least 3 felt feet on the bottom of each one.

Your guests will love the creativity and will fondly remember your wedding as they use the coasters. Having a few different versions of the coaster (by using a few different photos) will mean that families who attend can each take one and have a variety of coasters.