Tips to Choosing and Buying Baby Shower Favors

While the mom-to-be leaves her shower with a mini-van full of essential baby items, the guests usually exit with fists full of shower favors. And although these favors can be virtually anything, it's important to make them special so they truly become a keepsake, something that will remind the guests of their special day together.

All the favors are a way of saying "thank you" to the guests for taking their time to honor the mom and help her get ready for the new baby. But there are a variety of ways these favors can be incorporated into the shower.

The favors may be personalized for each guest. The host may find ways to work the favors into the games as prizes. Perhaps a beautiful centerpiece could be raffled off at the end. Or maybe, if it's a themed baby shower, the favors would relate to the theme in some creative way. As you sit down to plan the favors, it is entirely possible your imagination will outrun your bank account.

If you have drawn in other friends and family members to help you with the planning, find a way to delegate or split the costs. While one person may take charge of decorations, another might buy all the shower favors or prizes. If some can't invest their time, maybe they can contribute to help purchase favors.

Try to get the most out of your purchases. For example, a baby bottle filled with candy can be used as a weight to hold down balloons in a centerpiece and then, at the end of the shower, the candy can be tossed into take home bags for the guests while the guest of honor gets the baby bottle. All sorts of new parent necessities can be used to make cute decorations and table centerpieces, even a small box of diapers! Just take a stroll down the aisles at a local store and use your imagination.

But if you don't have the time to be driving around town searching for those favors, maybe you can do what millions of Americans do every day: online shop from work. Okay, you should really reserve your online shopping for when you're at home, but let's be honest, with the workday demanding more and more of us, many companies don't mind if you do a little online shopping from the office, as long as you are meeting your deadlines and not letting your work slip.

A quick Google search for "baby shower favors" will turn up several websites dedicated to selling party favors. Even with shipping charges, you might make out better at an online store, especially if you value your time and consider the price of gasoline today.

If you have the time to do some "scrolling" you might search eBay for baby shower favors as well. A recent search there turned up nearly 3,000 items for sale.

Baby shower favors come in all shapes and sizes, but they generally fall into four groups. Some are edible, such as the candy mentioned above, others are purely decorative, you might personalize some favors and finally, others are all about pampering.

A framed photo or a specially engraved gift might make a good personalized favor. It doesn't have to be big, but make it something the guests will want to keep. There is an incredible variety of candles and soaps on the market today. You can spend just a few dollars or bust your budget if you want to. These make excellent decorative and pampering favors. With a little bit of creativity you can use them to make colorful centerpieces and decorations as well. Just make sure you wait until the end of the party for guests to take their favors!

As the big day begins to wind down and the guests are about to leave, it's a good idea to spread your favors out on a table so they can select the favors that suit them best. And while favors are not de rigueur for every shower, they are a great way to make the day even more memorable for your guests.